Isabel Davies shares some crafty ideas

If you have a collection of CDs that you no longer use, they are probably sitting in a bag in the attic or in a box in the garden shed or on shelves you would rather commit to something more functional. You can bring this redundant format back to life with a few ideas that are eco-friendly, fun and great for the whole family. I will also give ideas about how your old CDs can be used to raise a bit of money.

CD balloon hovercraft

You will need

• a pop-top lid from a sports drink or water bottle
• craft glue
• an old CD
• a balloon

1. Make sure the pop-top lid is securely set in its closed position. Glue around the bottom edge and stick it directly over the hole in the centre of the CD. Leave to dry fully before continuing.
2. Inflate the balloon using the power of your lungs, making sure that no air escapes once it is full, but don’t tie it off
3. Pull the neck of the balloon open and stretch it over the pop-top attached to the CD.
4. Put your completed hovercraft on a tabletop or other flat surface. Open up the pop-top so that air can flow through it from the balloon, and give it a push to watch it whoosh smoothly along without touching down until the air is expended. You can repeat this as many times as you like!

Old CDs have the perfect physical properties to make this hovercraft set-up work. They are very flat and have a uniform design, which means that the weight is evenly balanced. This allows the air being forced out of the balloon to distribute itself equally as it escapes at the bottom, creating an invisible cushion upon which the CD contraption can float, just like the principle that helps a hovercraft remain buoyant.

CD clock

I think the reflective, rainbow-sheen surface of a CD is a great background for a clock. CD clocks have become so popular that there are now kits specifically designed to fit the standardised shape and size of compact discs. This means all you need is an old CD and one of these kits for an unfussy crafting session. However, if you want to do this from scratch with whatever you have to hand, there is another way.

You will need

• an old bedside or travel clock (with a face and hands, not a digital display)
• craft glue
• the foam cushioning pad from a stack of recordable CDs
• an old CD

1. Take the old clock and strip out the front fascia by unscrewing the mechanism (typically a black box) from the back of the clock.
2. Glue the cushioning pad directly onto the clock mechanism box over the central spindle, to which the hands will later be attached.
3. Place glue on the exposed side of the pad and fix the old CD over it so that the mechanism box is obscured and the spindle is protruding through the central hole.
4. You may need to retrieve the paper clock face from the original clock you cannibalised for this project and stick it on the front of the old CD so that you can align the times with the hands, which are the next things to attach. Ensure that the hands go back on in the right order; otherwise the time will be all over the place!
5. You can either hang your finished clock on the wall or glue a piece of broken CD to the back to make a simple stand so that it will rest on your bedside table or sitting-room cabinet with ease.

Selling old CDs

If you have exhausted all of the crafting options and still have many old CDs that you are never going to use, you could visit www.musicmagpie.co.uk or musicmagpie.de. This site enables you to sell CDs you no longer need in order to get a bit of cash back and do your bit to help the environment. Your old CDs will be recycled and turned into new products that still have a use. In addition, you can choose to have the proceeds of your sales donated directly to a worthy cause, which means you can clear out space at home and charities will reap the benefits.

Isabel Davies lives in London and is a green lifestyle advocate who loves writing, discovering new music and salsa dancing. She aims to one day write for a national newspaper and own a pet bearded dragon.