What is it exactly?

Resembling a shattered mirror, this jazzy frame is decorated with cut-up CDs and accented with a sparkly border. It dazzles on your office or home desk as a great decoration piece.

Usefulness factor:

You don't want to waste those old embarrassing Spice Girls CDs that you don't listen to or the free AOL start-up CD-ROMs that are piling up in your mailbox. Instead of throwing them out or trying to pawn them off on other people, use them in creating this craft.

Materials needed:

Old CDs, a strong pair of scissors, hot glue gun, an old frame, glitter or beads

Getting started:

1. Carefully cut up the old CDs into eighths, similar in shape to mini pizza slices.

2. Hot-glue the pieces, in any fashion, on the old frame.

3. For a nice finishing touch, glue on a little glitter or some beads as a border.

4. Insert your favorite photograph into the frame.

Total cost: $2 maximum for glitter or beads. If you don't have a mini glue gun, they usually cost about $5.

Challenge Level:

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the Martha challenge, this is a 5. Cutting the CDs could be a little tricky, depending on the strength of the scissors. The most difficult step, however, is operating the hot-glue gun. Be careful not to burn yourself and make sure the glue is completely cooled before slipping in the picture.

Our thoughts:

This creation does double duty as a form of recycling and unique room decor. It's also a nice change of pace from the traditional frames that adorn most dorm rooms or offices.