Thursday, June 5, 2008

Photo CD Coasters

There are so many great ideas out there in cyberspace. I love looking around and finding ideas that I can use myself. I have mentioned http://blog.craftzine.com/ before. They look around at other blogs and pick the best ideas to bring to all of us.

I found this a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to try it. Thanks to Anitra's coffee-pot-people blog http://coffee-pot-people.blogspot.com/ for this great craft idea. I've tried it out and am real happy with the results. My directions may differ a little, but the end product is the same.

Here is what you will need.

  • Old CD's or DVD's and some great family/friend photographs. You can scan some old photo's as well.
  • A computer and good printing paper
  • Printer
  • Adhesive spray
  • Clear, stick on vinyl (I purchased mine in Joann's Craft store in the fabric/notions department
  • Good, sharp scissors

Thanks to my youngest child (age 15) I just downloaded a great FREE photo program. It's very user friendly and gives you the ability to turn your digital photos into real art work. You can try it yourself: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/photofiltre.html .


I used this photo program to make my color photos black & white and was able to turn only one specific part a color. I really love that effect on a photograph.

Start by printing out a photograph. Make sure it is large enough to cover a standard CD/DVD-about 5", but measure yours to be safe.

Print out the photograph ( here is mine below).
Get your old CD/DVD ready for "glue" spraying. I suggest putting down a piece of newspaper because that glue goes everywhere. Quickly spray the CD and apply your photo to the sticky side. Make sure it is aligned and centered. That's a little tricky, but I managed. Take that CD off of the newspaper with the photo attached right a way otherwise, you will have the newspaper stuck to the back. (don't worry if this happens, you can just cut it away.Here is my CD stuck to the back of the photograph. Now take good, sharp scissors and cut around the CD. Trim, trim, trim.....to get a nice clean edge.
Here is all that trimming going on.


Now get your clear vinyl. Pull apart the stick -on vinyl from it's paper and apply onto the top of the photograph. Rub it onto the disk with your fingers and trim. Don't worry if there are a few small wrinkles. You will be ironing them out so the disk becomes "laminated."
Next, fire up your iron onto a medium, wool setting. When it's all heated up, place paper over your disk and hold down the iron for 8 seconds. Then move that iron around all over your disk. Your photograph is now laminated. This will protect the photograph from drinks that you will later place on your coaster.Mark the felt, cut it out and apply to the bottom of the CD/coaster.

Here are three finished coasters. Notice the one on the lower left. I used the new photo program to make the flowers on the hat colored. The rest of the picture is black and white. I happen to be fond of B&W photos, but color would probably look very nice as well.

Some ideas for these coasters:

  • Great gifts for friends, family and especially for teenagers. They love collecting photos of their friends, so why not give them as a gifts.
  • A great summer craft for teens to do. Instead of spending all day on Facebook or Myspace, they can download their photos and get to work.
  • I'm pretty sure you could drill into the disks (no, I haven't tried it yet) to make them hangable.
  • Wall art! I could see these CD's filled with family photographs and applied to to a wall as a "border". What better way to let everyone view your family moments...like vacations, graduations, etc...In this case, you would not have to apply the felt and could use Velcro squares to hang each one.

An easy craft to accomplish and fairly inexpensive to do. I already had the spray glue, the CD's and the printer paper. I had to purchase the contact paper and adhesive felt which didn't cost much.

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04 05 06
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12 comments:

  1. They look great! That's really clever, your idea to iron the contact paper on. I think in the morning I'll probably take mine to the ironing board and have at it. I haven't made any more yet, but I'm itching to, as soon as I get time. They're kind of addictive, aren't they?

    Thanks for linking to me!

    Hugs,
    Anitra

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  2. I downloaded the photo editing program, but I can't figure out how to make certain areas of black and white photos colored. What am I doing wrong?

    Thanks for a great creative project, just in time for Father's Day!

    Melody :-)

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  3. Melody:
    email me directly at clturner3@aol.com with your email address. I have the step by step directions for making "one" area of a black and white photograph a particular color.
    My teenage daughter showed me how to use this technique on the software and she wrote the instructions down for me. When I get your email, I'll send the directions to you. You are going to love the effect!
    Christy

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  4. Hi Christ, I love your blog spot with all your thrifty ideas! I especially like the cd coasters.
    Would you please email me the directions to change the color? I downloaded the free program. Thank you so much!

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  5. Christy

    Thanks for the photo coaster tip.

    I work part time at a place where I can get lots of prints from the scrap pile www.canvaspress.com There will be coasters given as gifts for family and friends very soon.
    Please dont be upset if i wait until after I make them to point my friends here.

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  6. Hi Christy! I emailed you today -- let me know if it doesn't come through so I can try again or check my spam folder!

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  7. Oh, I don't mind. Send my some pics of the finished product! I would love to see them. I agree that these make great gifts.

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  8. Melody:

    I emailed you with directions. Let me know that you got the email.

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  9. What a great and inexpensive idea! Those would make great gifts around the holidays! Especially if you send pictures of the family year round,these would be extra special. Thanks! Michelle

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  10. I'm curious as to what clear stick on vinyl you use? What brand and does it come in sheets or on a roll?

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  11. Christy, thanks for the CD/Coaster idea. I also wonder if you've seen any practical uses of CDs using the reflective aspect of the CD--other than mobiles. :) Thanks!

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  12. Yes. Check out Pinterest.com Register to the use the site. Then, in the search bar, type in CD's. You will be amazed at what people do with old Cd's.
    Some very cool stuff!!

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