Mercury glass is so popular right this minute and I’m fully supporting this trend.
I love its shabby chic look, and how you can transform plain glass object, from vase to goblet, into a magnificent vintage silver mirrored home accent.

Eg. Look what I picked up : two darling glass candle holders.

Add this magic wonder: Looking Glass, which is a glass spray that make glass look like vintage mirrors, and voila. This antiqued metallic finish creates a shimmery, reflective surface which enhances the candle’s light. Perfect for candle holders for the holidays, parties, and weddings.

I bought all this for the holidays, but I still have them around and I think these silver mirror votives are pretty year-round. Yes, it’s Mercury glass galore throughout my house.

Mercury Glass Design Ideas

Here are some other design ideas for you that you can either purchase online as is, or make your own:

Shabby Cottage Chic Mercury Glass Votive Set Silver	Shabby Cottage Chic Scalloped Mercury Glass Votive
Large Gold Globe Mercury Glass Votive (star motif) 4.5 “ x 4 “ (diameter x height).	Gold Mercury Glass Votive (flower motif)
Lazy Susan Fluted Silver Mercury Glass Hurricane	Antique Fleur de Lis Garnet Pink Mercury Glass Votive
Fuchsia Pink Mercury Glass Candle Holder (with rhinestones)	Antique Fleur de Lis Dark Pink Mercury Glass Votive-Large
Chic Vintage Mercury Glass Cabinet Knobs, Drawer Pulls & Handles 4pc ~ Style #K5 Kitsch Mercury Glass Cabinet Knobs with Nickel Hardware

What I like about the last three candle holders is the idea to paint on the inside of colored glass votives or drinking glasses.  Adorable.   And I’ve added the last picture of the cabinet knobs to get your creative juices going: you can spray any kind of home accent.

Make Your Own Mercury Glass Home Accents

How to use this product is simple:

0. Do read the instructions on the can and follow them.

1. Prep your working area: choose a well-ventilated, easy to clean-up location

2. Spritz your glass with water;

3. Spray with Krylon "Looking Glass" spray paint.

Wait till paint is cured before usage.

Materials Needed

First up, get yourself one or two  6 oz. cans of  ‘Looking Glass’ Mirror-Like Spray Paint, which you can buy online for $12/each.

Next, to make your own mirror-like mercury glass candle votives,  look for used glassware at your local Sally Ann, or get inexpensive new glass votives & candle holders at your local home ware or dollar stores.

This one here on the right is just $1.99 at Ikea, for example. Now is a perfect time to look for some candle holders as they are on sale everywhere.

Creating Cool things with Mirror Paint – Next Step….

You can actually achieve two looks with this ‘Looking Glass’ spray:

1. the mercury glass – look that I talked about here, and

2. the regular mirror-look that I’ll talk about in an upcoming post.  The method is the same in that you spray the paint on the back of glass and let it cure dry, however, you do not need to add the water first.  You work on a dry surface instead. When it’s cured, paint over it for a smooth finish and to avoid scratches in future.  But, more about this later, as I want to show you an actual project using this.

One drawback of this is that this product comes in an aerosol can, which, ahum, is not environmentally friendly.

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Friday already… One day left to prep for Mothers’ Day….

Don’t panic.

You still have enough time to make this lovely beaded bracelet as a Mothers Day gift.

How to Make a Simple Beaded Bracelet

1. Peek in your mom’s wardrobe and see which dress definitely needs some jewelry.

2. Go over to your bead box and pick random beads that will match the dress in color or style, or both.*

3. Take an elastic thread and string the beads

4. Tie with a knot when you have the desired length (tip: use one of you mom’s other bracelet’s to get the correct size)

5. Wrap it in a pretty box and decorate a card to match**.

Done.

* We happen to have this stash of Italian Murano Glass Beads that are simply perfect for this project: stripes and polka dots in a range of colors that will match many summery outfits.   However, any set of beads will do. Go one of two ways: stick to all the same kind of beads as is shown in the picture here. Or, go for a wide range of different beads that match the same color scheme.

** Will show you a matching Card Design tomorrow.

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Easy Peasy Kid Craft for Mothers Day.

Transform an empty honey pot into a lovely jar for mom’s things on her desk or craft corner. Perfect for Mother’s Day. ‘Kids’ from All ages could do this craft project, and that includes you*.

Materials Needed

Clean empty glass jar

Glue

Scissors (optional)

Craft feather or other pink ‘anything’

Pink tissue paper or wrapping paper remnant

Pink heart sticker, one or more

Duration

20 minutes or less, depending on age of the child 

(* It was really fun for me to make this jar. So if you want to make this for yourself, or your teenage daughter going back to school, just do it !!)

How to Make This ‘Mothers Day’ Love Jar

1. Place the lid of the jar onto your tissue paper and with a pencil create a circle around it. This is your gluing circle.

2. Create a second circle that is about 1 cm or 1/3 of an inch bigger around your first circle. This is your tearing or cutting circle.

3. Tear or cut out the bigger circle.

4. Place glue on the lid of the jar and glue on the tissue paper. Carefully take out all folds so it looks neat and tidy.

5. Put the lid on the jar and find the perfect spot to put your heart sticker and stick it on.

6. Glue on the craft feature (or some glitter or beads or a few matching heart stickers onto the lid. Let it dry.

Craft Tips

For a love letter in a jar, write out your favorite mothers day poem and put it in the jar. A lovely take on ‘message in a bottle’. Great little gift for mothers day. If you don’t want to write a poem, you can fill your jar with little chocolate bits or other candy. … Or, how about some Homemade Relax Tea???!!! Check for a free recipe here.

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Featured in these link parties we love.

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14th Annual Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show will be held in Milwaukee & Providence again this upcoming Fall.

Homeowners, art lovers, fine craft collectors, interior designers and architects should all plan to attend the Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show nearest them.

They are to discover an incredible resource for the finest in handcrafted furniture, decorative accessories, fine craft and original art.

(handmade bag by Greta Parsons)

Talented artisans from across North America display and sell their wares at each venue.

Goods may be purchased at the show and special commissions and custom orders are always welcome.

(jewelry by Heather Murray)

Fine Craft Show Time, Date & Location

Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin St., Providence, RI 02903, US

Friday, October 23, 2009 thru Sunday, October 25, 2009

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

This free craft video shows how to make lampwork beads. In particular, a glass disc bead.

It demonstrates how start with a base, shape the bead, add metal, add raised dots and more.

I consider this to be a really clear demonstration,
ideal to learning making lampworking beads yourself.

Lampwork Supplies

Thanks to the availability of affordable kilns and the vast creative potential of material, glass crafts keep growing in popularity. There’s no better place to learn the essentials of the art than this superbly photographed full-color manual by Bettina Eberle. It introduces beginners to 3 major, accessible techniques for creating a variety of pieces — fusing, painting, and lampwork. The 32 elegant, hands-on projects included in the book range from a shimmering oval mirror to a vase sparkling with colorful lusters and crystal ice. Author — Bettina Eberle. Paperback. 152 pages. 9¼" × 10¼" (23 cm × 26 cm).

Mastering the Glass Bead Video Let veteran glass bead artist and teacher Karen Stavert, also known as the “Dichro Diva,” show you how to create your own gorgeous one-of-a-kind beads with this inspiring introduction. In this 45 minute video, she demonstrates how two basic shapes can create a multitude of different beads. Step-by-step, she leads you through the process, demonstrating the tools and safety procedures needed to create your own unique beads. It’s a great way to explore the world of glass bead making.

Related Articles

How to Make Lampwork Beads Video Tutorial - this article
How to Etch Lampwork Beads

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