Compact Disc Crafts
Here is the second shellcrafts seashell project I have made in the compact disc crafts hanger series. I liked doing the first one so much, I just had to try another right away. This compact disc crafts hanger has seashells, faux pearls, and rhinestones arranged in circle patterns around a central seashell. The central shell is very colorful. One side has a black shell with natural white markings and the other side has a brown shell with white and gray markings. I arranged the circles in groups of 5. There are 5 clam style shells, 5 round style shells, 5 faux pearls, and 5 rhinestones on each side. The most inner circle is composed of rhinestones. On the side with the black center shell I used blue rhinestones. On the side with the brown center shell I used purple rhinestones. The next circle is made with the faux pearls and is slightly outside the rhinestones. The third circle uses the white shells, more or less evenly spaced out. The last circle makes use of the rounded snail seashells. Specific Materials: 1. Compact Disk 2. Seashells 3. Faux Pearls 4. Rhinestones 5. Fishing Line General Materials: 1. Elmer's Glue-All or equivalent 2. Polyurethane - gloss or semi-gloss – liquid, non-spray 3. Hobby brushes 4. Newspaper 5. Drill and Drill Bit Shop for Supplies HerePrepare the Compact Disk The first thing to do is clean off any fingerprints and oils that may be on the surface of the Compact Disk. I used dish soap and water, rinsed it very well, and used a clean towel to dry it completely. Clean both sides of the CD since with this arts and crafts project we will use both sides. Use a small drill bit, maybe 1/8” or smaller to make one small hole near the edge. The hole is about ¼” from the outside edge. You will be tying your fish string to this hole and hanging the completed work from the fish string, so the hole becomes your “top of the CD” marker. Brush off any plastic pieces and dust. Now you are going to sand your compact disk crafts project. Place your newspaper or something similar under the CD to catch any loose sand. First apply some Elmer’s 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, and when it looks good to you, pour sand over the glue. Put quite a bit of sand on the glue and 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. The dry time depends a bit on the humidity of the air. When you think it’s dry, lightly shake off the loose sand onto your newspaper. 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. You have finished sanding side 1 of the compact disc craft. Do the same thing on the other side of the CD. Apply glue to the surface, spread it out, apply your sand, let it dry, and shake off the loose sand. You should now have a CD that is covered in 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 compact disc craft are covered in sand you should seal the sand with polyurethane. Pick a side and apply the polyurethane with a paintbrush. Wait for the first side to dry, then flip it over, and paint the sand on the other side. This seal will help protect the sand, bring out some shine, and help the sand stick better to the CD. Wait for the polyurethane to dry and then go on to applying the design. 
Apply the design Take another look at the photo. See how the seashells, pearls, and rhinestones are laid out. You may want to print the photo out so you can have it nearby as a reference. Place your sand covered CD on your workspace. You should have a sheet or two of newspaper under the compact disc craft. First lay out your seashells, pearls, and rhinestones on the compact disc crafts 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 craft. 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 lay on the compact disc. Now that you have done your practice run, get out your glue and start your compact disc craft project. Start with the center seashell, which will cover the hole in the center of the CD. Apply glue to the edges of the seashell and place it over the hole. Check the sides to make sure the shell covers the hole completely. Next put in the rhinestones. I used blue on 1 side and purple on the other but you can use any colors that you like. You can even mix the colors. Apply a drop of glue directly on the sand and place the rhinestone on the glue. The next circle uses the pearls. I’ve used bead pearls that come on strings. The same technique of applying the glue first and then placing the pearls on the glue works real good here. That leaves the 2 circles of shells to add to the CD. You should apply the glue to the edges of the clam style seashells and then place the shells on the CD. For the small round ones, put the glue on the CD first than put the seashell on the glue. After you have finished placing the seashells, rhinestones, and pearls look over the placements. Compare your design to the photos and make adjustments if you want to. You should now have the design sitting with wet glue on 1 side of the compact disc. Take out your sand and pour a bit of sand around each seashell, pearl, and rhinestone. This will cover the glue that has seeped out from under your placements and help blend the edges into the sand on the CD. Carefully set the project aside to dry. This can take a couple of hours or more depending on the amount of glue you used. 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 the new sand. Try not to get any on the pearls or the rhinestones. Yeah! You have successfully completed half the project. 
Finishing the Compact Disc Crafts ProjectNow that the first half of the CD has been crafted, turn it over and do the same thing to the other side. Just follow the steps above. When you are done set the compact disc craft aside to let it dry. Make sure the hole is at the top of the design. Once the project is dry you can finish it off by getting some fishing string and making a hanger for the disk from it. I use fishing line because it is very strong yet barely visible. I believe I have used 8 lb 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. Cut about a foot and a half of string. You can make it shorter or longer depending where you want to hang your project. Thread the line through the hole you drilled out, which should be at the top of the design. Tie it off. About a foot up from the CD (or more if you want) make a loop and tie that off. You should now have a beautifully hand crafted seashell compact disc craft with a hanger. Using Your Decorative Compact Disc Crafts Hang your CD hanger 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. Enjoy your project. If you have any tips, suggestions, or comments you wish to share, please use the Shellcraft Guides contact form. Want to know what is happening on Shellcraft Guides? Use the RSS feature or Sign up here for our newsletter. Info on changes and additions to the website, hints and tips for projects, humor and public annoucements. Published monthly. Support Shellcraft GuidesBuy your craft supplies through one of our associated Craft Suppliers. Just be sure to go to them through Shellcraft Guides. Thanks.Check out our list of helpful Books which provide information from selling your crafts to kids crafts to learning other crafts.
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