Recycled Glassware and Lamps Into Garden Totems and Bird Baths

Kelly S
by Kelly S
I used silicone caulk to glue sections together to make it easier to take down if need be for the winter. I drove a 5' piece od 3/8" rebar about a foot into the ground and started stacking. I drilled holes in the plates using drill bits specifically for glass. Empress of Dirt - Melissa has the best tutorial for glass drilling.
This one is mostly glass lamp shades and plates with an upside down salt shaker siliconed to the top piece for the bird bath.
This one is old glass lamp bottoms witht he same treatment on top.
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  • Patty S Patty S on Nov 17, 2013
    I posted similar totems in 2012, I called them "Polatems" (pot,plate totems). I also posted my front door Polatems in 2012. Check it out. I cemented my rebar into the ground. I leave them up all year around, no problem with ice and snow in Arizona. The silicone glue is a great Idea, I used glass glue, that was a bit messy. Next time I will try the silicone. Thanks for posting.
    • See 1 previous
    • Diana Deiley Diana Deiley on Dec 01, 2015
      @Patty S I enjoyed your post for the Polatems and looking for pieces to create my own. They are awesome and quite conversational pieces.
  • Missingtx Missingtx on Jul 15, 2015
    love this idea...out of curiosity what are your smaller creations made of? I know they represent flowers, but the brass one with the part that has a lot of openings is what made me curious....really great look...thanks for sharing.
    • RC Leach RC Leach on Apr 22, 2020

      Don't know if we're lookking at the same thing, but there is a brass-looking piece, that looks like the moror housing from a eiling fan..

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