Glass is a very common item in the interior of modern housing. We find this material in windows, chandeliers, door inserts, all kinds of figurines and other decorative elements. In this article we will talk about what you can make from glass with your own hands, how you can make exclusive glass crafts with your own hands that will become the highlight of your home. Step-by-step instructions on choosing suitable materials at hand and master classes on making various cute little things will help you in needlework if you want to develop in this direction.

What kind of glass is there?

Their variety allows you to turn ordinary glass into real masterpieces:

• liquid;
• construction;
• porous;
• artistic.

What can be made from glass?

Using all kinds of techniques - decorating, melting, drawing, you can make completely different glass products with your own hands:

• broken glass crafts;
• ornaments on glass;
• candlesticks;
• chandeliers;
• glasses;
• flower arrangements;
• paintings.

DIY liquid glass crafts

Liquid glass is a very popular material for creating decorative products, widely used by designers and creative individuals. It is easy to work with, you can both decorate various surfaces and create all kinds of elements - hair clips, earrings, beads, figurines, vases, flowers.

Important! Liquid glass can be purchased at a hardware or hardware store. Silicate glue can also serve as a good replacement, but it is less durable and hard compared to liquid glass.

In the interior, you can decorate any surface with liquid glass - to do this, just place various small objects under a layer of glass and let the glass harden.

Important! To add volume to the product, liquid glass is applied in two layers.

“The Seabed” - master class

The most widespread decoration of the surface is that of the seabed. Let's consider the stages of creating such a product.

You will need:

• Acrylic paints.
• Liquid glass.
• Glass plate.
• Plastic shells and sea decorations.
• Sea fish.
• Polymer clay from which you can sculpt sea animals.
• Pebbles.

Stages of work:

1. Paint the bottom of the glass plate blue and let the paint dry.
2. Place shells, pebbles, fish at the bottom of the plate, fill the entire surface with liquid glass.
3. Wait until it hardens completely.
4. If necessary, after this you can add more than one layer of objects, filling each layer with liquid glass.

Important! Using a toothpick, if desired, you can make waves, which will be the best imitation of water.

What crafts can be created using fusing?

The presence of glass of different colors allows you to create very beautiful and fascinating glass products with your own hands using fusing.

Important! This technique is based on baking glass blanks in special ovens, although microwave ovens are also used for small products.

Materials for work

For fusing you will need the following tools and materials:

• Glass blanks.
• Fireproof gloves.
• Fireproof wipes.
• Tweezers.
• Glass cutters.
• Special box for melting glass.

Basic technology

If you have the necessary materials and tools, the technology is simple:

1. Create a composition from pieces of glass - it can be made according to a preliminary sketch, using multi-colored or plain pieces of glass.
2. Melt in the stove. The result is a product with blurred effects, without a clear line of color transition when using multi-colored glass.

Important! Using this technology, you can create pendants, decorations, jewelry, and New Year's toys for the Christmas tree at home. The presence of special ovens allows you to create large products - plates, paintings, vases.

Step-by-step master class on making watches in the Fusing style

To make watches using the Fusing technique, you will need the same materials and tools. The step-by-step execution steps are as follows:

1. First of all, you should draw a sketch of the future product.
2. A glass blank is cut out onto which a design will subsequently be applied - it can be a circle, square, oval.
3. Pieces of glass are cut out of multi-colored glass for a design.
4. A hole is made in the workpiece into which the clock mechanism will be inserted.
5. A drawing is laid out on a blank made from pieces of glass, according to the sketch. If necessary, you can use glue. If required, you can tint it with special paint for glass from 750 firing degrees.
6. The workpiece is transferred to the oven and baked.
7. All that remains is to insert the clock mechanism with the hands and place it in a convenient place.

Making a craft - a picture from broken glass

Let's talk about another idea of ​​what can be made from glass.

Important! Do not rush to throw away a broken glass lampshade or vase, as well as multi-colored bottles. They can be used to create paintings that will be a unique addition to the design of your home.

Materials for work

To make a glass picture, you will need:

• Glass – bottles and waste glass products.
• Hammer.
• Glass cutter
• Thick fabric.
• Protective gloves and glasses.
• Glue.
• Frame.
• Dye.
• Tweezers.
• Brush.
• Sieve.
• Toothpicks.
• Beads.

Stages of making a glass painting:

1. Obtaining many glass shards of different colors. To do this, you can use a glass cutter to cut straight glass. In order to get fragments from bottles, you need to first wrap it in cloth, place it on the surface and hit it with a hammer.

Important! Flying debris can cause injury if it gets into your skin or eyes, so be sure to wear safety glasses and gloves.

1. Sift the resulting fragments through a sieve.
2. Draw a picture on a piece of paper. It can be anything from a simple butterfly to complex landscapes. If you don't have the ability to draw, you can print out a drawing template and color it with colored pencils (when creating a glass picture, it will be more convenient to stick colorful shards onto a colored drawing).
3. Place the drawing in a frame under the glass.
4. Proceed to gluing the glass shards to the glass surface. Squeeze the glue onto the glass and use tweezers (for pieces) or a toothpick (for beads) to stick the fragments of the corresponding color according to the pattern.
5. When the entire picture is pasted onto the glass, remove the picture. Paint the background of the frame in the appropriate color.
6. Wait for the glue and paint to dry and insert the finished applique into the frame.

The picture is ready!

Important! In this way, you can create paintings not only on glass, but also on chipboard.

DIY glass decor

Existing glass surfaces can be decorated with various elements, creating unique interior items.

Decorating a candlestick

Using simple improvised means you can make an original candlestick. This DIY glass craft will delight your household and guests with its enchanting beauty.

For this you will need:

• A glass candlestick or an object resembling one.
• Glue.
• Coffee beans.
• Sea salt.
• Glitter.
• Acrylic paint or aerosol.

Stages of work.

1. Glue coffee beans in a certain order onto a glass object, and it is better to decorate either the top or the bottom of the object.
2. Paint the opposite part of the candlestick with paints.
3. While it's still wet, sprinkle with glitter.

Important! During use, such a candlestick should be wiped with a dry cloth - it is not resistant to moisture.

Decorating glass objects with sea salt

This option is ideal for making a photo frame. Manufacturing processes:

Important! You can further decorate it - decorate it with paints and/or sprinkle it with glitter.

Decorating glass with plasticine

You probably haven’t thought about the fact that you can make original paintings from glass and plasticine. Creating such a picture is similar to a picture of broken glass:

1. Print a stencil for glass decoration.
2. Place the stencil under the glass and trace the outline of the design onto the glass using a black marker.
3. Carefully, without going beyond the contours, fill the picture with plasticine, starting with the smallest details.
4. The background of the picture is also laid out in a suitable color of plasticine.
5. The picture filled with plasticine is inserted into the frame.

Decorating glass objects with broken glass

This method of decoration can be used to decorate not only vases, plates, but even the most ordinary jars. To do this you need the following:

1. Prepare the item you want to decorate, broken glass, glue, acrylic paints.
2. Glue shards of broken glass onto the surface of the object, while thinking about their combination.
3. Wait for the glue to dry completely.
4. Color your glass craft using paints.

Glass cover

It should be noted that glass can be used to make a beautiful coating:

1. To do this, first the glass must be crushed to a powdery consistency (crush into powder).
2. Apply glue and then glass powder to the object to be decorated using a brush.
3. Let the glue dry.
4. Apply glue on top again or coat the surface with varnish.

In this way you can decorate light bulbs, beads, various glass surfaces, and also draw pictures. This coating has a chic and rich color.

Important! Do not forget that working with glass at home is associated with the risk of injury, so be sure to use protective equipment.

Original crafts from glass bottles

Glass bottles, especially those of non-standard shape, are increasingly used to create interesting and original glass crafts with your own hands. Let's look at some ideas that can add zest to the interior or exterior of your home:

1. Dishes - glasses, glasses, plates. A bottle cut crosswise will become a glass and a glass - the main thing is to polish the cuts so as not to cut yourself during use. As a stem for a glass from a bottle, you can use the stem from a broken glass or a cork.

Important! If you have friends in a glassblowing workshop, you can get an original set of flat plates from bottles (you won’t be able to make them at home).

1. Vases and flower pots. By decorating the bottle in various ways (decorate it with patterns, make decoupage, wrap it with threads), you can get a finished flower vase. A bottle cut into two parts can be used as a flower pot - pour soil into the neck and plant a flower, and pour water into the glass below.
2. Candlesticks for home and garden. From bottles you can create various types of candlesticks that will create a cozy and romantic atmosphere.
3. Lamps. Cut bottles are suitable as shades for chandeliers and table lamps.

Important! And even this is not all that can be made from glass. If you have the appropriate idea and a little bit of your imagination, you can create:

• Hangers and hooks for clothes.
• Chairs and tables.
• “Voice of the Wind.”
• Walls and houses made of bottles.

The most simple, but at the same time very beautiful, things that can be decorated with the help of fragments are vases, candlesticks, and trays. To create them, both colored and transparent glass shards are useful.

Before starting work, be sure to wear rubber gloves to protect yourself from possible cuts and avoid allergies to the chemical components contained in the glue.

The product is based on an old vase or flowerpot. A pattern is marked on its surface, which must be laid out from the fragments. Using a tool called a scraper, a layer of ceramic glue is applied to the surface of the product. The fragments are laid out on it. After the glue has dried, the holes between the glasses are sealed with tile putty or mosaic cement, and the excess is carefully removed with a damp cloth. If transparent glass was used in production, you can decorate it using special acrylic glass paint.

In the same way, you can decorate not only dishes, but also frames for photographs, mirrors and paintings, flower pots, old boxes and drawers for needlework, and even the tops of tea and coffee tables.

Panels and paintings

In addition to simple and easy-to-make decoration, broken glass can be used in more complex crafts, for example, in panels or paintings. To do this, you need a sheet of fiberboard of the appropriate size, broken colored and transparent glass, glue, acrylic paints, gouache or ink.

First, the fiberboard sheet is covered with a thick layer of acrylic paint. You can use one shade, or you can apply several. The paint will act as a background. After it dries, the fiberboard sheet is inserted into the frame of the future painting or panel.

Next, on the panel, using a stencil or by hand, apply the contours of the intended design, outline them twice with gouache or ink, and glue colored fragments that match the color. Transparent fragments are glued to the background area and the product is allowed to dry.

Every family, especially after the holidays, accumulates glass bottles of various drinks. Some people simply throw them away, others hand them over to collection points, caring about the safety of the environment. You and I will create, because imagination and a little patience will find the best use for empty glass bottles.

The variety of colors, sizes and shapes makes bottles a fertile material for creativity. You can use them to make an incredible number of useful and beautiful things, such as stylish flower vases, candlesticks, glasses, and terrariums. Bottles can be turned into decorations and used to decorate a flower bed at the dacha. What space for ideas!

Crafts from glass bottles

1. A flower vase is the most stylish thing in the interior.

   

   

2. DIY candlestick- the best way to create a romantic atmosphere. The easiest way to make it is from the bottom halves of bottles. To do this, just cut the bottle in half.

   If you don't have a glass cutter at home, cut the bottle using a rope. Soak the rope in acetone, wrap the bottle around the intended cut and set it on fire. Wait until the glass is hot, then dip the bottle into a bowl of ice water - the glass will burst exactly along the marked line under the influence of the temperature difference.

   

   

   

3. When you are completely tired of the old lampshades, a do-it-yourself chandelier made from a wine bottle will be an elegant solution. Cut off the bottom and use the bottle as a lampshade. The chandelier will turn out to be royal!

   

   

   

4. The simplest crafts made from bottles are different types of dishes. You can contact a glass workshop, where the bottles will be given the desired shape using high temperature. You can cut the bottle vertically into two halves and sand the edges. Look how beautiful it turns out.

   

   

   

5. A beautifully shaped bottle can be used as a dispenser for liquid soap. All you need to do is buy a dispenser nozzle at the store and secure it tightly to the neck of the bottle.

   

6. Another great idea would be to use empty bottles as racks in racks. Glass bottles are incredibly durable - they can easily withstand the weight of wooden shelves.

   

7. Bottles can also be used in the hallway. Cut the necks of the bottles at an angle and use liquid nails to secure them to a glass or mirror base. You will get a very stylish hanger!
8. Coffee table from glass bottles will delight all your guests with its originality. Choose a board of a suitable shape and size. Drill holes in it for the necks of the bottles and insert the bottles into place.

   

9. It’s very easy to make a home terrarium or flowerpot from a bottle. Cut a small hole in the side of the bottle, pour soil inside and plant a plant in it. Hanging, table, wall - all pots are good!

   

   

10. Fill a bottle with grain or birdseed, turn it upside down and secure it in a wooden structure like this. Place a saucer or glass under the bottle. Install a feeder in the garden. The birds will peck at the food, and it will be added as needed.

    

People have learned to create beautiful glass things since ancient times. This is confirmed by the multi-colored sintered alloys that were found in ancient Egyptian tombs. This technology for making glass objects is called fusing. To create a glass product, professional equipment is required. You can also practice fusing at home if you replace it with other analogues.

The fusing technique is based on the step-by-step implementation of the necessary actions. Glass elements are laid out in a mold in a certain pattern and baked in ovens at temperatures from 600 to 900 °C. Under the influence of heat, glass particles melt and merge into a whole product. In this case, each element only slightly changes its position and outline. Making glass crafts is a long and labor-intensive process, but the result is worth it. Fusing includes several more complex techniques, such as:

The simplest technique, which is very popular, is planar sintering. To perform it, a certain type of glass plate is required and obligatory adherence to the order of work. This method makes the basis for more complex and voluminous things. It allows you to create magnificent stained glass windows. Products made by planar sintering turn out beautiful and interesting. Types of fusing also include combing, polishing, casting, pate de vere, etc.

Fusing is a type of stained glass technique, so its technology and stained glass production are very similar. If you create two canvases using the fusing and stained glass techniques, the resulting compositions will have the following differences:

• The color boundaries in classic stained glass are made with metal elements, which are clearly visible in the picture.
• The boundaries between colors in fusing are soft and smooth. Thanks to gradual transitions, the design takes on a natural appearance during the manufacturing process. This effect cannot be achieved using stained glass technology.

Ready-made crafts using the fusing technique decorate the interior and are widely used as partitions and screens. They are great for rooms designed in high-tech and postmodernist styles. Doors and windows are often decorated with colorful inserts. Fusing is used to make glass table tops, panels, and mirror frames.

Products made using the fusing technique turn out beautiful and elegant. In order to achieve the strength of crafts, the following steps must be followed during the manufacturing process:

The entire manufacturing process takes place on professional equipment, but when working with glass at home, a special mini-oven is used. It has low power and operates on a 220 V network. The mini-oven allows you to create small-sized products and various decorations.

Making glass crafts at home is not only a hobby, but also a good source of income. Before starting work, choose the type and shape of the product. The easiest drawing is flowers or abstract figures. They are best suited for beginners. To avoid injury or burns, wear special gloves. Plastic or silicone goggles are used to protect the eyes. Making glass crafts in a home mini-oven is a combination of the following steps:

You can do fusing without special equipment. To create glass crafts, a regular microwave oven with metal walls is suitable. This method of making glass products with your own hands is harmless and safe. The microwave power should be 800 W, otherwise the material will melt from the high temperature.

A small stove is placed inside the device, which is made of special materials and has high heat resistance. Waves at 2.4 MHz are absorbed by its substrate, and heating occurs along with the glass. You can bake frosted and clear glass, millefiori and frits of various shades in the microwave. It is recommended to choose glass with COE 90. During the work process, you need to perform the following steps:

After the product has cooled, its color will return to its original color. You need to know that dichroic glass will change its original texture and color.