Compact Disc Craft
Project 3 - X Pattern
The third project in the Shellcraft Compact Disc Craft series attempts to match the colors to bring the whole into colorful harmony. The central shells, which cover up the compact disc hole, have natural tints that appear purple. The rhinestones, lavender and purple, complement the central seashells’ coloration.
The seashells for this shell craft are placed in an “X” pattern. The area, inside the legs of the “X”, are filled with shell pieces on which the rhinestones are mounted. These form a “diamond” pattern. Overall brings a real nice presentation to the piece.
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As you can see from the photos, the two sides of this seashell arts and crafts, are very similar. The shells differ – mostly in colors and patterns. That’s because they are real and natural, picked up on one of my walks down the beach.
Since everything is applied by hand (thus the meaning of handcrafted) there are slight variations – same as all the other items I make. Try this out and see how the end result boosts the pleasure of the project.
the Shellcrafter
Materials:
1. Compact Disk
2. Seashells
3. Shell pieces
4. Rhinestones
5. Fishing Line
General:
1. white all purpose glue or equivalent
2. Polyurethane
3. Hobby brushes
4. Newspaper
5. Drill & Drill Bit
Prepare the Compact Disc:
The first thing to do is clean any fingerprints, oils, and dust off the surface of the compact disk. I use dish soap and water, rinse the CD well, and dry with a clean towel. Clean both sides of the CD as this seashell compact disc craft uses both sides.
Use a small drill bit, 1/8” or smaller to make a small hole near the edge. I made the hole on my CD about 1/4" from the edge. You will be tying your fish string to this hole, so it becomes your “top of the CD” marker. Brush off any plastic pieces and dust.
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Now you are going to sand your compact disk. I’m talking about gluing the sand over the CD surface – not using sandpaper to smooth it out. Place your newspaper under the CD to catch any loose sand.
First apply some glue to the disk surface. Use a brush to spread or paint the glue all over the surface. Try to spread the glue out evenly. This is why I use the white all-purpose glue – it stays wet long enough to get it spread out and gives enough time for the sanding.
Now pour sand over the glue. Make sure you cover all of it. Lightly pat the sand down with your fingers. This will help more of the sand stick to the glue.
Set the whole mess aside to dry. A couple of hours should do, depending on the humidity of the your air. When you think it’s dry, lightly shake off the loose sand. Gather it up and return it to your container. You’ll need it again soon enough.
Check the hole you drilled into the CD and clean it out if it’s clogged up with sand.
Do the same thing to the other side of the CD. You should now have a CD that is covered by sand on both sides. Collect the loose sand and return it to your container. Clear out the drilled hole if you need to.
Now that both sides of the CD are covered in sand you need to seal the sand. Apply a coat of polyurethane. Pick a side and cover the sand with the polyurethane. Wait for it to dry, then flip it over, and cover the sand on the other side. This seal will protect the sand, bring out some shine, and help seal it to the CD.
Apply the design – 1 side at a time:
Take another look at the photo. See how the seashells, shell pieces, and rhinestones are laid out? Place your sand covered CD on your workspace. You should have a sheet or two of newspaper under the CD to catch any loose sand.
First let’s lay out your seashells, pearls, and rhinestones on the CD surface. Don’t glue them yet, just put them in place so you can see how they fit in the design. Remember to use the hole you drilled into the CD as your top center point, since that hole is how you will hang the finished item.
Try to get your design layout as close as you can to the photos of the one I crafted. This will give you a good idea of how the seashells and other items will look on the compact disc craft. Now that you have done your practice run, get out your glue and start gluing the design on the craft project.
Start with the bigger shells in the center of the design. Apply glue to the edges of the seashells and put them in place on the compact disc craft. The center seashell needs to be big enough to cover the center hole in the CD.
Glue and place the seashells that form the legs of the “X”. Then glue the shell pieces around the central shell. You can fill small gaps around the shells and pieces with glue and sand. Let the glue dry before continuing. Then glue the rhinestones on top of the shell pieces. Sorry, but you just got to set it aside to dry now.
Once it’s dry lightly shake off the loose sand and collect it up for later use.
Apply a coat of polyurethane to the seashells and any new sand. Try not to get any on the rhinestones.
Yeah! You have successfully completed half of this compact disc craft project.
Finishing the project:
Now that the first half of the CD has been crafted, turn it over and do the same thing to the other side. When you are done set the compact disc craft aside to let it dry.
If the project is dry you can finish it off by tying string to the hole and then tying a loop at the other end of the string.
I use fishing line because it is very strong yet barely visible. I believe I have used 8lb on my project but 10 or 12 lb will work just as well. You can get fishing line just about anywhere. Look in the sporting goods department of your local discount store.
Using Your Handcrafted Decorative CD Hanger
Hang your compact disc craft from a ceiling, overhead beam, or other such place. Use a decorative ceiling hook or a cup hook. You can get these at just about any discount store or your local hardware store.
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Try Another Compact Disc Craft Project
Project 1 – Y pattern
Project 2 – O pattern
Project 4 - Cross pattern
Project 5 - Flower pattern
Project 6 –
Star
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