Home Crafts-Taking your Favorite Old Record Albums and Showing Them Off

Author: Linda M. Johnson

A lot of us still remember the days of playing our favorite vinyl record albums on a turntable, and can recall the anticipation of bringing that album home from the record store to give it a spin and play our radio favorite again and again.  Here is a classic way to resurrect one or two of those old record albums and show them off in an artsy way and protect them at the same time. 

I was inspired to create this decorating project when I came across an album shaped hanging frame with a glass cover to protect the front of the album jacket.  That of course is the part that holds the record itself.  The frame was designed to display album covers on a wall as decorative art.  Throughout the decades of modern music as we know it, specifically the time period from the psychedelic 60s to the present time, the design and artwork that would go in to an album jacket cover, and the more current CD covers, at times has resulted in phenomenal and historically significant art.  So, when I discovered this frame designed to show off some of those more artsy album covers, I was immediately drawn to the idea and started to make a list of the old albums I had that might work well displayed on my walls.

Then, like that proverbial light bulb flashing over my head, I had a revolutionary idea that had me jumping through the ceiling with excitement.  What if I took an old record album or two, great musically speaking, but lacking in artistic interpretation on the cover, and used that same frame I found to display the vinyl record itself.   Of course you’re asking me, “What is so original about that idea?”  Well, pull up a chair and I’ll show you how to make that dark vinyl disc a work of art.

First let us look at the supplies you will need for this attention drawing project:

• Square album frame with glass cover: (12 ¼” X 12 ¼”);
• An album, without the jacket cover
• Scrapbooking theme paper, theme wrapping paper, or any artistic paper that projects the message or theme of the album itself.
• Thicker cardboard cut in to the square dimensions of your frame (this should match the shape given above that is intended for an album cover to fit inside)
• Adhesive glue stick or artist spray adhesive

To put this framed art project together, you are simply taking an old record album and showing it off on your wall in the same way that music artists are awarded once their recordings reach a certain level of sales.  Whereas their successfully selling record albums are represented in gold or platinum, our framed records will be the actual albums themselves with a decorative theme border surrounding them.     

Step 1:  You may have a square piece of the thick cardboard included with your frame.  However, if you do not, just cut a square piece of cardboard in the dimensions listed above from an ordinary cardboard box.  Test fit the cardboard inside the frame before going any further.  Once you have a fit, set your cardboard on a flat surface safe for cutting upon.  Now, take your album of choice, and place it exactly in the center.  A perfect way to find the true center is to first measure your square and make a pen mark at that point.  Then, simply lay the album over the cardboard and line up the hole in the middle of the album with that pen mark.  Bet the inventor of the record album never realized the center hole had a dual purpose, did he?  Once you have marked your place, take a sharp utility blade and slowly score the cardboard along the circular edge of the album.  Once complete, remove the album and cut completely through your scored cardboard to remove the inner circle.  You are now ready for the next step.

Step 2:   You will now want to take your scrapbooking paper or wrapping paper of choice, and cover your cardboard using an adhesive glue stick.  Make sure the paper is flat against the cardboard without any bubbles, and then cut out the center circular portion where the album itself will be inserted.  Once the paper is dry, place it inside the album frame, insert your album, and place the protective backing that came with the frame back in place.  

That is it!  Your artsy framed old record album is ready to be hung on the wall and admired.  Have fun with it.

About the Author:

Linda Johnson is a degreed and experienced crafter and interior/exterior decorating specialist, with years of experience helping friends, family, and clients solve their decorating and craft needs. Linda and her contributing writers invite you to submit your own great ideas for free, and also find tons more craft ideas and decorating projects like this with photos to try yourself

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Home Crafts-Taking your Favorite Old Record Albums and Showing Them Off

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