My latest obsession has been putting together glass totems. I found
them on some Garden Junk forums and just had to try and make
some of my own. When I first saw them a couple of years ago, I
thought they were kind of tacky. But then I came across some
totems that were put together really well. There really is an art to
stacking the pieces. My totems have been featured in the April 2009
Woman's Day Special Publication called Gardening & Deck Design.
Here are the directions that I followed:
1. Look for pieces that will stack well, have flat bottoms or edges,
with a fairly large gluing surface.
2. Try and glue a plate in between each bowl and vase. I think this
gives the totems more stability and the pieces have a firm surface for
gluing.
3. Clean all glass well with warm soapy water and make sure they
are thoroughly dry and lint free before gluing. I used a microfiber
cloth to "polish" the glass before gluing.
4. Use denture cleaning tabs for hard to clean vases (1-4 tabs per
vase usually works).
5. Use a clear silicone glue or Lexel for best results. Make sure the
adhesive you use is weather resistant.
6. Glue up pieces in sections, letting each section cure before putting
them all together as one piece. Try gluing the pieces during low
humidity to reduce condensation.
them on some Garden Junk forums and just had to try and make
some of my own. When I first saw them a couple of years ago, I
thought they were kind of tacky. But then I came across some
totems that were put together really well. There really is an art to
stacking the pieces. My totems have been featured in the April 2009
Woman's Day Special Publication called Gardening & Deck Design.
Here are the directions that I followed:
1. Look for pieces that will stack well, have flat bottoms or edges,
with a fairly large gluing surface.
2. Try and glue a plate in between each bowl and vase. I think this
gives the totems more stability and the pieces have a firm surface for
gluing.
3. Clean all glass well with warm soapy water and make sure they
are thoroughly dry and lint free before gluing. I used a microfiber
cloth to "polish" the glass before gluing.
4. Use denture cleaning tabs for hard to clean vases (1-4 tabs per
vase usually works).
5. Use a clear silicone glue or Lexel for best results. Make sure the
adhesive you use is weather resistant.
6. Glue up pieces in sections, letting each section cure before putting
them all together as one piece. Try gluing the pieces during low
humidity to reduce condensation.
Above right, are two of my latest plants stands. I have
another taller one, but it kept getting knocked over and it
needs to be re-glued. I am going to see if I can make it
a little more sturdier before putting it back outside. I
think it would be fine, except a neighborhood cat keeps
knocking it over when he stalks the chipmunks. I'm
really pleased with these two however.
another taller one, but it kept getting knocked over and it
needs to be re-glued. I am going to see if I can make it
a little more sturdier before putting it back outside. I
think it would be fine, except a neighborhood cat keeps
knocking it over when he stalks the chipmunks. I'm
really pleased with these two however.
This may not be their
permanent home, but it's the
only spot I could fit them in
right now.
permanent home, but it's the
only spot I could fit them in
right now.
| Early Spring |
| Late Spring |
| Early Summer |
| Glass Mushrooms |
| Glass Totem |
| Glass Totem |
| Glass Totem |
| Glass Totem |
Plastic conduit is fairly inexpensive and holds up very well to hold the totems instead of copper.
See the FUN with PVC page for detailed instructions on how to paint these. Rebar is pounded into
the ground first and then the conduit is placed over that. The great thing about conduit is that each
end is slightly bigger than the remainder of the conduit so you have more flexibility in what you use
on the bottom of your totems. I've found the short wide mouth vases that narrow as you get closer
to the bottom and toothpick holders work great.
When looking for glass pieces, don't limit yourself to just dishes. Look for vases, lamp pieces,
votive candle holders, bells, etc. I've found that microwave plates and punch bowls make great
bases for free-standing totems. Globes for light fixtures also make great toppers, but one word of
caution when choosing lamp parts; The glass may not have a level base, so you may have to grind it
to make it level or try to compensate by using more silicone adhesive on one side than another. Or,
just place it in an area where it's a little less noticeable if the piece is not level.
See the FUN with PVC page for detailed instructions on how to paint these. Rebar is pounded into
the ground first and then the conduit is placed over that. The great thing about conduit is that each
end is slightly bigger than the remainder of the conduit so you have more flexibility in what you use
on the bottom of your totems. I've found the short wide mouth vases that narrow as you get closer
to the bottom and toothpick holders work great.
When looking for glass pieces, don't limit yourself to just dishes. Look for vases, lamp pieces,
votive candle holders, bells, etc. I've found that microwave plates and punch bowls make great
bases for free-standing totems. Globes for light fixtures also make great toppers, but one word of
caution when choosing lamp parts; The glass may not have a level base, so you may have to grind it
to make it level or try to compensate by using more silicone adhesive on one side than another. Or,
just place it in an area where it's a little less noticeable if the piece is not level.
| Glass Garden Totems |
| Last Updated on March 6, 2010 |
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Choosing cut glass pieces adds a lot of
sparkle to the garden and it doesn't
show condensation as easily as a clear
glass, but colored glasses work great
too, just make sure they are true colored
glass and not painted as the paint will
peal when exposed to the elements for a
time.
Though my first intention was to make
the tallest totems I could, I found I much
prefer the smaller ones I have on the
rods.
sparkle to the garden and it doesn't
show condensation as easily as a clear
glass, but colored glasses work great
too, just make sure they are true colored
glass and not painted as the paint will
peal when exposed to the elements for a
time.
Though my first intention was to make
the tallest totems I could, I found I much
prefer the smaller ones I have on the
rods.
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| Don't want to make your own? I've started selling totems in our Etsy shop. |
