Make Bowls out of Vinyl Records
You can easily turn any old, unwanted vinyl records into unique bowls! These crafty creations can be used for any storage purpose and make great gifts.
Contents
Steps
- Obtain some cheap and useless vinyl records. May be you have some old ones you don't play anymore or you know someone else who does. Don't use any records that don't belong to you. Check out a local second hand store or Op Shop or charity shop for cheap records.
- Preheat your oven to around {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} (100-120 Celsius). Make sure the kitchen area is well ventilated.
- Put about 1/2 pound of dry beans - not tinned beans as shown - into a linen or muslin bag. Tie the bag just like a bean bag toy so that it has just a little give to it. Alternatively you can also use a full tin can of to get a flatter base to your bowl.
- Set a single oven rack to a low position. You want your bowl to form as close to the center of your oven as possible.
- Place a heat proof bowl into a larger pot to stabilize it, and set the pot onto a baking sheet.
- Carefully center the vinyl record on top of the bowl. In the center of the vinyl record place the bag of dry beans or full tin can. Just keep an eye on the process so that the flat bottom remains centered.
- Put this into the oven. Keep a close watch because each vinyl record starts to "flop" at a different time. It usually takes 4-8 minutes.
- Take the whole thing out of the oven (wearing oven mitts, of course) once you notice some real "flopping" going on. You will only have a few seconds to adjust the angle of the bottom and the general shape of the bowl. This is why you need to watch it so closely as it molds.
- Put your record into another bowl and shape it around that, or you can hand mold it. Sometimes, you might like the way it looks right as you take it out of the oven; if so, skip the molding.
- Here is where you can get creative. Wear hear proof gloves as this bowl is hot and you can't afford to drop it. You can pull in some folds or rolls to make it resemble a flower, or whatever you see in your mind.
- Let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Flip it out and enjoy your handiwork.
Edges Down Method
- Get some cheap and useless vinyl Find Vinyl Records on the Net. Don't use anything that doesn't belong to you; instead, check out the local second hand store for cheap records.
- Preheat your oven to around 200-250 degrees Fahrenheit (100-120 Celsius).
- Place your record on the center of an upside down pot or metal bowl. Put this onto a baking sheet.
- Put this into the oven. Keep a close watch because each vinyl starts to "flop" at a different time. It usually takes 4-8 minutes.
- Take the whole thing out of the oven (wearing oven mitts, of course) once you notice some real "flopping" going on.
- Put your record into another bowl and shape it around that, or you can hand mold it. Sometimes, you might like the way it looks right as you take it out of the oven; if so, skip the molding.
- Let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Flip it over.
Edges Up Method
- Find an oven proof glass bowl that is only slightly smaller than the record.
- Preheat your oven the same way as above.
- Place the record on top of the glass bowl and center it.
- Put the bowl and record in the oven and place a can on top of the record, in the center.
- Watch closely as the record sinks into the bowl. If the sides fold over the glass bowl, then the can might not be heavy enough, or you need a larger glass bowl. If you don't want to start over, or if you simply want a deeper vinyl bowl, you can try pushing it down carefully.
- Take everything out of the oven when you're satisfied with the depth and shape of the bowl.
- Let cool, flip it out, and get ready for the oohs and ahs.
- Put table napkins.
- Add your favorite snack and enjoy!
Tips
- In the summer months when temperatures get very hot, you can put your metal bowl in the sun to get preheated. Then place your record album on the bowl, and leave in the sun 10-15 minutes, depending on how hot it is. Shape it around the metal bowl and bring it inside to cool. No fumes inside and you didn't heat up the kitchen!
- Use an emptied metal can filled with dry beans as the weight.
- You can add some nice touches to it by putting sparkles or sparkly glue on it.
- Dry foods, like popcorn and nuts, can be served in the bowl by adding a layer of deli paper or parchment before filling the bowl.
- You can melt the records without an oven by using a heat or embossing gun in place of the oven. Use thermal gloves, the type used for pottery kilns, a metal bowl for shaping, a partner, and a lazy Susan. Use heat gun in a well ventilated area.
Warnings
- Make sure to keep an eye on your record when it's in the oven. Vinyl has a very low melting point and could easily ruin your oven if you forget about it!
- Do not use these bowls to serve food, especially hot food - even popcorn with melted butter. Record vinyl is not a food-grade material and may leach harmful chemicals.
- Most vinyl records are made overseas by melting the plastic from recycled materials, mostly old records, labels, and other rubber/plastic of the same type. They do leach toxins when heated.
- Work in a well-ventilated room. Open windows and activate exhaust fans.
- Modern vinyl records are made of a vinyl polymer, derived from chloride monomers, which is similar to polyvinyl chloride (aka: PVC). Only the additives during the manufacturing process make it dissimilar. Vinyl chloride is a known carcinogen that can be leached (citation), along with phthalate plasticizers, from vinyl records when heated and manipulated. This leaching is both a residue and a gas when warmed. It is advisable not to repeatedly heat records in an oven which is used to prepare food, as the leached gas can collect on the oven's walls. Exposure levels are negligible for occasional use of this craft, but prolonged use and exposure could lead to liver cancer (citation).
- Additionally, newer records may melt in your oven due to their plastic content, rather than bend. Older records tend to work best for this project.
- Don't find an old vinyl record lying around and use that without asking others in your household, as many records contain vast sentimental value. You'd be safer asking an older family member or friend for one or, as suggested above, heading to a secondhand store.
- Do not leave the can in the oven for too long, as it may explode due to the heat, if you want you might puncture the can beforehand to relieve pressure.
- Always use protective gloves when using a hot oven.
- Your vinyl will be hot when you pull it out of the oven. Please be careful!
- If you plan to use your bowl for holding anything that might have some liquids in it (but not food or other edible materials), protect your furniture by taping up the center hole with duct tape after the bowl has cooled and hardened. Apply tape to the outside of the bowl only.
Things You'll Need
Edges Down Method
- Baking Sheet
- Metal Bowl or Pan
- Another bowl (optional)
Edges Up Method
- Glass Bowl
- Weighting Device (e.g Canned Tuna)
