This post and photos may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through any link I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
A while back ago I put some glass gems onto mason jars over at Mom Spark. Now mine held until I got rid of them but over on HomeTalk people were having their gems falling off and that just will not do! So I played around with different adhesives and set my glass onto glass creations out in the direct sun on a very, very hot day.
I made one with e-6000 and it stuck really well and looked just like the first jar project. But the one where I attached with some leftover silicone (after reading a comment that it works) turned out especially fabulous! So today I’ll show you just how to make one of these beauties. This time it’s a gold fish bowl shaped candle holder instead of mason jars, but this technique can be used to place glass gems on any glass piece.
For this project you will need:
- Glass candle holders (these are globes from the dollar store)
- Clear silicone caulk (watch out for ones with added latex that are actually white)
- Caulking gun
- Gems (these are also from the dollar store)
- Old gift card
Check out this post that just shows you how to use a caulking gun. I swear it is much easier than you might think looking at the thing!
Draw two lines of caulk around the base of the glass. Use an old gift card to distribute and smooth out. Place the gems in rows all around. Be sure to turn the glass on a flat surface so that you don’t accidentally make the bottom uneven with gems that go further down than they should.
Different sized gems can be used to keep the candle holder the same color but add some visual appeal. After the first few rows are done and have set, you can pick the glass up to adhere in a more comfortable fashion.
The silicone takes a while to set so feel free to take breaks in between rows to allow to set. If you’re careful you can continue until completely covered, just take care that you don’t accidentally scootch your previous rows around when adding new stones because they will move.
Now just for fair warning, silicone caulk smells something awful. And it burns your nose in a most uncomfortable way. Proper ventilation is a great idea.
Light candles inside (I used white to be less visible from the outside). But only do this after the silicone has completely dried!
And watch it glow! I especially love the shapes the gems cast on the surfaces below and around!
The gems stick super well and I haven’t had a single gem fall off even in direct sunlight on very hot days. And this is neither here nor there, really but when you thump it it makes this fabulous Boing-boing-oing resounding sound that kept me busy for quite some time!