A CD wallet is used to hold CDs, DVDs, and other kind of discs to protect them from scratches and damages. Though CD wallets and covers are available in the market for affordable prices, it is always a matter of proud to own one that you have made for yourself. It is not only simple to make, but also saves you money. You can adopt any design or texture for your CD wallet. The best thing about making a CD wallet by yourself is that with just junk, you can bring out something fashionable and attractive. Here are a few simple steps to make a retro CD wallet yourself from old floppy discs that are available anywhere.
Difficulty level: Easy
Time required: 20 minutes
Resources required:
- ¼ inch floppy disc- 5
- Binder rings- 2
- A pair of scissors
- Heavy hole punch
- Cleaners
- Paper towels
- A strip of ribbon
Instructions:
1. Clean the floppy
Your first step is to get the disc clean. Those old stickers on them don’t look good. While cleaning, use a good sticker remover to remove the stickers. Goo Gone and DeSolveit are two of the best sticker removers available. You also need to remove the residue of the stickers. Make sure that the remover doesn’t go inside the disc. Floppy discs have soft fabric inside them and any harm done to them can affect your CDs as well. After removing the stickers and all its traces, use a clean, dry paper towel to remove the sticker remover. Make the floppy dry.
2. Remove the disc
At the bottom of the floppy, if you look close, there are two notches. If you aren’t sure about your trimming ability, draw a line just above the two notches and run your scissors or paper cutters over the line. After cutting the bottom of the floppy disc, you will gain access to the disc inside. We don’t need the disc. You can either discard it or keep it for some other creative use. Do the same with all the floppy discs you have collected.
3. Punch three holes
Next, you need to use the hole punches. You need to punch two holes at the bottom of the disc. The space between them should be same in all the discs. If you aren’t sure, measure each disc and punch holes into it. Both the holes made at the bottom of the disc should be ½ inch away from the side and ½ inch away from the end of the disc that is uncut. You need to make one more hole. That is in the middle of the disc, ½ inch from the top. Do the same with the other discs as well.
4. Assemble the discs
You are almost there. Open the binder rings. Now slide down all the discs into the binder ring through the two holes that you made at the bottom of the floppies. Now on the opposite side, there you can see an opening. Slide in your CDs in to the floppy disc through these openings. Now you have finished your task.
5. Tie them together
Do you remember the 3rd hole you punched in the middle of the floppy discs, ½ inch from top? If your measurements are correct, all the middle holes of all the five discs will be in perfect alignment. All you need to do is take a strip of ribbon and pull it out through these holes. They will pass through the center of the CDs and you can tie up the ribbon. This will keep the wallet intact so that no discs will fall out.
Frequently asked questions:
Q1: How to recycle CD covers?
Ans: If the CD cover is made with paper or cardboard or any other material that can easily mix into the nature, just remove the cover and throw it into a recycling bin. If the cover is made of plastic or any other non-renewable material, it is a matter of concern to get it recycled. But don’t worry, there are many recycling services available to recycle CD covers. GreenDisc is one such service. All you need to do is create an account with GreenDisc, pack your CD covers into a box and just ship them.
Q2: How to buy a CD wallet?
Ans: First of all, figure out how many CDs you want to have in a single wallet so that you can decide on how big your wallet has to be. You can either get one from online shopping sites like Amazon.com and Ebay.com. But you will have to wait till it reaches your door. If you don’t like waiting, just go to a nearby music store. In both the cases, determine how many CDs you want to carry in a wallet. Otherwise you may end buying a wallet that either doesn’t include all your CDs or that leaves a lot of free space even after placing all your CDs.
Quick tips:
- Floppy discs have a soft fabric in its interior to protect the disc from getting scratch marks or damages. You need to be careful while clearing off stickers from the floppy or trimming the bottom of the disc.
- If you don’t have any floppy discs, ask your friend or neighbours. If they also have none, go to a thrift store. They will definitely have many.
Things to watch out for:
- While using the sticker remover, remember to wear gloves. Since they contain high chemicals, they may burn your hands or may cause irritation. Also remember to use it in an open place.
- As already mentioned, floppy discs have a soft padding inside them to protect discs. While removing stickers and trimming the edges, make sure that you don’t damage the padding.
