There is an easier way to do this
Put a record on a cookie sheet, put in the oven at 200F for 5 minutes, until floppy. Pick up (w/ oven mitts if needed), and drape over heat-resistant bowl, box, whatever you like. Will harden in a minute or two. If you dont like the shape, put it back in the oven. There should be no peeling or cracking involved, and should take a lot less time.

Very cool,, thank you both for sharing the how-to's..

i read that somewhere before, and i wanted to try it, but i forgot all about it. thanks for reminding me!

bitchin flower lamp

you can use the record bowl to make a bitchin flower lamp. I'm still working on this project (just need some gravel!) but it's hot...

Supplies:
2 colored records: one green, one your choice
PVC piping, around 3-4 feet.
PVC connector tube bent at a 45 or 90 degree angle
one of those 'turn a jar into a lamp' kits from Home Depot
green paint
xacto knife
bucket/large flower pot
gravel
low wattage colored light bulb

Make the not green lp into a bowl using above instructions. Try to bend the sides so it looks like flower petals. Put aside.
At the home depot, find PVC piping and bent connector tube (should be bent at like a 90 degree angle) with small openings. Actually, get the lamp kit first then find the piping. You can either hold the piping up to the bits in the kit and eyeball a fit (the round rubber thing in the kit should fit snugly in the tube) or you can discreetly open the kit packaging and take out the rubber piece.
At home assemble pvc pipe and pvc connector thingie as this is the 'stem' of your record bowl. You might need to glue it for a firm hold.
Assemble lamp kit, but do not screw in lightbulb yet.
Thread wire through pvc 'stem'
This is where it gets kinda tricky... you need to make sure the rubber bit that came with the lamp kit fits snuggly in pvc so it can support the weight of the record bowl and lightbulb. I don't have a good description for this part, just mess around till you figure it out.
You also need to fix the record bowl behind the lightbulb.. you can widen the hole in the lp by warming it up with a lighter and cutting it with the xacto knife. Again, you'll have to figure out the best way to go about this. You can try and make the hole large enough to screw the lighbulb through....
Screw in lightbult!
Okay now that you know how it all fits together take it apart. Paint the pvc green. Bake the green record, but don't turn it into a bowl. Quickly cut out 'leaves'. I haven't quite figured out how too attach the leaves to the stem, but I'm sure you'll think of something.
Reassemble entire lamp. Thread wire through hole in flower pot (I guess you need to make a hole if you use a bucket). Stand lamp up straight and fill pot with gravel. Plug in and VIOLA a totally bitchin' lamp. Make dozens and turn your drab winter home into a kitschy vinyl garden!

Re: bitchin flower lamp

Pictures, pictures pictures!!!!!!!

there's simple instructions with pictures for this at get crafty (www.getcrafty.com).

dammit. that should be www.getcrafty.com.

Hey wow, I dont know how I stumbled onto this website but its realy groovy, I made a record bowl just yesterday, Id love to see some pics of this flower lamp though.....