21 Record Wall Ideas To Give Scratched Vinyl A New Life

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Vinyl records are not only about sound but also the texture, feel, artwork, and nostalgia they hold. While many have moved on to MP3s and music streaming services, the vintage charm of record collections is loved by both audiophiles and amateurs alike. Many retailers today sell brand new record players with a vintage vibe, and musical artists still release deluxe vinyl editions to augment their catalog. But what happens when albums reach the end of their listenable life — when things like warping, scratching, and other damage have ruined them for playing? If you love music, there are actually many cool ways to use these albums cleverly as art and decor, either with the vinyl albums themselves or their artful cardboard sleeves. From simple grids and gallery walls to fun DIYs that turn them into 3-D flowers or clocks, one idea is surely perfect for your space, whatever your musical and design tastes.

These old vinyl records may be ones you've held onto long past their playable days. Or they may be the sort of albums you can pick up secondhand in all the usual places, like thrift stores, garage or estate sales, or flea markets. You can often find vinyl being sold inexpensively or given away on online platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Keep in mind that while some of these projects offer clever vinyl record storage solutions for playable records in good condition, others can lead to damage and sound deterioration due to moisture and dust. Limit your albums to ones you will not be trying to play for these DIYs.

One of the most aesthetic and fun ways to organize and display a vinyl collection you cannot listen to anymore is in a grid on the wall. The pleasing geometries of their square sleeves or circular albums provide a soothing view. You can hang one or the other (all vinyl records or all cardboard sleeves), or you can intermingle them for variety and interest. To attach them to the wall, use double-sided tape or Command Strips. This makes it easy to swap them out or remove them if you're renting.

This is a fun way to use color in your space. Hang the vinyl records according to the color of the central label, using a multi-hued approach for a rainbow wall installation or a monotone approach with albums that have black, gray, and white labels. You could also do a color saturation technique using multiple records in the same color. Or combine a range of similar shades vertically or horizontally along the wall to create an ombre effect.

This approach puts a classic, luxe spin on albums and album art. Find gilded gold frames that are large enough to accommodate round albums or square sleeves. Or buy some basic square frames for albums and spray paint them or accent them with gold leaf. One great way to create a more elaborate frame is to add appliques and decorative molding to a plain picture frame, creating a customized antique look that fits whatever size you need.

You can buy simple acrylic frames that hold albums, either with sleeves or without, from online retailers like Amazon. We like these Antilope Floating Acrylic Vinyl Record Album Frames. They have brackets and hardware at the corners that suspend the albums between protective sheets. This is also one of the safest ways to display albums you still listen to, since they are protected from dust, scratches, and warping.

Create a collage of vinyl record album art you love on your wall. You can arrange them in a grid pattern, or overlap them and create vignettes within a larger arrangement. Use a mix of different cover art images to create an overall pattern, or arrange them in rows by related or complementary image themes or music genres to cover an entire wall.

You can display your records standing up on a simple skinny shelf that is mounted to the wall. Create DIY shelves from timber molding or strips of lumber, or purchase clear acrylic supports online, like the wall-mounted Kalami Vinyl Record Holders or NIUBEE Record Shelves. Some are deep enough that you could keep your entire collection stored on the wall. Put the records you want to highlight front and center. This is also a great way to display records if you like to switch them out periodically.

Use wire or fishing line to hang your albums vertically from a bar mounted to the wall or the top of a door frame. Think of it as a much larger 1960s or 1970s bead curtain. This minimizes damage to the wall from holes or tape, since the only thing attached to the wall is a single bar. It also makes it easy to display a rotating collection of albums. Alternatively, hang your vinyl records on an extendable curtain rod for a fun alternative to traditional window treatments.

Make your albums part of a gallery wall by mixing them with other pieces of art and decor like framed photos, posters, and wall sculptures. You can even add other elements like wall-mounted planters and hanging vases for more variety with living elements This makes it feel like the albums are a piece of art with a musical spin.

You can build an inexpensive rack to store and display vinyl records on the wall out of scrap lumber: 1 x 2-inch boards would work great, as would 2 x 4-inch planks. Just use pocket screws or wood glue to attach the pieces together in a grid pattern to accommodate the albums. Stain or paint the boards to match your existing decor before putting it on the wall. You can also customize the dimensions of this DIY to fit your available space or the size of your collection.

There is no rule that says you have to hang your albums in a basic grid. Get creative with the arrangement of albums on your wall. Try arranging them in a triangle or stair-step pattern. Or create a spiral of albums or covers on a large wall. You could even make a Christmas tree-shaped installation using holiday music albums.

Create an entire musical wall by mixing vinyl records and sleeves with other musical memorabilia, such as posters, photographs of musical artists and bands, and ephemera like concert flyers and tickets. You can even have your band t-shirts on display, as well as other merch like hats, buttons, and tote bags. Frame the items or display them unframed for a more casual version of this idea.

Use wall-mounted album cover art, your collection of playable vinyl, and a record player to turn a corner or alcove into a listening station. Great spots for a music area include a small alcove, an unused closet, or the space under your stairs. Not only do the cover art and records set the tone for the task at hand, but they can also showcase the history of your favorite artists and albums.

Turn old vinyl record albums into new round artwork. Use acrylic paint to decorate the vinyl with your favorite images or portraits of the original artist. Add a fixative coat to keep the paint from scraping off or scratching. This DIY is not just limited to paint. You can also use techniques like paper collaging and mixed media creation to add three-dimensional elements and upcycle your old vinyl records as home decor for your wall. You can also add your own elements to existing vinyl sleeve art.

With the assistance of a simple clock hardware kit, you can easily turn a single album into a wall clock. Just fasten the hardware through the hole in the center of the record. You can leave your new clock as is or paint it and add accents that you like to fit your decor. Or make a large-format wall clock using twelve albums arranged as the numbers.

You can create adorable decorative shelves with an old vinyl album and a heat gun. Make sure to do this in a well-vented area to avoid inhaling toxic fumes from the vinyl as it melts. Just hold the record over the edge of a table and apply heat until the plastic begins to soften and you can bend it into an L-shape. Hang it on the wall at the studs with nails or screws. Use the shelves for holding small decor, plants, or candles.

Use vinyl records as matting or a frame for your own images, like family snapshots, mini-prints, and Polaroids. The black vinyl albums provide a unified look and fun vibe as an alternative to traditional square matting. Or use the cardboard album sleeve behind your image so that the visual details of the album artwork are visible around the perimeter of the photograph.

Turn vinyl albums into wall-mounted flowers by melting them with a heat gun to soften and bend the albums around the edges, creating a bowl-like shape. You can hang them on the wall as is, or use some glue to affix smaller melted albums in the middle to create fuller flowers. Leave the flowers in their original black or paint them beautiful colors with acrylic paint.

Use some sturdy scissors to cut vinyl records into multiple pieces and create a mosaic on a wooden board. You can also bring in pieces of broken ceramic tableware, glass tiles, beads, and stones. Use adhesive to stick down the pieces in your desired design and then add grout over the top to fill in the gaps. Let it set overnight. You can even use some broken-up CDs with the records to give the design a little shimmer.

Hang several 1 x 2 boards horizontally on the wall and display your vinyl collection in the space between them. Hang the pieces 12 inches apart so that the albums fit inside the slats. You could also use a router to create a groove in the wood, which helps hold the records in place. You will be able to arrange the albums on the wall by sliding them into the display from the sides.

Use small wooden blocks attached to the wall for a floating vinyl record wall alternative to frames and shelves. Attach the slender wood blocks, stained or painted as you desire and spaced equally, onto the wall with adhesive strips. Make sure they're far enough apart so that records are evenly spaced. Set your records in their sleeves on the blocks, allowing them to lean against the wall. This is a great way to display vinyl if your wall is large and you want to spread them out more.

You can buy simple black square frames that give a chic, modern look to a collection of old vinyl records. Hang them closer together for a grid effect. Or create a more expansive wall design by hanging them further apart so that more of the wall is visible. Since the frame offers some protection, this is also a great way to show off records that are still playable.