Flea Market Glass Garden Totem: Step by Step
by Jeanne Sammons • March 5, 2013 • Garden Art, How to: Easy projects • 15 Comments
How to make a garden totem from recycled glass pieces? Jeanne explains it, step by step. Easy!
Tired of ‘rust?’ Are you in a ‘glass’ mode for your gardens? Here’s a fairly simple ‘glass totem bird waterer.’
Easy bird bath totem…see the microwave turntable it sits on?
Take 2 green glass vases, 1 green bowl, a microwave glass turntable for a base & a very heavy duty ashtray …use GE Silicone II for Doors & Windows (my preference) to glue them together. Start at the bottom and use masking tape to secure each piece. You may want to let each piece dry before you go on to the next. Be careful to create a solid bead of glue to hold the pieces well.
GE II Silicone for exterior windows, in clear. Click to buy from Amazon.
GE Silicone II is in the paint and caulks department at many hardware stores in a ‘tube’ like for caulk guns or you can buy ‘glue size’ (shown)…just check the ‘use by date’ on the tube! The microwave plates, found at thrift shops, is used for ‘stability’ purposes & gets covered w/mulch or dirt in the garden.
Find small glass figurines to add
Of course, like many FMGers, the ‘fun’ is in the ‘hunt’ … so I added these Flea Market finds…a glass bluebird & a jeweled butterfly pin.
The fun part is finding a place for your totem in the garden
This totem waterer has been in my pond garden for about 5 yrs now except during the Winter
A side view of the green glass totem bird waterer
Any totem projects in your future? Please post a picture on our Facebook page. ~~Jeanne
Cute, oh my what a neat job, and you can find those vases all over, the ash tray may be a harder find. But what a creative imagination, you have..
Thanks, Amy … I made another one with these same vases but since I didn’t have another heavy duty ashtray find, I found a round green ‘snack tray’ platewhich had the indentation for a cup … so I glued a little bird on that spot … it was a gift for a friend’s b’day. Had fun doing it!
I believe your ashtray may have come from Blenko Glass in West Virginia. I have one just like it in amber color that I bought in the late 60s or early 70s.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-RED-ORANGE-ASHTRAY-MID-CENTURY-danish-modern-glass-blenko-cigar-/271146309957?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f21945945
TFSharing that, Tina … very cool! Love the amber color!
That is so beautiful, thanks so much for the tutorial :O)
It’s easy to add a bit of bling to the garden this way,…I hope you try this fun project, Deb,…
You’re welcome, Deb! It was lots of fun to hunt for the glass & the goodies! Hope you’ll share a pic if you give it a try!
I made one, it was easy, under $10 and very unique.
Mary … Good for you …would love to see a pic … we all share pics on our Facebook page …just write your comment on the wall & click on ‘add photo’ from your computer files. https://www.facebook.com/fleamarketgardening?ref=ts
How do I post a photo of it?
Sorry, Mary Davis, I didn’t see that you had posted a question. Just go to our Flea Market Gardening page & write on our wall … click on ‘Add photo/video’ & then ‘Browse’ ..that’s where you download it from your computer. Hope that helps. Jeanne
Gorgeous! Gonna HAVE to make one now, I don’t see how my yard can live without it!!
I’m relieved to hear you have these outside for five years running. I started making some of these last week and wondered of their lifeline, after all the work putting them together.
One idea- if you can’t find a heavy ashtray, you could do what I do. I use a solid color item(cheap white flower vases are perfect and pretty) for my first upright piece and I fill it with gravel. Then I glue a flat piece on top of it. When it is really dry, turn it over and you will feel how sturdy it will be. Then just glue the rest of your treasures on it.
Cat Wilson recently posted…Recycling at it’s prettiest…
Thanks for the ideas, Cat Wilson!