by Colaine Swaby

Created on: July 09, 2008

AOL CD's have become quite infamous due to the large volume with which unsuspecting consumers were bombarded over the last few years or so. An AOL spokesman was even quoted as saying that dissatisfied customers could send the cds back to the company so they could be recycled. But instead of sending them back to AOL, here is a list of 10 creative and novel ways we can recycle them ourselves.

1) Christmas Tree Decorations: Try something new this year. Instead of the same old boring Christmas ornaments, be the first one in your neighborhood to have an original one- of- a- kind cd Christmas tree. I promise you'll be the envy of your neighbors for years to come.

2) Wall Paper: Why not cover the entire surface of you room walls with cds? This is sure to add some sparkle and pizzazz to your day no matter how down you may be feeling. I swear I saw this on" Trading Spaces" once.

3) Doggy Toys: Your pooch will love to retrieve the cd when you throw it for him like a Frisbee. And even if he can't retrieve it you have plenty more where that came from.

4) Bicycle Reflector: This will come in very handy especially if you like to ride at night or on very cloudy or rainy days. A few cds will also work on your jogging suit in case you feel like a late night jog in dark clothing. Motorist will be sure to see you, though they may not know exactly what it is they are seeing. So you may scare a few people, but you definitely won't get hit.

5) Car Mirror Decoration: Hang a cd from your car mirror. Fuzzy dice are so yesterday.

6) Science Fiction Movie Special Effects Prop: This is a great idea for those budding film makers out there with very low budgets. Sail a couple of cds in front of your camera lens and voila, instant flying saucer (or flying disk as the case may be).

7) Mini Crop Circle Maker: Endless fun can be had making crop circles on your neighbor's lawn. (But only try this one at nights when your neighbors are asleep folks). You may be surprised how many elaborate designs you'll be able to make before sunrise. By the way, cd's make perfect circles.

8) Shimmering Window Treatment: Tie some cds together with a string and hang them on a sunny window frame. Amaze yourself with the fabulous display of colors and shapes they make on your walls. Looks great on the windows too.

9) Fishing Lure: Fish love shiny things. Be sure to attach a hook at the end of the cd so the fish has something to hang on to.

10) Mobiles for Baby Cribs: You can keep your little ones occupied for hours on end with these astounding spinning cds. No winding required. Words of caution though; keep an eye on your baby to ensure he doesn't fall into a trancelike state while staring endlessly at the astounding spinning cds.

There you have it folks. This list is by no means exhaustive and if we put our minds to it I'm sure we can come up with many more ways to recycle these ubiquitous products.

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