HAND-BLOWN GLASS XMAS ORNAMENTS FOR A MINNESOTA WINTER

Elaine
by Elaine
7 Materials
$35
1 Week
Medium


For years I had searched for affordable hand-blown cobalt blue globes for my little bare oak tree from our woods. At nearly $50 each, I couldn’t afford the beautiful hand blown glass orbs sold in today’s market. I found the perfect answer in some previously used, hand-blown blue transparent Water Globes purchased via CRAIGSLIST. Some of the globes were a green-blue color, but I put them aside and used only the dark blue globes.

The first task was to take several of my used Water Globes over to ACE hardware store where their staff helped me find the right sizes of transparent plastic tubing that could be inserted into the stems of the each globe along with wire to hang the globes upside-down to simulate blue tear drops. As these Water Globes are hand-blown, each stem has different inside measurements.

Hand-blown Water Globes are so beautiful.
 


Fill tube with glue before inserting wire.
STEPS:
1. Drag a large tree branch or well-shaped dead tree indoors, place it in a stand and paint it white.


2. Cut a piece of plastic tubing  the length of the neck of the Globe. 


3. Squeeze glue inside the tube, then insert the wire, ensuring it is well encased in the glue. I sometimes use a double piece of wire to ensure it makes good contact with the glue. I also bend the wire at the bottom to make it attach to the glue.
 
4. Squirt glue all over the outside of the tube. Now. insert the tube with encased wire into the stem of the Globe.
 
5. Insert extra glue needed to fill the cavity of the stem of the globe.


6. Ensure your wire sticks out of the Globe stem by 8" to enable you to add beads and have enough wire to hang it with. You can cut it later if you want it shorter.


7. Optional: Once the glue has set, decorate the globes by wiring various crystals and beads to them. Then hang them on your tree or branch or in windows, or out on your porch and enjoy.


Insert extra glue to stem to fill it up
Four materials are needed for this project besides the bare tree:
1 Water Globes available on Amazon, Craigslist, etc
2 Plastic tubing to fit & insert into the neck of the globes,
3 Glue to hold the tube and wire in place inside the Globe neck
4 Wire secured inside the tubing to hang the Globes to the tree.


* Optional trimmings were added near the necks of the Globes such as crystal beads and ribbons as seen in photos below.


My first 20 Water Globes cost $1 each on Craigslist; later I bought more from Amazon at about $3 each.
Glue cost: less than $5
I already had wire and beads in my workshop.
Total cost: About $35.00


Resources for this project:
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