| Glass Blocks |
This page is dedicated to lighted glass blocks. Mine were very simple
as I needed to make a lot of them in a hurry, but you can get as
elaborate as you want when you make your own.
Here are some general guidelines on making them:
1. Glass blocks can be purchased at home improvement stores. I've
also seen them at garage sales, Habitat for Humanity stores and even
free on Freecycle.
as I needed to make a lot of them in a hurry, but you can get as
elaborate as you want when you make your own.
Here are some general guidelines on making them:
1. Glass blocks can be purchased at home improvement stores. I've
also seen them at garage sales, Habitat for Humanity stores and even
free on Freecycle.
| Last Updated on March 6, 2010 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
2. A 1" hole needs to be drilled in the bottom if you want to insert Christmas lights. To do this you will need a diamond core drill
bit. I got mine pretty inexpensively from Harbor Freight. When drilling the hole, it's best to spray the area with water. This keeps
the dust down, keeps the glass and the drill bit cool, which helps prevent cracking and prolongs the life of the drill bit. When
drilling, it's best to clamp the piece of glass that you are drilling, or use a drill press. Always wear safety glasses and a dust mask
when drilling glass. Don't apply too much pressure when drilling or use too high of a speed. Slow and steady is the way to go
when drilling glass. More tips on drilling holes in glass can be found here.
3. Once the hole is drilled, you will have a milky white mess inside the block. This is from the water and the glass dust produced
from the drilling. This needs to be cleaned out immediately because once it is dry it is nearly impossible to remove completely. A
handful of sand or clean pebbles can be used to help clean this out. Put the sand/pebbles inside the block with a cup or two of
soapy water. Swish the water around until the sides of the block look clean, then rinse well. A flexible brush can be used for
stubborn spots.
4. Once clean, the blocks need to dry thoroughly before you can insert any lights inside of them. I shake as much of the water out
as possible and then set them aside to dry. If it's a hot sunny day outside, sit them outside. If not, sit them in front of a fan or use
a hair dryer to help dry the insides.
5. At this point you can proceed to paint the blocks (using paint specifically for glass) or you can do what I did and photocopy an
image to label paper and apply it to the outside of the glass block. I used old greeting cards and photographs for inspiration and
found images online to make my blocks. If you are selling your blocks, make sure the images are not protected by a copyright. If
you print your images using an inkjet printer, you may want to spray them with a clear acrylic to protect the image from running if
they get wet.
6. The edge can be wrapped with ribbon or raffia to dress them up a bit.
7. Once you are finished decorating your block, you can now insert a strand of Christmas lights inside the block. A strand of
20-25 lights is sufficient. Anything longer and you run the risk of the lights overheating inside the block when left on for more than
a couple of hours. Never leave your lights on unattended and I always recommend turning them off after 6 hours or so just to be
safe. Read the manufacturer's instructions for the brand of lights that you purchased for more details.
bit. I got mine pretty inexpensively from Harbor Freight. When drilling the hole, it's best to spray the area with water. This keeps
the dust down, keeps the glass and the drill bit cool, which helps prevent cracking and prolongs the life of the drill bit. When
drilling, it's best to clamp the piece of glass that you are drilling, or use a drill press. Always wear safety glasses and a dust mask
when drilling glass. Don't apply too much pressure when drilling or use too high of a speed. Slow and steady is the way to go
when drilling glass. More tips on drilling holes in glass can be found here.
3. Once the hole is drilled, you will have a milky white mess inside the block. This is from the water and the glass dust produced
from the drilling. This needs to be cleaned out immediately because once it is dry it is nearly impossible to remove completely. A
handful of sand or clean pebbles can be used to help clean this out. Put the sand/pebbles inside the block with a cup or two of
soapy water. Swish the water around until the sides of the block look clean, then rinse well. A flexible brush can be used for
stubborn spots.
4. Once clean, the blocks need to dry thoroughly before you can insert any lights inside of them. I shake as much of the water out
as possible and then set them aside to dry. If it's a hot sunny day outside, sit them outside. If not, sit them in front of a fan or use
a hair dryer to help dry the insides.
5. At this point you can proceed to paint the blocks (using paint specifically for glass) or you can do what I did and photocopy an
image to label paper and apply it to the outside of the glass block. I used old greeting cards and photographs for inspiration and
found images online to make my blocks. If you are selling your blocks, make sure the images are not protected by a copyright. If
you print your images using an inkjet printer, you may want to spray them with a clear acrylic to protect the image from running if
they get wet.
6. The edge can be wrapped with ribbon or raffia to dress them up a bit.
7. Once you are finished decorating your block, you can now insert a strand of Christmas lights inside the block. A strand of
20-25 lights is sufficient. Anything longer and you run the risk of the lights overheating inside the block when left on for more than
a couple of hours. Never leave your lights on unattended and I always recommend turning them off after 6 hours or so just to be
safe. Read the manufacturer's instructions for the brand of lights that you purchased for more details.
Visit our blog!
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
