Five Useful Ways to Recycle Your Records Without Holding an Art Show

Gallery 28's Vinyl Transformations exhibit (which continues through April 2) features redecorated LPs from local artists like Genea Barnes and Lawrence Ferlinghetti and benefits the North Beach Citizens. But it also begs the question: Is the 12-inch dead? Now that we've stopped playing our records and started displaying them under track lights, it looks like the answer is yes.

So what's a hoarding vinylphiliac to do? Glad you asked. We think our once-cherished records deserve a better fate than being painted and framed and hung on the wall. We think they deserve to be used. What's more, we think the record is an untapped source of immense potential, and can actually be repurposed to meet every basic human need. Thus we've consulted Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the Internet, and come up with a list of vinyl-repurposing projects that will get you actualized and clutter-free in one fell swoop.

1. Physiological: Make Some Bowls

Mr. Maslow kindly pointed out that, in order to be fulfilled, we need to be alive, so things like eating are important. You cannot ingest your records — hello internal bleeding — but you CAN make them into a nice set of chip bowls. The fine minds at Sick Of the Radio and wikiHow can guide you through the process.