Cool, Crafty Things You Can Do With Your Old CD Cases

I have been waiting a long time to do this: After finally figuring out a way to salvage 56Gb of music off my dying laptop, I’m officially going digital. Those 900+ cds that have been taking up way too much space in the corner of the living room? Yeah, they’re gonners. But since I can already anticipate the duds that Amoeba is gonna refuse, I’ve found a handful of crafts that re-purpose cd jewel cases. Yeah, sure you can always just glue two of your more interesting looking discs together and call it a coaster, but that lacks flare. And usually winds up looking like something your eight-year old nephew did. Here are a handful options that won’t give you that third-grade craft cringe:

Candle holder '“ you’ll need an image printed on velum (or any other see-through paper), some ribbon and glue. Slide the image inside the case and use the ribbon and the glue to hold the cube shape together, and you’re done.

Photo Frames/Calendar '“ I’m sure y’all are smart enough to figure this one out on your own.

Notepad '“ I found this one in the Big-Ass Book of Crafts. Just cut out some sheets of paper that will fit inside the case, and get a pen or pencil small enough to fit and you’ve got an easy notepad. You can also decorate the cover of the case with a sheet of decorative paper and glue.

Wall Art '“ find an image, or several, cut '˜em out, slide '˜em in and secure them with glue or tape so they don’t slide around inside the case. Then mount them on your wall. Alternatively, you could use bits and pieces of glass and ceramic (or'safety pins, earrings, etc) to make a mosaic.

You’ll not only get compliments on your craftiness but you can also now avoid having to explain to your friends why you still have a Counting Crows CD from 1998. (It was free and let’s not talk about it).