Camera lens with the hole as the apertureBlack, greys, teal, white. CD: stepped grey rings closing on the hole, two curved white glints. Acrylic.
Chore spinner with a pencil through the holeSix brights, black. CD: six wedges, a chore lettered in each; spin it on a pencil through the hole. Paint pen.
Dot mandala with the hole as its centreTeal, white, gold, navy. CD: rings of dots growing from the hole to the rim. Acrylic on a dotting tool.
Eight moon phases circling the holeNavy, white, grey. CD: eight small moons evenly spaced round the middle band, new moon at the top. Paint pen.
Eight-blade pinwheel turning on the holeTwo colours. CD or record: eight ruled wedges from the hole, alternate colours, tape for crisp edges. Acrylic.
Eye with the hole as the pupilBlue or hazel, white, black. CD: iris streaks fanning out from the hole, dark rim; hang it on a dark wall. Acrylic.
Ferris wheel with the hole as the hubSky blue, red, yellow, white. CD: white spokes from the hole, a coloured cabin at the end of each. Paint pen.
Fingerprint flowers round the holeThree brights, green. CD: five fingerprints per flower in a ring round the hole, paint-pen stems toward the rim.
Flower with the hole as its centreOne petal colour, green. CD: six fat petals from the hole to the rim, a gap between each. Acrylic, round brush.
Galaxy with the hole as a full moonNavy, violet, magenta, white. CD, label side: sponge a nebula, flick stars, ring the hole in white. Acrylic.
Goldfish circling the holeTurquoise, orange, white. CD: three goldfish nose to tail round the ring, the hole as one big bubble. Acrylic.
Half-dipped disc with a taped lineOne colour, gold. CD or record: tape straight across beside the hole, paint one side, peel, gold line on the join.
Holly wreath with the hole as the gapGreens, red, gold. CD: holly leaves overlapping round the ring, berries in threes, ribbon through the hole.
Iced doughnut with sprinklesTan, pink, white, brights. CD: tan base, wavy pink icing stopping short of both edges, paint-pen sprinkles.
Lifebuoy in red and white quartersRed, white, grey. CD: four red bands across a white ring, a grey rope line looping round the rim. Acrylic.
One-eyed monster with the hole as its eyeOne bright colour, white, black. CD: white ring round the hole, zigzag teeth below, two horns at the rim. Acrylic.
Owl from two discs, holes as pupilsBrowns, cream, yellow. Two CDs side by side: yellow iris rings round each hole, feather strokes beyond. Acrylic.
Paint-pen doodles on the bare shiny sideWhite and black paint pens. CD, shiny side: stars, leaves and dots straight on the rainbow, no base coat.
Pizza with eight slices meeting at the holeTan, red, cream, green. CD or record: crust rim, sauce, cheese, toppings; cut lines cross at the hole. Acrylic.
Polka dots in rings, biggest at the rimOne base colour, white. CD or record: a ring of big dots at the rim, smaller each ring inward. Cotton bud, acrylic.
Rainbow rings from the hole to the rimSix brights. CD or record: one ring per colour, red next to the hole; turn the disc, not the brush. Acrylic.
Rose window with unpainted panesBlack, jewel colours. CD, shiny side: black tracery from hole to rim; leave some panes bare to flash. Paint pen.
Scratch-back comet following the curveBlack acrylic. CD, shiny side: a small head near the rim, a long tail of fine lines bending round the hole.
Scratch-back constellationsNavy acrylic. CD, shiny side: twist a stick for each star, join them with ruled scratched lines. Cocktail stick.
Scratch-back dandelion clockBlack acrylic. CD, shiny side: seed head beside the hole, loose seeds drifting toward the rim. Cocktail stick.
Scratch-back doodle bands, one pattern per ringBlack acrylic. CD, shiny side: scratch three ring lines, fill each band with zigzags, scales or dashes.
Scratch-back feather curving with the rimBlack acrylic. CD, shiny side: one curved shaft, close barbs either side, a few gaps in the vane. Cocktail stick.
Scratch-back fireworks bursting from the holeBlack acrylic. CD, shiny side: coat, dry, then scratch bursts of curved lines out from the hole. Cocktail stick.
Scratch-back fish scales from the rim inwardTeal acrylic. CD, shiny side: rows of U shapes starting at the rim, smaller toward the hole. Cocktail stick.
Scratch-back jellyfishPurple acrylic. CD, shiny side: the bell above the hole, long wavy tentacles trailing past it. Cocktail stick.
Scratch-back leaf skeletonDark green acrylic. CD, shiny side: one leaf outline across the disc, midrib, then ever finer veins. Pin.
Scratch-back lightning stormCharcoal acrylic. CD, shiny side: forked bolts from the top rim, slanting rain lines, clouds left painted.
Scratch-back name round the rimAny dark acrylic. CD, shiny side: pencil the letters on first, scratch them as block capitals round the rim.
Scratch-back skyline along the bottom rimNavy acrylic. CD, shiny side: leave the towers painted, scratch lit windows and stars above them. Pin or stick.
Scratch-back snowflake with six armsDark blue acrylic. CD, shiny side: six arms from the hole, the same side branches on each. Ruler and stick.
Scratch-back spider web spun from the holeBlack acrylic. CD, shiny side: eight ruled lines from the hole to the rim, sagging threads between. Cocktail stick.
Scratch-back sunburst of ruled raysBlack acrylic. CD, shiny side: rule lines from the hole to the rim, long and short by turns. Ruler and pin.
Seven-colour spinning discRed, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. CD: seven equal wedges; spin it on a pencil through the hole.
Smiley with the hole as the noseYellow, black. CD: yellow all over, two oval eyes above the hole, a wide curve below it. Acrylic, paint pen.
Sun with triangle rays at the rimYellow, orange. CD: orange ring round the hole, yellow face, a row of orange triangles pointing at the rim. Acrylic.
Sunflower round the holeYellow, orange, brown, green. CD: a brown seed ring round the hole, two rows of petals out to the rim. Acrylic.
Two-colour bullseye ringsTwo colours. CD or record: alternate rings from the hole outward, each as wide as your flat brush. Acrylic.
Vinyl record 18
Bare tree crossing a big pale moonPale yellow, white, black. 12-inch record: a moon wider than the label, black branches across it. Liner brush.
Blossom branch across the blackBrown, pinks, white. 12-inch record: one branch from lower left to upper right, cotton-bud blossoms. Acrylic.
Dahlia with petals in rings to the rimPinks, coral, cream. 12-inch record: short petals round the label, each ring longer and paler. Acrylic, filbert.
Day and night split down the middleSky blue, yellow, navy, white. 12-inch record: half a sun and half a moon meeting on a line through the hole.
Full moon with sponged cratersWhite, greys. 12-inch record: two coats of white over the whole face, sponged grey seas, a few ringed craters.
Gold-line monstera leaves on bare black vinylGold paint pen only. 12-inch record: three big leaves running off the edge, the black left as background.
Initials on the label, grooves left bareOne colour, white. 12-inch record: paint only the label circle, one initial either side of the hole. Paint pen.
Latte from above with the label as the foamWhite, cream, coffee brown. 12-inch record: white cup rim at the edge, brown ring, a leaf pattern in the foam.
Lily pond with the label as the biggest padGreens, pink, white on bare black. 12-inch record: pads of mixed size, two flowers, white ripple arcs. Acrylic.
Pastel label and one gold ringOne pastel, gold. 12-inch record: paint the label, then one steady gold ring halfway out. Paint pen for the ring.
Peacock feather eye filling the discTeal, navy, green, gold. 12-inch record: the label as the dark eye spot, rings round it, fine barbs to the rim.
Seven-inch single as a ladybirdRed, black, white. 7-inch single: black head at one edge, a centre line through the hole, six spots. Acrylic.
Solar system with the label as the sunYellow, white, planet colours. 12-inch record: label painted yellow, thin white orbit rings, one planet on each.
Spiral galaxy winding in to the labelNavy, violet, white, pink. 12-inch record: two sponged arms curling in to the label, stars flicked on top.
Splatter stars on bare black vinylWhite, pale blue. 12-inch record: flick thinned acrylic from an old toothbrush, add a few bigger dots by hand.
Sunset circle over waterYellow, orange, magenta, navy. 12-inch record: sky bands on top, broken reflection stripes below. Wall piece.
Twelve-month birthday wheelTwelve colours, white. 12-inch record: twelve wedges, month at the rim, names inside. Paint pen. Wall piece.
Wall clock face with hands through the holeCream, black, one accent. 12-inch record: numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9, ticks between, hole clear. Wall piece.
How it works
A disc nobody plays any more is a ready-made round panel: a CD has a mirror side, a label side and a hole; a record has black grooves and a paper label. Of these 60 CD painting ideas, 42 suit a CD and 24 a vinyl record, and most give the hole or the label a job.
Read the full guide
The hole is the first decision
A CD is 120 mm across with a 15 mm hole, an eighth of its width. Eye with the hole as the pupil works because a pupil really is a hole in the iris. An LP's hole is only 7.3 mm, so on a record the paper label takes over, as in Solar system with the label as the sun.
Scratch-back: paint it dark, then draw with a pin
The rainbow on a CD's shiny side is light diffracting off a tightly wound spiral track. Scratch-back covers that side in dark acrylic, lets it dry, then scratches a drawing through to the rainbow, a method called sgraffito. Fifteen designs use it, from Scratch-back constellations to Scratch-back leaf skeleton. Scratch a test line near the rim first.
A CD's data sits just under the label side, where discs are most easily damaged, so paint only discs nobody wants to play again.
Seven-colour spinning disc is a Newton disc: spun fast on a pencil, the seven colours blur toward off-white or grey.
Leave the black alone: the best vinyl painting ideas use the record as the background, as Gold-line monstera leaves on bare black vinyl does.
Questions and answers
Does a vinyl record need different paint from a CD?
No. The record painting ideas and the CD art ideas here assume the same craft acrylic and acrylic paint pen. A 12-inch record is 30 cm across, so allow more paint and a wider brush than a CD needs. We have not tested how any paint grips a disc: try a small patch first.
Which designs are made to hang on a wall?
Four say so in their detail line: Eye with the hole as the pupil, on a CD, and three vinyl record art ideas, Wall clock face with hands through the hole, Twelve-month birthday wheel and Sunset circle over water. On a 7-inch single the hole is about 38 mm (1.5 in) in North America; many UK and Australian singles have the small hole with a knock-out centre.
Can I copy an album cover onto a record?
Not from this list. Album art, band logos and lyrics belong to other people, so none of the 60 designs uses them. Put something of your own on the label instead: Initials on the label, grooves left bare is the quickest.