Sabahan Sisters Paint On Old CDs And Sell Them

Any 90s kid would have a bunch of CDs stashed somewhere in the house, back when using disc players was still a thing. I know many of mine are now scratched and unusable, so I’d probably recycle them soon.

But Lenne and Hanny Zulkiflly thought, why not capitalise on their dad’s CD stash in their own home instead?

Now, painting on canvas had always felt a little overwhelming for them. However, they found that CDs were a little more forgiving with the paint than a canvas would be, since it’s easier to undo a mistake.

It encouraged them to experiment with it more, especially Lenne who doesn’t paint as much as Hanny does. Once they felt more confident in their art, Sisters and Brushes was born. 

The Process Of Painting On CDs

Sisters and Brushes actually started earlier this January, so their business has been around for no more than 2 weeks so far. 

The first step to the process is preparing the CD depending on whether the customers want the art on a clear or opaque CD.

If they want a clear CD, Lenne and Hanny will remove the labels on the CD with masking tape. If customers opt for an opaque one, they’ll just cover the labels with white acrylic paint. 

Afterwards, they’ll start painting. They’re currently using three different brands of acrylic paint, including Reeves, Art Ranger, and Derwent Academy, plus a bunch of Artpac brushes.

“As for ideas, we actually just paint whatever that’s on our mind, and showcase them for others to buy,” Lenne said to Vulcan Post.

Though they haven’t done much customisation for their customers, they’re open to doing so when they get requests.

Once they’re happy with the art they’ve completed on the CD, they’ll add several coats of clear varnish spray on top of the CDs as the protective coating. 

“The more complicated the design, the more time it will take to finish. And the waiting for the paintings to dry in between isn’t fun,” Lenne shared.

Not Running Out Of CD Stock Anytime Soon

Since January 3, 2021, when they started, they’ve already sold over 50 CD artworks, and they’re not running out of CDs to paint on anytime soon.

“We felt that our business was well-received by those around us and on Instagram, even though we’d just started out,” Lenne shared. 

Now, a stash of 50 CDs lying around the house waiting to be used or thrown away is quite a number, in my opinion, but apparently, that’s only a fraction of how many the sisters have in their home. 

“Currently, we have too many CDs that they’re enough to cover us for more than 6 months. But if they run out one day, we’re planning to buy new ones from physical stores or Shopee,” Lenne shared. 

Most of their customers are based in Sabah, which is their home state. And they’re all within the range of 18-34 years old. 

Their CDs are all priced as such:

Customers usually buy their CDs for wall art decorations, whereas some would hang them with strings, stick them on ceilings, or even hang them in their car’s rearview mirrors.

Getting Real With The Future Of Their Business

Though they felt like their business was received well since they started, they still have moments when they wonder if their business is even relevant today.

“We’re quite a small business, so sometimes, it does seem quite impossible for us to grow rapidly like other businesses,” Lenne added.

In this short amount of time, they found that this business they have is also quite time-consuming, seeing that they’re only a two-person team.

Hence, balancing quality and growth in what they do is one of their main challenges at the moment.

That being said, they’re still thankful of how encouraging their followers have been to them.

“At this point, we just want to grow bigger and get more active on social media and have our own website,” Lenne shared with Vulcan Post.

“We would love to host a giveaway and online painting class. Hopefully, with that, we’ll be able to get a bigger audience and more customers.”

• You can learn more about Sisters And Brushes here.
• You can read other startups we’ve written here.

Featured Image Credit: Lenne and Hanny Zulkiflly, founders of Sisters And Brushes