12 Days of Handmade Gifts- Record Coasters

Hi everyone! Welcome to day five of my 12 Days of Handmade Gifts! Today I have a fun diy gift project you can make for your favorite music fanatic, DIY record coasters. I love repurposing records. I frequent the thrift store and am always finding fun and cheesy records. I made bowls out of them last year. This year I decided to do coasters. Working with vinyl records is easier than you’d think, and the things you can make are awesome! All you need is a few records that you are willing to melt, cork tiles, glue, and spray lacquer.

Instructions:

First heat your oven to 200 degrees farenheit. Once the oven has heated, put your record on a cookie sheet and pop it in the oven. In a few minutes the record will start to melt and become a little floppy. Grab the record in one hand with an oven mitt on. With the other hand, start cutting around the record label with some sharp scissors. You may have to put your record back in the oven and reheat a few times to be able to cut smoothly all the way around since it is easier to cut when hot. If your record centers are not flat , pop them back in the oven and place between a few books to flatten when you remove them from the oven. Next, sand the rough edges with some sandpaper. I used 60 grit. Trace your records onto a cork tile and cut out with a box cutter or exacto knife. Paint a layer of glue onto the cork and glue down your record to the cork. When the glue has dried spray the top with your lacquer. To make the album coasters, cut your cover into nine separate squares with a paper cutter or scissors. Cut out cork to fit your squares. Glue the chipboard cover pieces onto the cork, then spray with the lacquer.

These coasters are really simple to make and they are a fun gift for men and teens alike. I am giving these to the guys in the family this year. I will be keeping th Chipmunks christmas record coasters though, I just can’t part with them. They are a fun conversation piece to have around too! You can find so many vintage kitschy records with fun titles like “Everything but the Beer”, or covers with fun graphics at your local thrift store. I have found some real gems too. I hope I have inspired some of you to try this fun and easy diy! Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more handmade holiday gifts!

Happy Crafting!