Upcycling old records

Vinyl is the embodiment of the newstalgia style trend- records were everywhere in the 60s and 70s and have had a huge resurgence in the last ten to fifteen years. Obviously we’d recommend putting them on your turntable primarily, but if you have old records that are scratched and damaged or no longer play, that doesn’t have to mean the end of them. There are all sorts of ways you can get creative with them to turn them into playful new pieces of art or practical accessories around your home. Whether you're looking for a cool centrepiece or a unique wall art to hang, upcycling vinyl records is a great way to add a bit of charm and personality to any room. 

One of the most simple solutions is to use your old records as wall art, with the simplest solution being framing them and hanging them up. A simple black box frame really nicely blends classic and contemporary styles for a timeless design piece that you can easily screw onto your wall. Plus it’s easy to create a set. If you wanted to be a bit more artistic, you could turn the records into a canvas and paint on them directly. You have the option to paint them all individually or do a combined design to create a mural effect when they’re hung on the wall.

You can turn them into coasters for your coffee table, which goes really nicely with other music-themed decorative touches. Every coaster becomes like a mini record in itself when you cut them to size, and by using the centre you keep the label which gives each one its own personality. All you need to do is heat your records in the oven at a low temperature until they just start to warp in shape. Then use scissors to cut the centre out of the record for your coaster. Then add cork or felt feet to the bottom with a glue gun to add the final touch.

You can create cool and unique bookends for your shelves by using a warped record at either end. It’s really straightforward but has a big visual impact. There are a few different ways to do it, but basically you need to heat the vinyl to soften it before bending it to create the shape you need. Use either a hair dryer or dip the record into a small amount of boiling water. Once it’s heated, bend one half over the edge of a table to create a 90-degree angle. Then do the same with a second one if you want one for either end of your books.

You can create your very own vinyl side table with little more than an old record, a planter stand and a glue gun. You can either go for a black stand to match the vinyl, or pick a colour to create a contrast. Just make sure that the top isn’t wider than the record- so if you have a 12-inch record, a planter that’s 10-inches wide will work nicely. Then apply your glue to the top edge of the planter where the record will sit, before placing the record on top and making sure that it’s centred. Then leave the glue to cool and you have a side table ready to go.