Uses for old CD's

[inishindie]

I don’t know about you but we are getting more and more free CD’s given to us with newspapers and magazines. I have mentioned before that they make great bird scarers if they are tied up and left to flap about in the wind. I have been asking around and built up a bit of a collection of other uses for shiny discs that should keep them out of the landfills for a while.

Garden no-no: One person has tried to set them in cement to use them as stepping stones. You might not be surprised to learn that this wasn’t successful. They did not retain the holographic effect evenly and looked mottled or just like plates of plastic. Maybe it would have been better to cut them up and make mosaics.

Clocking off: Put a clock mechanism in the centre and have a small clock on the wall. Someone suggested fixing large clock hands on the wall then using 12 cd’s as the numerals. Very contemporary I must say.

Scoop that poop: Another misdirected person suggested that they could be used as a pooper scooper, which is an interesting thought. Maybe the idea of being handed out as party invitations would be better.

Frosty: Use CDs to scrape frost and snow from car windows.

Charity shops: Donate them to charity shops where they can put a price label over the ‘Not for resale’ bit.

Disco ball - Cut them up into squares of about 1 cm with sharp and tough scissors, glue onto a foam ball and you have a disco ball
Someone suggested that they could be melted into shapes after being heated in the oven This can be dangerous because the discs will give off toxins especially the silver dye, which is very toxic. Using them as Frisbees is a bit dangerous too.

Chair leg stabiliser - Put felt on one side and use as chair leg stabiliser.

Drinks covers - helps keep drinks warmer or cooler at your desk. You could push the straw in the centre hole as well.

Drawing aids - Trace 4 3/4" circles (outside) or 9/16" circles inside. (I measured them, how sad is that?

Fridge magnets - put self-sticking magnets on the back.

Pom Poms: Put two disks together and wind wool through centre hole, over edges and back through centre hole. I do feel the centre hole may be a little small in comparison to the size of the disk so it may be better to take out the centre circle before starting (if you want more information about how to make pompoms, ask me later)

Look out: To stop anyone from creeping up behind you or to see what is going on behind you when on the computer, stick a CD to the corner of your PC monitor using Blu-Tack (like a rear view mirror) or just use them as a rather poor vanity mirror.

[Thomzo]

Christmas decorations: use a strong pair of scissors to cut one into three fan shapes. Drill a hole in the top. Paint with acrylic paints, glass paints or nail varnish. You can decorate with peel offs.

Put them under strawberries to keep the fruit out of the mud and help the undersides to ripen.

[battybird]

I use them as drinks coasters...pretty boring really!
I did once use one as a pastry cutting guide it was just right for child sized pasties! Did not work out what to do with the middle bit though!

[Moonwaves]

Someone suggested that they could be melted into shapes after being heated in the oven This can be dangerous because the discs will give off toxins especially the silver dye, which is very toxic.

Might be getting mixed up with doing this with records and assuming you can do the same with cds, perhaps? There are obviously some fumes with vinyl as well but it's definitely done.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf895928.tip.html - once your kitchen is well-ventilated it should be okay I think.