We have a Winner!

Two actually - CheekyRedHead got the material right (vinyl), and Jaquiebeancurd got the format right (LPs). DH has been trying various ways to melt old records (leaving them out in the sun, a blow torch, on the gas BBQ) and shape them. He's also tried painting them before melting, but that didn't work out well. He made a mobile first, and has tried other forms, but the "bowls" are the ones that he has made the most of. I like them; they look very organic. Sometimes the surface gets all bubbly, but on the older records, they often retain their grooves (presumably because they were made from vinyl that was higher quality)