Call me old fashioned but I am still a fan of listening to vinyl records,  but these days it is certainly not as convenient as grabbing your MP3 player or iPod for music on-the-go. I have seen hundreds of vinyl records being given away for free on Craigslist or you can pick up a stack for cheap at your local thrift store. You may even have vinyl records lying around your house that are scratched, warped or unlistenable for reasons other than just damage (perhaps your musical taste has evolved!) Instead of just tossing them aside, you can reuse them for decorative or functional pieces for your home décor!  Here are a few of my favorite ways to creativity use vinyl records:

1. Canvases

You can use vinyl records as canvases to paint on. If you want a smoother surface to work with you can spray on a couple layers of primer before you paint.  I like to use acrylic paints but you can explore and experiment with different paints to get the effect you want. If you are apprehensive about painting free-hand on your vinyl canvas, you can also use a stencil. Vinyl records make cheap, effective and beautiful canvases!

Vinyl Record Canvas – Paint

Vinyl Record Canavas – Paint / Stencils

2. Bowls

You can turn your old records into really stylish bowls. I would choose a record you actually enjoy but might be damaged or a record with a cool label because the labels can be seen at the bottom of the bowl. These vinyl bowls make great fruit bowls, catch-all trays, and containers for potted plants. You can even hang your record-bowl design as wall art.

Vinyl Record Fruit Bowl

Painted Vinyl Record Bowl

3. Cake and Dessert Tray

Using 3 to 4 vinyl records of varying sizes or the same sizes and a few plastic cocktail glasses, you can create your own musical dessert tray. This is a great idea for themed parties or to simply show off your amazing crafty side!

Vinyl Record 3 Tier Dessert Tray

Vinyl Record Cupcake Serving Tray

4. Side Table

You can easily create a sturdy vinyl record side table. All you need to do is hot glue the vinyl record (the top of the side table) to a plant stand (the base of the side table) and VOILA! You can enjoy your newly vintage vinyl table!

Vinyl Record Side Table Materials

Vinyl Record Side / End Table

5. Earring Holder

Use a vinyl record to make a stylish earring holder by heating a metal skewer and poking it through the vinyl record. This earring holder is a great way to beautifully display your earrings as well as keep them organized. No more tangled messes!

Vinyl Record Hanging Earring Holder

Vinyl Record Earring Holder

6. Wall Art

You can cut interesting and fun shapes out of vinyl records and hang them throughout your home as art installations or 3D wall decals. Vinyl record wall art makes great conversation starters and adds a touch of edgy design to your home.

Vinyl Record Butterfly 3D Wall Art

Incorporating salt crystal lamps into your home’s interior design not only adds a beautiful and natural element to your décor but they can be beneficial to your health too!

Salt crystal lamps are made from salt crystals from the Himalayan mountain regions and are over 250 million years old. Salt crystal lamps are natural ion generators. They generate negative ions into the atmosphere which restore and neutralize the air quality in your home. Many appliances such as televisions, computers, air-conditioners and countless other electronic devices emit positive ions that when in high doses can negatively affect our moods and energy levels making us prone to crankiness, exhaustion and depression.  By keeping a rock salt lamp in areas of the home where electronic devices are polluting the air space, it can help to neutralize and/or balance the positive/negative ions in the atmosphere.  It has also been noted that rock salt lamps can help with symptoms caused by asthma, allergies and other illnesses.

Not only are the salt crystal lamps beneficial to your health and well-being but they add an earthy and natural look to your home décor as well.  The mined crystals come in many different shades including white, pink, orange, peach and red. They can also be sculpted in various shapes such as spheres, pyramids or cones and are typically mounted on a sturdy wooden base. In addition to their appearance, they also serve as a gentle and subdued accent light ideal for meditation, mood lighting or for use as a nightlight.  These beautiful treasures are perfect functional pieces offering better health and functionality without skimping on style.

Link: sixdifferentways.com

Segment Table is a minimalist design created by San Francisco-based design firm  Box Clever . The conception of their name came from the term “boxing clever,” a reference to how the best boxers win not only with their brawn, but with their wits as well. As designers they take a similar approach: to identify opportunities, learn from and respond to any challenges that arise, and execute flawlessly. Segment Table comes pre-designed with channels built into the surface in order to accommodate wiring and functional accessories. The table’s surface, which is constructed of multiple parts, was inspired by the ever-shifting tectonic plates sitting underneath San Francisco.

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Segment Table by Box Clever

French designer Caroline Gomez is well known for her simple yet functional objects that focus on natural materials. Pöl is the latest collection that consists of two desktop organizers that serve different purposes. The overall organic shape is meant to reflect a puddle, which is the English word for Pöl. The first is Tablette, which has slots to hold papers, notebooks, and pencils and then Plateau is a storage tray with two separate compartments to keep your small desk accessories. Tablette Plateau Share This: Twitter | Facebook | Discover more great design by following Design Milk on Twitter and Facebook

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Pöl Collection by Caroline Gomez

The Third Generation Furniture project is the ultimate in turning trash into treasure. Industrial designer Jason Lloyd Fletcher set out to turn unwanted materials into new, functional pieces of modern furniture.

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Jason Lloyd Fletcher Turns Unwanted Materials into New Furniture

I fell hard for the Potential For Collapse collection created by Axel Yberg of Akke Functional Art . Each one-of-a-kind piece looks to be delicately put together and ready to topple at any moment, but is in fact, very sturdy and carefully constructed. Walking a fine line between art and design, these pieces are made to “represent the delicate nature of the human psyche and the inherent risks involved in taking chances — as well as the great rewards that come from successfully pursuing one’s dreams.” Amen to that! Some of these pieces are available – please check Akke Functional Art’s website for details.

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Potential for Collapse by Akke Functional Art

We met Spanish-born industrial designer Vicente Garcia-Jimenez , who now works out of Udine, Italy, on our trip to the lighting company Foscarini in Venice this past fall. In addition to having designed three pendants lights for Foscarini (Le Soleil, Fields, Big Bang), Garcia-Jimenez has also designed numerous other lamps, as well as sculptural and functional furniture pieces. He also works in ephemeral architecture and brand installations. He recently earned the Elle Decor International Design Award by the magazine’s Spain edition. For this week’s Friday Five , Garcia-Jimenez shared images that represent the starting point for some of his designs

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Friday Five with Vicente Garcia-Jimenez

Vienna, Austria-based artist Gisela Stiegler began creatively as a trained painter but evolved into a sculptor. Her Lampenfieber series, made from expanded polystyrene waste material carved into functional works of art, includes lighting and wall shelves. Once sculpted and lacquered in one of a few colors you would never know they were made from upcycled salmon fish boxes

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Gisela Stiegler

British film producer-turned-cabinetmaker and designer Charlie Turner recently launched his line of contemporary clocks. He breaks away from the traditional mold of centuries-old design to produce each distinctive piece with its own story.

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Charlie Turner Contemporary Clocks