Garden Whimsy

I've spent most of my summer in my backyard making it look beautiful. And I have discovered how to make glass art for the garden.  It seems to be the thing now to go to a thrift shop and buy discarded vases, plates, cups, fancy wine glasses, etc and make one of a kind creations to put in the garden.  I guess that I have joined the masses in trying to come up with unique ideas.   

The piece above was my first project, I say was because it broke shortly after I took this picture. Using the right glue is the key to glass projects. I am glad that I can use the base and the topper on a future project, everything in between shattered. 

I found a tall dome at the Goodwill and a large resin ball.  I thought that it would look good in the garden with things filling the dome to the top and then gluing a small plate underneath for protection from the weather. There are bowl fillers that can be used for this. I was lucky and got a bag on clearance at Menard's. Then I found a large base to attach it to.  (notice the colorful glass bottom from the shattered project) 

My next project that I worked on all day yesterday and was very easy to do. I found a couple of vases similar in height and secured them together with a plate in between for added stability and strength with the heaviest piece on the bottom.  I like those glass pieces from the Dollar Store and used them for embellishing the project.  Then I glued on the topper (also from the shattered project) and waited for the glue to cure. 

The little garden ornament above I put together with a vase and an odd piece that I found but loved the colors in it.  All it took to put together is glue and you are done. I would suggest that you let your mind wander when it comes to a project like this and not be afraid of experimenting. 

Let's talk glue. A friend told me to use Silicone for outdoor use. I bought GE Silicone waterproof. It was a complete disaster.  Because it takes so long to set up the project was unstable for a long period of time. That is why my first project was ruined. It shouldn't take weeks to put together.  Next I used Lexel, this product takes 2-4 days to cure.  I had read about E6000 adhesive.  Now this is glue that I love! The piece was sticking together in about 10 minutes or less. Once I had the project glued together, I used Lexel around the seams for waterproofing and extra strength.  You shouldn't have to wait days or weeks in order to put a project together. But I would allow 3-7 days for the glue to cure and then set it outside. Read the directions on the glue label. 

Enjoy!