My daughter-in-law Sarah is so clever at simple but cool do it yourself projects. I’ve shared several of her ideas in the past and I really like this new one…
Sarah made these fun bowls for all the guys in our family for Christmas. My husband loved his and uses it for a change holder. The second my husband opened his gift up I said, “I have to learn how to make these and make a post out of it!” (Which is something my family hears quite often…have to make a post of this.) We actually celebrated our family Christmas early to accommodate everyone’s schedule, which allowed me to learn how to make these and gift all our guy friends with one too. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and quite frankly, fun to watch as the vinyl melted. I think I clapped my hands as I watched through the oven door.
We used vinyl albums and 45’s that were scratched or cracked. I had a ton of 45’s and I bought the albums at Discover Goodwill for 99 cents. I will say, I didn’t find any cracked albums at Goodwill. You can also choose by the names of the songs, artist or color of label.
Next, pick a container that’s oven-proof. We used casserole dishes, mixing bowls and other decorative dishes I didn’t think would melt. (It will only stay in the oven for a minute or so.)
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place dish you’re using upside down on a cookie sheet and center the vinyl over the dish.
Place in oven and don’t walk away! You will see the sides start melting almost immediately.
Now there’s a couple of different ways you can make these. For this small 45, which makes for fun wall art, I just let the 45 melt and then pulled it off the dish once it was cool. It took less 2 minutes.
Experiment with shapes and dishes…
Another way to do this, which makes the finished item look more like a bowl and is deeper...
Once the album sides have melted down, pull dish out of oven and very carefully pull melted vinyl off, flip the dish and slide the vinyl inside the bowl. “Pinch” whatever creases or swirls you want to create…need to do it while still warm.
Again, use whatever shape/size pan/dish will accommodate the album or 45…
Thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets are fun places to find vinyl for super cheap prices.
Use your imagination and have fun…
