How To Create Stunning Home Decor Reusing Old CDs

In an earlier blog, I mentioned that I was working on a project to reuse old CDs and DVDs that can’t be recycled. It is time to give you an update as things are starting to look good. And to show you how to create stunning home decor reusing old CDs. This is part one looking at painting the CDs. A later blog will show how I make them into wind hangers for the garden and other home decor displays.

How To Create Stunning Home Decor Reusing Old CDs

Finding A Box Of Old CDs

Early last year we were clearing out parts of the house and we found some old CDs and DVDs. You may remember that before the wonderful digital boxes that can automatically record and store TV programmes, it all had to be done manually? We used to record TV programmes on CDs to watch later.

Well we came across a box with lots of these old CDs, all with handwritten notes saying what was on them. There were also a pile of old DVDs that we donated to a local charity as they were in good condition.

Nowhere To Recycle Old CDs

We set the CDs to one side to go for recycling. Only to discover that nowhere here in our part of Italy would take them. So I set them to one side in my art studio. I had the vague idea that perhaps I would make a mosaic using them. Well, you know, reuse is better than recycling!

Inspiration Struck

Some months later, I came across a blog post that caught my eye. A resourceful Mum had come up with the idea of getting her children to decorate some old CDs and make wind chimes out of them. They used children’s paints and sharpies. I realized I could do something similar. And that if my plan worked it would create some stunning and unique home decor.

Experiments In The Art Studio

How To Prepare The CDs

I decided that I wanted to paint the CDs by dipping them in acrylic paint. I try to avoid waste and only use the amount of paint I need for a painting. But there is inevitably some left over, particularly with acrylic pours. It provides me with the ideal opportunity to use up the paint on the CDs.

Having given the surface of a CD a quick clean, my first challenge was how was I going to actually dip it. By dipping, I mean that paint is put on a cleanable surface or canvas and then items are dipped into the paint so that their surface is covered. Dipping gets messy and the CDs are flat with no edge to really hold to lift them once dipped. I came up with the idea of using old plastic cups and fixing them on with tape to give me something told hold on to. These plastic cups are constantly re-used in my studio, many are old yoghurt pots. I experimented with a prototype and it worked beautifully as you can see.

The Technique Works Really Well

I have now created nearly 40 CDs in this way. It tends to be that I work on six at a time and just keep reusing the plastic pots and tape each time. I have a window ledge covered in the latest ones drying. There is a constant cycle of moving them around to different places as they dry.

I already have some acrylic art outdoors that has weathered really well (looks as good as when I first put it outside). It has survived rain, hail and snow so far. But I was concerned that these wind chimes will get a lot of wear and also have to contend with baking hot sun. So, I am now starting to experiment with adding a protective coating to see what works best. I have some covered in an acrylic varnish and I am currently experimenting with MOD Podge.

I am delighted with the results I have had with these so far! It is my intention to hang these painted CDs in my garden as a type of wind chime. There will be future blog detailing the results of my experiments with protective coatings and how I make the actual wind chimes.

But I also started to experiment a bit more with what I could do with the CDs.

Still Experimenting

I wondered what I could achieve if I found a way to cover the central hole. I used tape to cover the hole on one to try it. It was a disaster as I used too big a piece of tape and you could see the shape of the tape through the paint. But I got hooked on trying again.

I now have a small number completed that work really well as you can see. They are stunning! It is my intention to display each of these in a small, square, white frame in various rooms in the house. They will certainly create a talking point!

Why Not Have A Go?

I hope this has given you some ideas on how to create stunning home decor reusing old CDs? The only thing stopping you is your imagination! Get out there and give it a go!

Before you go

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Thank you for reading!