Click through the slideshow to see how to turn your old records into a desert stand. | Photo by Lori Eanes

I have fond memories of listening to vinyl records as a kid, but it's not just sentimentality that makes me wonder what eventually happened to those dusty black discs. They're made out of PVC, a troublesome plastic that releases dioxin when it's produced and is difficult to recycle. Come to think of it, what has happened to the millions of records that were produced during vinyl's heyday?  According to the Recording Industry Association of America, record sales peaked in 1977 at 344 million—and that's just one year's worth. 

Gary Salstrom, the general manager at Quality Record Pressings in Salina, Kansas, told me that his plant generally makes records out of a combination of virgin PVC pellets, leftover trimmings, and its own rejects. "We reuse whatever we can," he said. I asked him if he'd ever thought of hitting up record stores for their boxes of unplayable vinyl, and he was intrigued by the idea. "Obviously, that would be the best way to go," he mulled.

Although they're largely a novelty item these days, vinyl albums are making a comeback of sorts. Nearly twice as many records were sold in the first half of 2014 as in the same period in 2013. So maybe it's not absurd to think that the best thing to do with old records is to turn them into new ones. 

In the meantime, I finally found some remnants from my old collection and used them to make a tantalizing three-tier dessert stand. I ordered the handle fittings online and attached them to the records through the center holes. This thing is so easy to assemble that I can store the pieces separately and put it back together in less time than it takes to preheat the oven. Now that's sweet. 

What You'll Need

33 1/3 rmp vinyl record
78 rpm inyl record
45 rpm vinyl record
45 rpm adaptor
4 adhesive felt pads
Prepackaged 3-tier cake stand hardware set (which will include screws, metal washeres, felt washers, and rods)

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: 1 (It takes more skill to bake a batch of cupcakes than to whip up this project.)

CONSTRUCTION TIME: 15 minutes

Based on a project by Melissa Baswell Williams at bubbyandbean.com.

Attach the adhesive felt pads to the bottom of the 33 1/3 rpm (the largest) record.

Place the metal washer onto the screw and then place a felt washer on top of the metal washer. Put the screw through the hole of the 33 1/3 rpm record. Slip another felt washer onto the screw on top of the record and screw on one of the cake stand rods.

Slip a felt washer onto the rod followed by the 78 rpm record (the medium-size one). Add another felt washer on top of this record and screw on the second cake stand rod.

Add another felt washer. Put the adaptor in the center of the 45 rmp (smallest) record and place the record on the rod. Add the last felt washer and screw on the top cake stand rod.