Nov 20, 2012

DIY: Mosaic Ornaments from CDs + Video Tutorial




I've been itching to make holiday crafts all year and I'm so excited to share my first one. For this week's DIY project, I'm making some sparkly ornaments made out of something that I'm sure we all have tons of at home: CDs! When you cut them into small pieces, they're a great alternative to mosaic tiles with an added touch of shine. Add some handmade flavor to your own tree or make them as holiday gifts! Now, let's get started...

P.S. Check out my DIY gift wrapping paper tutorial for another holiday craft!



Materials: 
•  Glass ornament (I got a pack of 4 on sale at Michaels for $2!)
•  CDs (choose ones that are silver underneath and not blue/purple. It takes about 1½ to make 1 ornament)
•  Ribbon
•  Scissors
•  Glue gun



Steps: 
• Cut CDs into various small shapes and sizes. It's not the simplest material to cut through, but can be done with a decent pair of scissors.
• Glue a small dot onto the ornament and press a piece of mosaic on top with the shiny side facing up. Be sure to wipe away any remaining "spiderwebs" from the glue gun. I find it much easier to clean as you go then to wait until the end.
• Continue gluing until the entire ornament is covered. Tip: You can also place the ornament on top of a small cup to hold in place as you glue.
• Place some ribbon inside the ornament. Since you can see through the glass ornament, this will cover up the glue dots on the inside and the back side of the CD pieces. Tip: Use bright ribbon to add some extra color. 

You're done! Now make a bunch, hang 'em up and watch your tree sparkle!



25 comments:

  1. These are beautiful!! And I love that you reuse old CDs. I have plenty of those lying around ready to be made into something pretty.

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  2. Great idea! I was thinking about changing the look of my Christmas tree, so I can recycle old balls.

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  3. See, I knew those old CD's would come in handy! I love, love this idea!!!
    Can't wait to make some this weekend.
    Thank you for posting!

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  4. Great DIY idea! I have some old CD's around... ;) THX
    lici

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  5. Hello Natalie. These are amazing! I've shared these on my facebook page as daily craft inspiration, with all the backlinks ofcourse!
    Thanks.
    Here is the link - https://www.facebook.com/letscreatecrafts

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  6. These are gorgeous! Can you tell me if you think they would be dangerous? Are the edges sharp and pointy? If I pack them up at the end of the year will I cut myself the next year taking them out again? Just wondering :)

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    1. Thanks Stacy! No, I wouldn't say they are dangerous. I haven't had any problems handling them. Since the CDs are plastic and not glass, they are not as sharp. To be safer, you can cut the pieces into more square-like shapes instead of triangles. Hope that helps!

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  7. Lovely! Im sure they make your tree seem so much brighter too with all the reflections :)

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  8. These look beautiful. Well done.
    xx Tanya
    http://aciddreamsandsugarhighs.blogspot.com/

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  9. Anonymous11/25/2012

    I had trouble with the edges flaking, tried putting them in warm water first to make them a little more pliable,but that didn't work either. I used good sharp scissors as well. Love the idea , but do you have any suggestions? Your edges look nice and clean!

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    Replies
    1. Hi! It might be the type of CD you are using. Some have a foil film-type material on top, which is what might be flaking off. I used CDs that seem to have the ink printed directly on top and I didn't have any issues. Try using different CDs and see if that solves the problem. Hope that helps! ~Natalie

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  10. This is a fantastic idea to reuse cds! I love how sparkly it looks :)

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  11. Anonymous11/29/2012

    These would be neat to hang in your window for suncathers, too!

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  12. Anonymous12/08/2012

    Why do you say to not use the colored CD's? i was thinking the colored ones could be used if you have a color theme.. Just wondering if there is a reason.
    thanks
    Merry Christmas

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    1. Hi! You absolutely can and that's a great idea! I only stuck with ones that had a silver back, but there's no reason not to experiment with other kinds. ~Natalie

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  13. Love this idea! Thank you for sharing. I'm going have look at your other ideas :) x

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  14. Thanks so much for sharing - I LOVE it! We've linked up to you in our post "Clear Ornament Inspiration."
    http://youpinspireme.blogspot.ca/2012/12/clear-ornament-inspiration.html

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  15. Anonymous2/09/2013

    you have my name so i am so inspired :)

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  16. I like how you used an old CD for the mirror tiles, instead of glass. Very creative!

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  17. Me encanta tu idea, tratare de ponerla en marcha.
    gracias.

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  18. What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

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  19. Wow I can't believe this! This is definitely the best idea ever. Thank you so so much for sharing!

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  20. Adorei a dica.
    Muito criativa.
    Convido-a para conhecer meu blog tb.Já estou lhe seguindo no Pinterest tb.ok
    Bjs

    Rutiléia Acessórios Exclusivos

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