Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Sea Glass Craft

After a week long vacation in a charming little cottage on the coast of Maine I had collected enough sea glass to do quite a few crafts. Here is the first one I've come up with. :-) My brain is still contemplating the possibilities available to me. 
To do this craft you need:
2 Embroidery hoops (same size)
paint
strong thread
sea glass
Duco Cement Glue**
Wood Glue

**After a week of this sea glass hoop being placed on display a couple of pieces of glass fell off the strings. It may have had to do with the fact that it was placed over my kitchen sink and it was humid....but, I thought it would be good to tell you. I used the Duco Cement because it was the least harmful out of all the glass glues I could find at the store. Quite a few of the options were really volatile, and with my Munchkin around I wanted to use the least aggressive choice available to me. So, you might do better with another glass glue, or you could just try placing it in a less humid environment. I am content with the way it came out....I reapplied the glue to the fallen pieces and I have not had any problems with it. But, if you are going to be placing this around any small children or animals I want you to be aware that the glass pieces could possibly fall off and become a choking hazard. See what I mean about having OCD?? Yikes. I'll stop rambling now. :-)

There are probably many different ways to put this project together, but the way I did it went like this:
~Cut thread to fit embroidery hoop in different spots. I didn't measure to make the distance even, this has all been done with the finess of my eye. :-) Don't look too closely. 

~When you've placed the thread in the spots you'd like glue one end of each thread with wood glue and let it dry.
~ Now, line the rest of the edge of the hoop with wood glue and place the opposite ends of the threads in the places you'd like them to go. Pull them tight and let the glue set but not completely dry.....you can add glue to the rest of the outer edge and lay the other hoop on top of the first one (matching up the metal tightening screws). Let that piece dry.
~Paint the hoops and try to stay away from the strings. 
~Now you're ready to glue the sea glass using the duco cement. I laid the hoop down on a table n placed something underneath the strings that made it so that the string laid loosely on the object. Then, I slid the sea glass under the strings and placed a dot where the string touched the glass. I let it dry (5-10 minutes) then added another dot to make the bond strong. Fill up all the strings with sea glass.....I added a piece of pottery in the center that I found on the beach as well. Giev the whole thing time to dry and then find a place to put your work. I recommend a window or somewhere that the light can truly catch it.
If you would like to read more about my lovely vacation, click HERE !!!!

Here are the parties I have linked up to, visit them and be inspired!!!!









Sumo Sweet Stuff
The DIY Show Off
The Girl Creative
Photobucket





Get your craft on Thurs.

giveaways



Photobucket





Join  us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap up    party!



Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special





Making
Sumo Sweet Stuff
The DIY Show Off
HookingupwithHoH

22 comments:

  1. What a cute idea! I read somewhere that eventually there will be no more sea glass. With all the use of plastic bottles sea glass will become extinct. Hold on to it while you can :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are brilliant.

    The result kind of reminds me of this: http://gingerbreadsnowflakes.com/node/200

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a great idea...there's so much you cn do with sea glass - and it is so hard to find nowadays! I loved your photos from Maine - I miss living by the ocean in new england - nothing can compare!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love it! Great idea and very original.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very pretty and original! I love that it is displayed to show it off and not just stuck in a vase somewhere. So clever of you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cool--I just love the feel of sea glass and the feeling it gives me. Oh, I like your pink and blue swirls on the side of your blog , too!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is a wonderful idea. It turned out so great. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is so pleasant and beautiful to look at especially in this HOT weather in Toronto !
    I love your creativity and this sea glass is really beautiful !

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a clever idea! I love the sea glass, very beachy... Visiting from Hodgepodge Friday
    justsewsassy.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very nice! I love sea glass, and this is so different.

    ReplyDelete
  11. how cool! i have never ever been able to find a piece of sea glass!

    ReplyDelete
  12. That is really beautiful! I just used sea glass to mosaic a jewelery box for a wedding gift for my sister and i have a lot left over I might have to do this! thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  13. How pretty! I love anything that reminds me of the beach!

    ReplyDelete
  14. what a cute little project! I love it!
    (PS I live in Maine LOL)

    ReplyDelete
  15. lovely :)
    My mother in law is moving in with us from Newfoundland in a couple weeks. When she came a few months ago - first time hubby saw his mom in 24 years! she brought some shells and what not with her. I am thinking of making one of these to hang in her room so she has a little piece of home.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a great project! Oddly enough a couple of week's ago I was helping my mom clean out my step-grandmother's house, and we ran across some of those big hoops, and I just kept thinking to myself, "surely there's something you could make with these." (besides sewing of course) Great idea!

    Thanks for stopping by for Friday Favorites!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I featured this in my Creative High party this week!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a cute project. I love sea glass!

    I’m having a new link party “Cheap Thrills Thursday” starting the 29th. It’s for creative ideas that cost under $20. I’d love for you to stop by and join in!
    Kat
    www.BlackKatsDesign.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is so beautiful! I'm vacationing in Maine right now... if I find any sea glass, you know what I'll be making! :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. So nice! I can't wait to try it.

    I am in love with vacationing in Maine, too. My son went to Bates College in Lewiston. We got to travel through Maine often in those four years and found a number of awesome places.

    ReplyDelete
  21. so pretty ... i always love to show off the glass i picked up from the beach...now i know the best way to display them! You are the best!

    ReplyDelete

gimme dat comment.