Cutting shishas from old CD’s makes a good substitute if you don’t have access to the real thing…Cutting shishas from old CD’s also enables you to cut different sizes and shapes.
 Draw the shape you want to cut with a permanent ink pen and
Soak the CD in warm water to soften the plastic so that it cuts rather than shattering…I have also found that sitting the CD beside the heater softens it enough to cut and I daresay that putting the CD out in the sun would work in summer.
Use large sized scissors and make short cuts using the bit of the blade nearest the pivot point of the scissors.
You will find the cutting easier to manage if you cut a wedge from the CD and then you can nibble bits from the side…I seldom bother but you can smooth the sides with an emery board…and don’t worry if your edges are a little jagged, they round up when you stitch them on and they are probably more authentic if they are a little jagged because the original shishas (on the right of the image) are small chips of thin mirror and are very odd shaped and jagged on the edges.
Expect a few cuts to shatter as you get the hang of cutting them, you will have to experiment to get the right temperature water to suit your climate and the season of the year. And try a few different brands of CD, I think the composition of the plastic may vary because I am sure some shatter easier than others and they must be made by different processes because the label side peels of some but stays stuck on others.
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