How to Make Guitar Picks from a Vinyl Record

Not all that long ago, I put a step-by-step instructional up here on Planet Green on how to make a guitar pick holder. Guitar picks are always getting lost, at least around my musical apartment, so preventing the loss of them is green step number one for guitarists who always find themselves buying new picks. Picks are almost always made from plastic and continuing to buy them unnecessarily just increases our dependency on plastic and all of the yucky things that come along with it. But, as sad as I am to say it, having a nifty guitar pick holder around won't stop you from having to ever buy another pick. But knowing how to make your own picks might do the trick. I got to thinking last night about how I could make my own guitar picks while I was busy making some rings from a melted vinyl record. I realized I could make picks from a vinyl record, too.

How to Make Guitar Picks from a Vinyl Record

Locate your vinyl record.

Make sure it's one that's damaged or one that you're not using anymore. If you don't have one, take one off the hands of a thrift store for about a dollar or less. While you're locating your vinyl record, consider your heat source. Vinyl records can be melted down in an oven of about 200 degrees. Since I only needed the very edge of my record heated for this project, I simply held it over an open flame. Decide which method is best for you and open a window. It's crucial that your workspace for vinyl record projects be well ventilated.

Heat your record and put on oven mitts.

If you're heating your record in the oven, it only takes 3-5 minutes for it to melt down. If you're heating a section of your record over an open flame, like I was, it only takes a matter of seconds for the record to melt.

Cut a slice of the record off.

As soon as you pull your record from the heat, you'll have to be ready to cut.

With your mitts on, cut a slice of the record off and proceed to cut that slice into guitar pick sized triangles.

Allow your new picks to firm up.

You can perfect this process by setting something heavy and flat on top of the picks while they cool down—a big book is great.

Enjoy! This project is a great way to make use of an old record and stop yourself from buying new guitar picks simultaneously.