Make a mosaic candleholder with glass “tiles” to let the candlelight shine through. Love mosaic projects? We have a new video course on Curious that includes this candleholder! Check out our DIY Mosaic Projects Course on Curious.com.
Tools & Materials
12 inch square stained-glass sheet, red (cathedral hammered)
18 mirror squares, ½ inch
4 inch glass candleholder
8 oz. Premixed grout, black
Steel wheel glass cutter tool
Pliers
Masking tape
Beacon’s 527 Multi-use Glue
Dropcloth
Sponge
Paper towels
Protective leather gloves
Vinyl gloves
Protective eyewear
Craft stick
Optional: Craft knife (like X-Acto)
Steps
1. Cut the sheet of glass into ½” tiles with the glass cutting tool. To do this, don protective leather gloves and eyewear and cover your work surface. Hold the glass cutter upright with the wheel pressed onto the edge of the glass. Score the sheet of glass from end to end with one stroke of the glass cutter ½” from the side using medium pressure. Flip the glass over so the score line is facing the table. Wrap the ends of the pliers with masking tape. Grasp the end of the sheet of glass with the pliers and bend the pliers toward the table to snap off the glass strip. Flip the strip over and score it again, ½” from the end to create a ½” square glass tile. Snap it off with the pliers. Repeat to make about 125 tiles. We used 108, but it’s nice to have extra tile sizes and shapes to choose from.
Here’s a video we made showing how to cut the glass into tiles:
2. Glue a row of glass squares around the top of the glass candle holder, leaving spaces between tiles of about ?” to ¼”. Be sure to cover the back of the glass square entirely so the grout won’t seep under. Glue a second row of glass tiles below that. Next glue a row of mirror tiles. Then finish covering the surface of the candle holder with glass tiles. Let the glue dry for 24 hours.
3. To grout the mosaic, put on the vinyl gloves. Apply the grout with a craft stick directly to the surface of the mosaic right over the tiles. Use a damp sponge or your gloved fingers to move the grout around making sure it is pushed into every space between the tiles. Wipe the excess grout off of the tiles. Let dry for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, a haze will form on the tiles from the grout. Buff the haze off of the tiles with a damp sponge. Let the candle holder dry again for 30 minutes and rebuff if necessary.
Sharp Tip: To remove dried grout from the surface of the glass tiles, scrape with a craft knife.
We find all kinds of flat sided glass vases and containers at the thrift store that are perfect for glass mosaic. What do you think? Wanna try it? It really is not hard and the results are amazing! And remember, we’re always here to help!
Happy Crafting,
Jennifer & Kitty
We love getting pinned!
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