It’s just what it sounds like; you make a record into a bowl. Younger folks may not know what a record is.  A record is a vinyl disc that when played on a record player creates the sound of music. The needle of the record player some how translates the grooves in the vinyl into sound, and sends it through speakers.  Viola, music! I still think it’s magical.

So, this is a very cool idea.  And, it is beyond easy.  Let’s get started.

Materials Needed:

•  33 Records: I got mine at the local Goodwill for 99 cents each. The ideal records for this project are not too thick and not brittle. You can decipher this simply by touching them. I have actually run across a few records so old and decrepit that they practically broke when I was touching them.

•  Oven set to 200 degrees

•  Timer set to 5 minutes

•  (Pizza pan optional– the record never gets so hot that it drips, but I am a “better to be safe than sorry” kind of girl!)

•  A glass bowl used to shape the record while it is in the very warm and malleable phase, just out of the oven.  I used a 2.5-quart mixing bowl.  But, there is no need to be so precise.  Any bowl with a wide enough opening will work well.

 Process:

Step 1-    Set oven to 200 degrees. I imagine much warmer may in fact melt the record, not just soften it. And, not warm enough and you cannot shape and mold the record.

Step 2-   Put the record in the oven for 5 minutes. I use a timer, as I am prone to wander off and start a new project or task. Timers always call me back and keep me focused.

 Step 3-   Be sure to have the glass bowl you are using to assist you in shaping the very warm record ready and available.  Once the record comes out of the oven, you have a limited time to mold it before it begins hardening, maybe about 20 seconds at most.  Take the record out of the oven. It is very warm, but not hot, so you can pick it up directly with your hands.  Place it over the glass bowl, and push it down in the center, where the paper and hole is.  Be sure to press it all the way flat to ensure the bowl will rest flat when done. If you do not like how it turned out, you can return it to the oven for another five minutes and give it another try.

Step 4-   Enjoy.  These record bowls intrigue people. I give them as gift baskets. I line them with decorative tissue paper, and add anything from fanciful chocolates to packages of my hand-made note cards.  People, at least people in my cohort and older, notice fairly quickly that this is a record shaped into a bowl.  Then, they are amazed to hear that I made them.  Give it a try!  It is so easy.