Turn Your Glass Scraps into Art

When you remodel a part of your home or office, it’s best to order extra materials in case something goes wrong and fixes need to be made. However, you don’t always end up using that extra product. Don’t let it sit in your garage unused; instead, make something new from it!

If you have extra panes of glass just gathering dust in your home, pull them out and make some time to take on (or more!) of these fun weekend projects. It can be a good way to wind down alone from a busy week, or an excuse to get friends or family together for some bonding time!

Wall Art

A mosaic is probably one of the most versatile and creative ways to use left over glass pieces. Whether it’s standard or stained, you can make any kind of picture you want, or just abstract wall art made from little pieces placed at will. Use a sturdy background to attach the glass to, like thick canvas or a sheet of acrylic. After you’ve safely broken the glass panes into small, irregular pieces, the possibilities are endless. Lay your design out before to make sure everything looks right, then hot glue gun each piece to your backing. This is a great activity to do with friends and family, you could spend a whole day making tons of art to cover your walls.

Mirror Frame

Decorate a plain old mirror with pieces of stained glass. Just like with wall art, take small pieces of your leftover colored glass and arrange them in a pattern around your mirror. Be sure not to crowd the area, as you still want to be able to see your face in the mirror itself! Use either a hot glue gun to attach the pieces or simple craft glue that you can get at any home goods store. Let them dry for an hour or two to ensure proper setting before you hang your re-vamped mirror up to show the world.

Pieces like these make for the best creative mosaics!

Sun Catcher

Especially with summer just around the corner, creating your own sun catcher makes for a fun weekend activity with family. This project is also the perfect opportunity to get rid of even the most irregular and oddly shaped pieces of leftover glass. Glue colored or stained glass to a flat glass panel so it’s completely covered. Once it’s dry, securely hang it using fishing wire near a window or outside so it can catch the optimum amount of sunlight. 

Jewelry

Last but not least, you can use leftover glass pieces to make your own one-of-a-kind jewelry. Use sandpaper to soften the edges of the glass pieces you want to use so it’s safe to hold and wear against your skin, and glue your design to felt for comfort using craft glue. You can use all kinds of colored, clear or textured glass for this kind of project. To turn your creation into wearable art, glue the pendant onto jewelry cording or attach a jump ring to the felt to use as a bail.

When it comes to making your own art or fun creation, there’s no wrong way to go, as long as you’re being safe. If you’re making something with children, don’t let them handle glass shards on their own and always wear gloves while handling sharp materials. Have fun and craft away!

How to Cut Glass Mirrors

Mirrors are one of the best accent pieces to have in your house because they serve multiple purposes, both in a fashionable and a functional way. Aside from their obvious use, mirrors can be a beautiful way to decorate your home. They open spaces up, make rooms appear larger than they are, and can be an eye-catching piece of artwork on your wall. 

Sometimes, using mirrors as a decoration in your home requires some elbow grease, especially if you are diving into a DIY project. We can tell you the right way (and the safe way!) to cut mirrors for whatever you want to create, from large, sit-down tables to crafts with the kids.

Start with a large, clean work area. Because of any mess that may occur, you might want to take this project on in either your garage or backyard.

Lay your mirror on a flat surface like a work bench or table.

Before you start wielding your glass cutter, mark exactly where on the mirror you want to cut. This will make your project easier once you’ve started. That way, you’re cutting down (no pun intended) on the mistakes you’ll make with your design! Use a tape measurer and a dry-erase pen, as the marker will come off the mirror easily once you’re done. 

Align a straight edge along the marks that you made with the dry erase pen. This will ensure that the cuts you make with be as straight as possible and right where you want them.

Holding the straight edge firmly in one hand, take your glass cutter and press the cutting wheel to the mirror. Apply even, steady pressure and simply cut along the lines you marked with the dry erase marker. By doing this, you’ll create a small crack in the mirror.

One the initial cuts have been made, hold the mirror over the edge of the surface it’s resting on and gently tap along the cut line with the blunt end of your glass cutter. It should separate the mirror into two pieces safely and easily. Repeat until you have all the pieces of mirror that you want to use. 

If you want to refine the edges where the glass has been cut, use some fine sandpaper and rub the edges of the glass gently, just until it’s smooth.  

That’s all, folks!