Pick out a CD

Take a look around and see what kind of CD (compact disc) you have laying around that you will not miss. Once you use compact discs to make CD crafts you will not be able to listen to them again. I have used CDs that have stopped working, un-solicited CDs received in the mail (remember the AOL days – a CD every other day), and occasionally CDs that I no longer care for.

Drill a Hole

Drill a hole near the edge of the CD. To drill the hole, use a drill press, a hand drill or rotary tool with a 1/8″ bit. If you use the hand drill, or rotary tool make sure to protect your work surface so you do not drill into it. You can use a piece of scrap wood under the CD, or hold it over the edge of a table so the drill bit misses the table. Place the hole about ¼” from the edge of the CD. This hole, from which you will hang your CD crafts, also marks your top center.

Pick Out Seashells & Accessories

You need seashells for both sides of  CD crafts, especially if you plan on free hanging it. Pick out 10 to 20 seashells that you would like to use. Try them out on the CD to get an idea for how they will look when you are done. You can add decorative touches, such as small glass fish, coral pieces, pearls, and even shell pieces. For this shell craft CD, I have chosen to use 1 small scallop seashell, 4 cardita seashells, 1 small green fish, a piece of coral, and 2 snail seashells. Since I want to do both sides of the CD, I doubled up the items.

Apply the Seashells

Do one side at a time. Wait for everything to dry then do the other side. Apply glue to the under edge of the seashell that is going over the CD’s center hole and put it in place. For this example, this is going to be the scallop seashell. Follow that with the four outer seashells in the form of an X. Put the piece of coral (or another accessory) under the hanging hole. Then add the other accessories as you see fit. Since I use all purpose white glue, I have to let the shell craft CD sit so that the glue can set.

Apply the Sand

Once the seashells and accessories have attached themselves firmly to the shell craft CD it is time to apply the sand. I use beach sand since it is a mixture of ground up seashells, coral, glass, and silica. This adds sparkle to the CD crafts.

Apply glue to the exposed surface of the CD. Spread it using a paintbrush until the whole thing is covered. If you use white all-purpose glue, it should stay wet long enough to spread it around and apply the sand. Just sprinkle the sand over the glue until all the glue is covered. Let the shellcraft CD sit until the glue dries, then tilt the CD over to get rid of excess sand.

For information on preserving your shell craft seashells read my article Seashell Preservation.

Make the Hanger

Use a piece of 4 to 8 lb fish string to make the hanger for the CD crafts. Tie the string to the hole so it doesn’t slip off. At the other end tie a 1 to 2 inch loop. The length of the string depends on how low you want it to hang. If you’re not sure, make the length longer than what you think you may need. You can always make it shorter.

Now hang up your CD crafts. I hang mine from ceiling hooks, usually in corners. I’ve also used picture hangers to hang them over a doorway. However you decide to enjoy your hand crafted shell craft CD home decoration you are sure to like it. Make another and give it to a friend. If you’d like more inspiration for shell crafts visit Shellcraft-Guides.