How to Make Glass-Fused Sun Catchers
Creating fused-glass sun catchers is a fabulous project for anyone dipping their toes into glassworking; fused-glass sun catchers can be created from scraps of glass, don't require precise glass-cutting skills, don't require lead or copper border-work, and allow just as much design and color creativity as traditional stained-glass sun catchers. Fused-glass sun catchers are highly customizable, can be fired in a glassworking shop (for those who don't have a personal kiln), and, once finished, can be quite sturdy, making them a perfect craft for beginning glassworkers.
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Things You'll Need
- Glass cutter
- Pattern
- White glue
- Glass fusing kiln rack
- Metal loops
- Kiln
Instructions
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Choose a background for your sun catcher. A clear background will produce the best results, but you can also use translucent glass of light colors. The shape of the background will determine the shape of your sun catcher. Precut glass shapes are available at glassworking shops.
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Arrange your pieces of colored glass on top of the background. You can purchase cut glass at a glass shop or you can cut your own glass using a glass cutter. Cutting your own glass is recommended for experienced glassworkers only. Stained-glass patterns are available at glass shops; any stained-glass pattern can be used for a fused-glass sun catcher, but keep in mind that glass sections will be less defined in fused glass than they are in stained glass.
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Add a drop of white craft glue between your glass pieces to hold them together until they are fired. The glue will not affect the final product.
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4
Place your sun catcher on a glass-fusing kiln rack. Adjust any glass pieces that have shifted.
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Add any additional effects, such as glass chips, rods, noodles, frits, pebbles or stringers. These additions are essentially small glass pieces of different sizes and shapes that can add color and texture to your sun catcher. Glass-fusing additions are available at glassworking shops.
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Place a metal ring against each top corner of the sun catcher, so that about ne-fourth of the ring overlaps the glass.
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Fire your sun catcher in a kiln at 1450 to 1550 degrees Fahrenheit (788 to 843 degrees Celsius). Glass fuses at a lower temperature than is used for most ceramic products.
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Attach a chain to the metal rings (which will become fused to the top corners of your sun catcher while in the kiln). Hang your sun catcher in a window.
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Tips & Warnings
Experiment with different-colored backgrounds, different designs and different types of glass.
Once you gain a little practice with basic sun catchers, you can experiment with making sun catchers without a background base. Snowflakes, stars and other shapes can make dramatic ornaments but require more experience to perfect.
Always wear eye protection when working with glass, especially if you are breaking or cutting glass pieces.
If you have no previous experience creating fused-glass crafts, take your sun catcher to a glassworking shop to be professionally fired. Most glassworking shops also offer highly informative glass-fusing classes.
Different glasses have different fusing temperature requirements. If you are unsure about a particular glass, ask someone at a local glassworking shop.
References
Resources
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