Great Gifting

‘Tis the season for giving. This wonderful time of year, we open our hearts and put other people’s needs and wishes ahead of our own. But in this fast-paced, cyber world where we have hundreds of friends at our finger tips, it’s surprising how disconnected from each other we can really be. There’s no better way to make a special, personal impression and show just how much you care than with a beautiful, hand-made piece of glass art.  

So, I’m sharing some of my favorite gift ideas. I love these fun and festive designs. They make giving easy, because they’re always well received, year after year.  

Glitzy Wine Bottle Cheese Tray

Here’s a new twist on an old concept. Decorate flattened wine bottles with fired dichroic scrap. Don’t forget to include the kids. Gluing the bits and pieces is a family-friendly activity. Dress up the bottle further with ribbon and a cheese spreader from the Dollar Store. Four nuggets glued to the bottom of the bottle ramp up the sparkle you get from the jewel tone embellishments.  

 Fire the bottles at 300 degrees an hour to 1400 degrees. Hold for 15-20 minutes. Drop to 960 and hold for 40 minutes. Allow the kiln to cool to room temperature.

Wine Bottle Charm

You’ll have them laughing out loud with this humorous ornament. It’s a breeze to make. The base is made with a 2” x 1 ½” piece of iridized black and a 2” x ½” piece of dichroic glass. Cap the two pieces with a 2” x 2” piece of clear. Write your message on the top of the clear glass with fusible paint and fuse. Glue a bail on the backside of the fired glass abd thread with ribbon. Cut a wine bottle silhouette from stiff, decorative scrap book paper. You can download the pattern/template FREE from my website. Print the label on colored paper and glue it in place. Hang the charm on the bottle for a quick, personalized gift for those hard-to-buy-for friends and co-workers.    

Fire 300 degrees an hour to 1465. Hold 10 minutes. Drop to 960, hold for 20 minutes. Allow the kiln to cool to room temperature.

Lucky Horse Shoe

You don’t have to be a horse lover to have good luck. This project is another great way to use your dichroic scrap. The base layer is two pieces of clear glass. The design layer is constructed mosaic style with random shapes of dichroic glass. Mix up patterned and solid material for those attractive, eye popping combinations we all love.  You’ll find this pattern, as well as others FREE on my website.

Fire 300 degrees an hour to 1465. Hold 10 minutes. Drop to 960, hold for 20 minutes. Allow the kiln to cool to room temperature.

My gift to you this busy holiday season is the peaceful, guilt-free studio time you’ll enjoy while creating these fanciful gifts.  

All the best,

Lisa

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