Altered CDs

Alter: To change or make different; modify.

Altered art has taken on a new life of its own in the world of scrapbooking. Scrapbookers have discovered that you can make more than just pages with your pictures, some paper and a little bit of glue! Take a look through the Scrapjazz gallery and you'll see everything from altered composition books to altered paint cans! There are even magazines now dedicated solely to altered pieces. This can only mean one thing--there's something new you've just got to try!

The art of altering a CD might sound foreign or silly to those that just haven't seen it done or given it a try yet. I'll admit that the first time I saw an altered CD I thought to myself--Oh man, what is next, altered toilet seats? Upon further inspection, I realized how versatile these little pieces of plastic can really be!

There are a million ways to alter a CD, and like all altered art, there is literally no way to mess it up! Altering by nature is out-of-the-box and funky, but don't let that scare you away from trying. I think you'll quickly realize just how addicting these things can get! Here are a few examples of what you can make by altering a CD:

• Make Christmas ornaments for your friends and family. They'll love the fact that they're homemade and you'll love the fact that they're cheaper than the Hallmark alternative!



• Make a door-handle hanger for your scrapbook studio or your childrens' room. Add words like Hard at work or Baby's Sleeping to one side and Out and About or Wide Awake on the other side! This can be easily flipped around to tell others what's going on behind that closed door.



• Make a CD to hang on your dishwasher with a magnet to indicate Clean or Dirty for your dishes. You never know, your teenager might actually start the dishwasher that way--but probably not!






• Make one and put it on a small art stand for your desk. Add pictures of your family or friends to it to make a truly unique picture frame.



• Create a CD and attach it to your next housewarming gift as an unusual and beautiful tag.



• Decorate a few CDs with the same patterns and glue them into a circle to create a one-of-a-kind wreath for any occasion.

There are a few key elements that you¡¦ll need to make an altered CD. Although there is no wrong way, there is definitely an easy way!

• Make sure you use a sturdy glue to glue your paper to your CD. I usually use PVA or Mod Podge. The surface of a CD is very slick, so make sure you brayer it down tightly!



• If it's going to be a hanger, make sure you tape or glue your ribbon or fibers underneath your paper so you don't see the ends of it!



• For an altered CD that you want to last the wear-n-tear of everyday life, decoupage it!



• Don't be afraid to decorate the CD case, as well, for the whole package. This makes a VERY impressive gift.

Other than that, have fun and experiment. Seriously, you can't mess this one up! Throw those rules of design out the window and go nuts. Now you'll have an excuse to keep those pesky AOL CDs that arrive in your mail everyday!

Projects by Roberta Hibbison, Lindsay Teague, and Amanda Bottoms

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