DIY How to make a vinyl record bowl

I thought I would share with you a really easy gift idea, that you can create for next to nothing, a vinyl record bowl for this you will need the following.

A vinyl record any size (the bigger your record the bigger your finished bowl will be)
Oven gloves
A conventional oven (Not a microwave)
Two oven proof bowls
A cookie tray/baking sheet

Gather your items together

Preheat your oven to 90 degrees Centigrade or 200 degrees Farenheit (DO NOT MIX THESE TEMPERATURES UP)

Place your cookie tray/baking sheet down , with your ovenproof bowl face down on top of it, and your vinyl record on top as below

Balance your record on the bowl

Place your tray with bowl and vinyl record in the oven and set a timer for 5 minutes, while this is in the oven, get your oven gloves at the ready to take your tray out and get your second ovenproof bowl ready on a flat surface.

After 5 minutes your vinyl record will be floppy and hot but not melted in a puddle see below

You can give your vinyl record a few more minutes to heat up if it is not very floppy after 5 minutes.

Take the tray out of the oven using the oven gloves your tray and bowl will be very hot, then grab your floppy record with the oven gloves it should be malleable but not dripping, and push it into your second ovenproof bowl to push it into a bowl shape.

I actually used a third bowl to push it down into the second bowl, once you have placed your record into the second bowl from the oven, you should be able to handle it with your hands as it will be warm but not too hot, work quickly to shape your bowl as it will cool and harden very quickly.

If you are not happy with your finished bowl shape, repeat the process again, by heating it up and moulding it to shape. If you want to use the bowls for food purposes I would suggest painting them with a clear acrylic sealant of some type.

These bowls are great for anything, one such idea is if you are stuck for a gift for a hard to buy for man then use a 7 inch record and make a loose change pot, just one of a hundred uses for these crafty little bowls.

Last final tip, do check ebay or somewhere similar to make sure your vinyl record is not a rare collectable item worth hundreds of pounds before you go melting it into a bowl, they aren't worth so much curled up like a quaver.