Christmas Craft 2 – Modern Record Bowls
Did you ever make oven-melted record bowls? When I was a kid, my family made homemade Christmas candy and wrapped it up to be delivered to friends and neighbors in melted record bowls spray-painted neon pink (yeah, no idea…but I guarantee the pink was my dad’s idea).
I wanted to create something a little sleeker and a little less free-form than the old oven-melted variety so I made these little low-edged tray bowls.
Materials:
vinyl record (i really love the thick ones from the ’60s and earlier)
sharpie
scissors
steel ruler
a surface that can withstand some heat from…
…a heat gun
Step1: Clip Lines
Mark clip lines: At 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00 on your record, measure about 1.5-2″ in from the edge and mark it with a sharpie. (I just used whatever track line on the record was about 2″ from the edge) These are the short white lines shown above NOT the dotted blue lines.
With the heat gun set on low and held about 6 inches from your record, lightly warm up one clip line. You’ll see the surface of the vinyl start to change which will cue you that it’s getting softer. When it’s soft, use the scissors to clip the clip line. Be careful not to overheat and completely melt the record. The vinyl will cool and reharden quickly. If you don’t cut fast enough, just reheat until soft and clip again. Repeat for all clip lines.
Step 2: Bend the seams
Heat a general line (without the ruler in place) between the bases of 2 clipped lines along one of the blue dotted lines shown on the diagram above. When the vinyl is soft, lay the ruler down on the record and bend the vinyl upward against it. Hold the vinyl up for a few seconds until it cools and hardens. Work your way around the other bend lines.
Step 3: Tuck the Corners
Where the corners come together they’ll overlap a little like the above. Gently heat both the inside and the outside with the heat gun. When just cool enough to touch, use your fingers to bend them against each other into rounded corners that look like this:
End Result:
To protect the label, I gave it about 3 coats of ModgePodge as a kind of light sealer against major wear and tear. On a few later models I also filled the hole with a bead of hot glue which dries like a hard little plug.
Clean it with a wet cloth or a quick douse under the kitchen faucet but keep it away from any heat like the dishwasher or you’ll undo all your work.
Nice, someone made me a bowl like this two years ago…I hung it on the wall..it’s just groovy
I totally just blogged this and Kirtsy’ed it. I’m going out of my mind looking for vinyl records. How cool are you two? TWO COOL, that’s how.
Like that?
Two > Too
No?
Yes?
I know, I should quit and go to bed sans more sangria.
This is awesome! I want to try it now!
wonderful!
ha! thanks OMSH, i’m glad you like it! I got my scratched up records at Goodwill for .50 each. Bargain!
these are a perfect update. Brilliant!
I think I’m soon updating my son’s room will all things audiophile.. These will be perfect for stowing the rampant middleschool flotsam.
oh the people on my christmas list that would LOVE one of these. but i don’t have a heat gun. grrrrr.
regardless, fantastic idea. thanks for sharing.
i think i have the same scissors that you do. mine came with my off the television miracle blade knives.
I love your site!! Thanks for the posts!
Mina
http://www.bohemianvintageonline.com
LOVE THIS!!!!!! Thanks for sharing