How to Make a Cool Glass Garden Art Totem

Fiberartsy
by Fiberartsy
3 Materials
$15
24 Hours
Easy
A FiberArtsy.com tutorial (full instructions at link below)

The other day, my hubby and I went to our favorite garden nursery in search of vegetable plants and flowers and guess what else I found …. funky yard art!

They had every kind of garden art you can imagine from the normal whirly, iron weather vanes and garden figures made from old pitch forks to some really cool, Glass Garden Totem Poles.
These glass totems came in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some were as high as 6 feet tall. Each one was unique but my favorites were the totems with glass balls and rounded shapes.


What I didn’t really like, tho, was the price. These garden art pieces are very expensive. And, of course, my hubby said ‘You can make that!’. Funny he always says ‘You‘ lol.
Supplies:


– Various Glass Vases, Candle Holders and Wine Glasses
– Clear GE 100% Silicone II or E6000 Caulk
– Colored Glass Gems (optional)
Start by trying out different combinations of glasses and vases together to get a feel for the overall look that you want. I did not want my totem to look like a bunch of wine glasses glued together, even though that’s what it is. Small, glass saucers work well in between glasses. They also make it easier to glue the glasses together.
I found two really cool triangular wine glasses with heavy globe bases in deep blue and red. Of course, I managed to break the blue one … my favorite. I really wanted that round blue base for my totem, though. I don’t recommend you do this but I very carefully managed to break the rest of the clear glass off of the blue ball.
I started my garden totem with the glass platter at the bottom and then I added a round, clear glass candle holder/fish bowl. On top of this, I glued a heavy clear vase and then a smaller, deep blue vase.
I ended up moving my project inside because it was too humid out. Notice the condensation on the large clear vase? The silicone had no intention of drying so I just took the whole shebang into the house.


I put a fan on the pieces already glued together to make sure the bond was tight.
In the meantime, I managed to attach the blue glass ball to the bottom of my tall wineglass with a lot of silicone and a bunch of glass gems. This will be the very top of the totem.


Once the individual pieces were firmly glued, I assembled all of the parts. Then I let the piece dry overnight to make sure it wouldn’t come apart.


I have several fun pieces left over so I'm already planning the next one.
Have fun with it icon Let me know if you have any questions.
Enjoy,
Annette


You can find the full step by step instructions at FiberArtsy.com - see link below.
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 5 questions
  • Fbgirl1961 Fbgirl1961 on Jun 17, 2018

    Did you have trouble keeping the pieces from sliding in the silicone and keeping everything level? All my totems are crooked so I place them so the view I see most often is straight, lol.

  • Beverly Hirsch Beverly Hirsch on Jun 17, 2018

    I love it, but what about when it rains a lot as it does here in N. Fla. ?

    Do the various parts fill up with water and become attractors for mosquitoes?

  • Lisa Vanzant Lisa Vanzant on Jul 12, 2018

    I have made several of these totems and love them all!!! My problem is the adhesive turning yellow over a couple of years. E6000 turned really yellow and the silicone got soft sitting in the sun. When I tried to move one, it fell apart in my arms. Any suggestions?

Comments
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4 of 42 comments
  • Nancy Smith Nancy Smith on Jul 03, 2018

    the use of solar lights make for great lighting in the garden just make sure the sun can get to the solar panel in the light have fun with it

  • Laurie Laurie on Nov 23, 2019

    I LOVE THIS!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING!!!

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