Tale of a glass addict: A cheap fix for garden junkies

By Lynn Jefferson

The Herald

They’re shiny, colorful and peacock proudly above garden beds as if to say, “I should be the only thing you admire in this garden.”

It’s not a ginormous Allium Gladiator flower or a Sunzilla sunflower, but rather a large flower imposter made of layered, recycled glassware. Mismatched plates, bowls, saucers and other findings are stacked together to mimic a glorious flower mounted on a copper-colored stake stem. Classy, glassy garden art that brings distinction to your flowerbeds.

The first time you see one, you’re mesmerized by its reflective colors and how it glimmers in the sunlight. I imagined the cost of these prize beauties must be pretty steep, but my inner-crafter voice said, “I bet I can make one of those for a lot less.” Following a little research, I learned I can! They are quite popular. Who knew?

My crafter’s ego took a blow as I discovered everyone knew about them except me. As if to cut deeper into my wounded ego, it turns out they are extremely easy and fun to make. So much fun that if you aren’t careful, you can develop a ridiculous case of SOS — Shiny Object Syndrome. Later stages of the syndrome develop into a strong addiction to glassware — of any kind.

My glass addiction first developed when I needed a craft project for my next Crafty Winer’s Party — a three-hour evening where friends get together, build a craft project, eat tasty snacks and drink wine. After some research on the internet and dissecting the process, it became immediately clear that glassware flowers were the perfect craft project for my guests.

It could be produced in a one- to two-hour session with no post-party assembly required. It could also be transported without incident. After all, who wants to spend an evening building a work of art only to have it implode in the back seat of your car should you stop too fast for a traffic light? Or worse, if you have to lay some rubber on the pavement while braking for that self-absorbed critter crossing the road in the dead of night.

The flower plate project passed all my hypothetical what-ifs and had the makings of the perfect Crafty Winer’s project.

I quickly made my supplies list based on my research. First on the list was a healthy stash of glass. Where could I get a huge supply of mismatched glassware really cheap? My bargain-hunting light bulb went on and I familiarized myself with the location of every thrift shop, flea market and community garage sale within a 50-mile radius.

Saturdays began with a warm cup of java, comfortable pants, sensible shoes and a full tank of gas. Leaving no furniture cushion or drawer unturned for loose change, I exited the house with my Ziploc bag of coins in hand and Macklemore’s song “Thrift Shop” playing on my iPhone for motivation.

Garage sale after garage sale, I perfected the process of the glassy gawker’s drive-by, scanning the sales tables to catch a glimpse of shimmering glass products or shiny objects. If nothing caught my eye, I hit the gas and moved on to the next sale. If I spotted a sparkling object on a table, I’d park the car and casually stroll up in hopes of finding a treasure or two.

When I found the perfect piece, I grabbed it and held it up to the natural light. As it glimmered in the light, a little Gollum voice in my head said, “We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious.” Gollum, for those who don’t know, is the ring-obsessed fictional character from “The Lord of the Rings.”

I put on my best poker face and asked the garage sale attendant, “Would you take 50 cents for this?” They usually responded with a yes, and I struggled to hold back an inner childlike giggle of delight as I fingered through my plastic bag of coins for four bits.

Holding back my happy dance, I casually strolled back to my car with a devilish smile on my face — like I just got away with something big.

On to the next sale. This went on for a few hours until I got tired of countless drive-bys and popping in and out of my car. My glass addiction wouldn’t let me give up, so it was on to the thrift shop, where I could cruise aisle after aisle of glass products all in one spot — “Shop till you drop” is the glassaholic’s mantra.

Plates, bowls, candleholders, candy dishes and ashtrays have all become viable components for my glass masterpieces. The prices are a little higher than the garage sale bargains, but my caffeine-free, fatigued body was ready to pay a little extra for convenience. And, if I was lucky, the pieces I found had that day’s color of discounted price tag to help justify I made the right decision to continue on.

Now, with a full stash of glassware, I washed and spread them out over a large table. Everyone knows you’re not supposed to play with glass, but it’s irresistible and the temptation is too great.

I started playing mix-and-match by stacking layers of dishes in harmonious sets until I found that perfect combination that artistically best represented a flower.

I came to the realization that if anyone observed me, it could be viewed as unhealthy, neurotic behavior as I assembled and disassembled my combinations over and over again.

Then it happened. The perfect combination and a warm dose of euphoria passed through my body.

Once I settled on the design, it was time to assemble my beautiful glass botanical. After more research, gluing was out of the question and drilling was in — even military-grade silicon glue is no match for the weight of the layers of glass in our soggy Northwest climate.

If I glued it, it would only be a matter of time before gravity, water and time caused the plates to give way and disassemble in my flowerbeds. Drilled plates, long steel bolts, fender washers and nuts would support my glassy pieces for a lifetime.

Once my pieces were drilled, I reviewed my stacked flower to decide if a little more icing on the cake was needed. Embellishments offer a little more bling and interest. After I built a few, every lost button, knob, shower hook adornment, glass bead, marble or other novelty became a possible accent. Using a marine-grade silicon adhesive, I glued on my extra glitz.

The final stage was to attach the plate to a pole to give it the prominence it deserved in my garden. Rebar, ½-inch copper piping or steel electrical conduit were all suitable stems. Copper is the most attractive and appealing, but the thought of cashing in a portion of my retirement for just one pole was not.

Instead — and here’s where that bargain-hunting light bulb goes on again — I discovered electrical conduit sprayed with realistic copper paint is a much more cost-effective solution.

After drilling a ¼-inch hole through the top of painted copper pipe and attaching my glass plate flower, Voila! The glimmering masterpiece was ready to take its throne in my garden. My addictive trip had now come full circle as I took a step back to admire the queen of my garden.

If I wanted to protect my glass flower from the cold winter weather, I could unscrew the wing nut, remove the flower from its pole, place it in a plate stand and bring it indoors.

At the Crafty Winer’s Party, I was amazed at the combinations of glassware my guests put together that even I hadn’t thought of. Looking at the completed glass blossoms was like driving through the tulip fields in April — simply breathtaking. Everyone’s flowers made it home, and we shared photos of our glass creations radiating over the flowers in our gardens.

After the party, I strolled back into my workshop with renewed inspiration. I passed by the table of remaining glass and something caught my eye. It’s a blue plate with scalloped edges. Perfect for the base of another flower design. I looked to the left and then to the right, seeing potential companions.

As I reached for one, then another and another, I began stacking again. I can’t stop. Another work of art has begun.

I’ll stop after the next one. I’m sure of it … my precious.

Lynn Jefferson: 425-339-3406; ljefferson@heraldnet.com.

Make your own flower

1. Gather your glassware. Check your cupboards first. Friends, family, neighbors, garage sales and thrift stores are great sources. Some glass is better than others. Candleholders and vintage ashtrays make wonderful centerpieces. Tempered glass is a no-no. Plates with scalloped edges make the flower shape. Wash and remove all labels and tags.

2. Buy your supplies. You’ll need a ¼-inch diamond-core drill bit, ¼-inch by 3- to 4-inch long bolts, nut, wing nut and steel and neoprene fender washers, marine-grade silicon glue, copper metallic spray paint, ½-inch electrical conduit pipe and a ½-inch by 12-inch piece of rebar.

3. Stack your glass. Start with a larger dinner plate and begin stacking in layers. Mix and match colors, shapes, sizes and patterns until you settle on a design. Be warned. It’s intoxicating!

4. Drill the glassware. You can hand drill but a drill press is much easier and reduces your percentage of broken glass. Using a spray bottle, make sure to keep a generous amount of water around the drill bit to keep it cool. Set the drill press to 650-900 RPMs. Over 900 RPMs will crack glass. Avoid tempered glassware. It will shatter into a million pieces. My motto — never get attached to a piece of glass until it’s drilled.

5. Embellish your flower. If you feel it needs a little more bling, add embellishments. Glass stones, metal objects, buttons, drawer knobs and marbles all offer additional detail. Shooter marbles make great centerpieces for your flower. You can paint on your plates with enamel nail polish. Let it dry for 24 hours.

6. Assemble and install. Line up the holes and slide the bolt through the flower layers. Add neoprene washers between plates that need additional reinforcement around the holes. Slide a large fender washer on the back and screw on the nut. Don’t over tighten, as it can break the glass. Using a ¼-inch drill bit, drill a 1-inch hole completely through the pole. Slide the bolt on the back of the flower through the hole. Slide on the fender washer and secure with the wing nut. Find a firm piece of ground. Drive the rebar stake halfway in. Slide the pole with flower over the rebar stake and push down into the soil to the desired height. Store inside during the winter months. Display the plate in a simple stand.

For flower design examples, visit www.facebook.com/pg/TheGlassAddict.