Submitted by Tess Hoffman, Michigan

Idea posted May 13, 2003

The world is full of "old CDs" we can use for decoration at no cost and at no loss to the greater culture of the world. I'm talking about sample CDs from internet companies, the 21st century version of junk mail. How many times can we sign up for AOL? I was saving these just because I am a well-indoctrinated child of Depression parents. Waste not, want not. Suddenly I realized that they are just plain pretty to look at.

My schoolchildren and colleagues started passing them on to me instead of throwing them out. Two of these junk CDs, painted sides together, shiny sides out, with a bent paper clip as a hook in the middle, tied to string, or with a foot or two of cheap curling holiday ribbon - and voilá! Hanging decorations which I have suspended from the classroom ceiling to twirl gracefully with the moving air. And ornaments for our classroom mitten tree. The kids are in awe.

My sixth grade service club even made a fund-raiser out of them - trace the shape on a used Christmas card, cut out, and glue to the back of the CD with a looped bit of ribbon glued in between the two. We sold them at our Christmas sale for tree ornaments.

And of course with two-sided tape or poster tack, they can be applied directly to the paper on the bulletin board or even to a wall.