What to Do with Your Old Concert Tickets: 3 DIY Ideas
Adam Young
| December 28, 2022
As a music lover, you may hate throwing away concert tickets. But what are you to do with that unwieldy collection that’s amassed over the years, just taking up space? Here are some creative concert ticket display ideas you can showcase your favorite concert ticket stubs and festival bracelets to make the memories last a little longer.
Make an impressive display for your tickets using an adhesive, an affordable wooden frame and your beloved tickets. With some matte gel medium (found at any craft store), affix a few of your favorite ticket stubs around the perimeter of the frame, wrapping them around the edges like wallpaper. Fill the frame with a photo from one of the shows. Hang on to the keepsake, or give it as a gift to your best concert buddy.
Have you been to a lot of festivals? Well, now you have a reason to save those wristbands. You know the ones—those tight, plastic bands you’re expected to wear throughout a three-day, hot and sweaty festival? Perhaps wash them first. Then, when you have 25 or so saved, simply tie them to the outer edge of a dreamcatcher, which you can find at any major craft store. Now you can admire all the musical dreams you’ve caught over the course of your rockin’ adventures.
A DIY concert ticket table requires a little elbow grease and a few simple materials, the most important of which is an impressive collection of concert tickets. The number of tickets you’ll need depends on the size of the table, but a large table could take up to 100—not a problem for the avid concertgoer. Follow these simple steps.
Ticket Frame
Make an impressive display for your tickets using an adhesive, an affordable wooden frame and your beloved tickets. With some matte gel medium (found at any craft store), affix a few of your favorite ticket stubs around the perimeter of the frame, wrapping them around the edges like wallpaper. Fill the frame with a photo from one of the shows. Hang on to the keepsake, or give it as a gift to your best concert buddy.
Dream Catcher
Have you been to a lot of festivals? Well, now you have a reason to save those wristbands. You know the ones—those tight, plastic bands you’re expected to wear throughout a three-day, hot and sweaty festival? Perhaps wash them first. Then, when you have 25 or so saved, simply tie them to the outer edge of a dreamcatcher, which you can find at any major craft store. Now you can admire all the musical dreams you’ve caught over the course of your rockin’ adventures.
Ticket-Stub Coffee Table
A DIY concert ticket table requires a little elbow grease and a few simple materials, the most important of which is an impressive collection of concert tickets. The number of tickets you’ll need depends on the size of the table, but a large table could take up to 100—not a problem for the avid concertgoer. Follow these simple steps.
- Glue all the tickets flat to the table, using five coats of a matte gel medium. (This will help ensure that the next key ingredient, polyurethane, doesn't seep into the tickets.)
- Tape the edges and sides of the table to protect them from the poly, put down a drop cloth and put on protective gloves.
- Mix the poly according to the box's instructions and pour it onto the table. If you're worried about air bubbles (they can distort the paper), you can use a torch gun with butane to remove them.
- Let the table dry for at least 48 hours before removing the tape. Sand the edges with fine sandpaper to soften it up, and voila, you have a cool new piece of furniture and an incredible conversation piece.
