Recycle compact disks (CDs or CD-ROMs) by making them in to this a cool pencil holder. You can decorate them in many different ways. Here are some tips and instructions.
Since hot glue tends to warp or melt the CDs it's not recommended for this craft. Instead, use super glue to hold the CDs quickly. Since the project doesn't use hot glue, it's a great craft for kids, with adult supervision for the super glue part of the project. Be careful with the super glue to only get it in the places where you need it or it can make the pencil holder look tacky, or interfere with the decorating of the pencil holder later. Using a piece of tape, align all four CDs on the tape, side by side, with just a sliver of space in between each one. Stand the CDs up, with the tape side out, and fold them into a square. Set the square on the felted CD, and then draw a line where each top CD meets the bottom one. After you've marked their positions, remove the tape from the CDs. Squirt super glue on the line marked for the first CD. Hold the CD in position until the super glue dries. Place the next CD by squirting super glue on the bottom CD, and a dot on the side, where the first CD meets the second. Hold firmly in place until dry. Do the same with the 3rd CD, making sure the super glue on the side doesn't drip on to the bottom CD. Do the same with the 4th CD, this time making sure to put super glue on the bottom CD, and both the 1st and the 3rd CD before attaching the 4th one. Now the pencil holder is complete, but can be decorated by painting it, or gluing strings of beads along the top humps of the CDs, or around the bottom.
There are many different ways to do the CD pencil holder. You can cut and glue fabric circles to the CDs before beginning the project, or you can glue decorative paper, foil, cork, pictures from greeting cards, large circular stickers, or even adhesive shelf paper. Most of these techniques can be done with hot glue, since they don't tend to warp the CD if the CD has some sort of coating on it, but the super glue gives you a better hold for this project.
The CD pencil holder can also be made from CD cases, too. Decorate the CD cases any way you want, and then attach a square piece of felt, cork or fabric to the bottom of one CD. Begin gluing the other CDs on top of the first one, as you did with the CD pencil holder. For the square ones, put the glue not only on the bottom edge, but the sides also. If you made the holder without decorating the CD cases first, you can now use texture paint to give the pencil holder a stone look. The paint brushes on, dries quickly, and can be used for just about any surface. This technique can also be used on the CD pencil holder, but adhere the CDs or CD cases together first, before beginning the texture paint. Paint the inside first, let dry completely, then place the pencil holder upside-down on a glass or other object to paint the outside. Let your imagination run wild and you'll think of still more ways to decorate this project.
