Upcycle Scratched Vinyl Records Into Retro-Themed Furniture With A Five Below Item

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Ordinarily, suggesting upcycling vinyl records to furniture or surfaces to keep other items on would be shocking to music lovers and collectors. But what about when you have a record that is scratched beyond use, and there's an eco-friendly option to reuse them rather than sending them to the recycle bin? Sure you can upcycle scratched vinyl records into flower pots and various home decor, but why not get some surface space out of them, too? If one (or several) of your records become unusable, set these aside to create the most retro side tables using some Five Below supplies. By securing the records to the top of the Five Below Hairpin Side Table, you've just elevated any room and added more surface space. You can still enjoy your vinyl long after the music ends and you're being sustainable, too. Groovy!

Five Below's side table options are very inexpensive and allow you to buy several at once if you wanted to create a few matching sets for multiple rooms (or just one room). There are other side tables you can use, too, like the Five Below Round Metal Side Table, and both this and the Hairpin style are only $5.55 per piece. You may also want to keep acrylic hot glue like Surebonder Acrylic Tough Hot Glue Sticks on hand, since vinyl records are made of PVC and this will help adhere them to the table.

The project itself is fairly simple. Once you've purchased your tables, glue your vinyls to the tabletop. Allow them to dry properly before placing anything on top of them. The record discs should fit perfectly on top of the table with no overhang. However, this may vary depending on which style of table you purchase. Long play records measure 12 inches and may be the most standard size people associate with these vinyls. You can find other sizes and play around with, like 7-inch vinyls that are much smaller and could be layered on the table for a more abstract surface.

If you're not opposed to altering the records even more, you could spray paint your old music and the table for a more cohesive finish. Or you could heat the vinyl in your oven to between 200 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit for no more than three minutes, then remove it, let it cool, and use sharp scissors to cut it in half. Do this with two different records and then glue them together on top of your tables. This is a clever way to show off multiple pieces of music and your preferred bands or artists in a kitschy way. These various tricks can help with the Five Below options listed above as they are a little larger than a standard vinyl, so you may have some of the table showing beneath the vinyl, but painting or using multiple pieces can help create a stylish finish. This no-tools side table DIY is a great way to elevate any room.