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Green Idea: Upcycle Your CD Cases

Apr 05, 2010

At my former job as a magazine art director, we had a joke that never seemed to lose its appeal. Over the years we'd collected a huge box full of CD jewel cases. There were so many, and even though we reused them all the time for transferring files here and there, the pile only seemed to grow. Just about every day, one of my coworkers would stop by and ask with a sly grin, "Do we have any empty CD cases?" We would laugh. Every time.

In homage to the never-ending supply of CD jewel cases that are surely scattered upon this poor, over-burdened planet, I offer this idea. It's simple as can be, hardly worthy of step-by-step instructions. The only trick is hanging, so here are some tips for creating a perfect grid using the most brilliant household adhesive ever invented, 3M Picture Hanging Strips.

PHOTO: Rob Brodman for Sunset Magazine.

HOW TO CREATE A PHOTO GROUPING USING CD JEWEL CASES

1. Lay the CD cases on the floor, arranged roughly with the spacing you'd like for your grid. Measure the overall dimensions of the grouping.
2. Using painter's tape, mark off the upper left corner where you want the grid to begin. Use a level to draw a light pencil line across the top.
3. Measure off the width of one jewel case plus the space between. Stick on another piece of tape. Repeat for each row.
4. Load the cases with your photos. You can use 5-by-7-inch photos trimmed to size, or size the photos in Photoshop and print them on an inkjet printer using photo paper.
5. Attach a 3M Picture Hanging Strip to the back, centered near the top. (One will do for these lightweight frames.) Peel the backing and firmly press into place following your taped guideline. When it's time to remove the frames, the Picture Hanging Strips will leave no trace.

And if you need any jewel cases, just go hit up my former coworkers at Traverse Magazine. —Diane

TAGS: how to create a photo grouping using cd jewel cases recycle repurpose upcycle reuse inexpensive art display ideas

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