How to Make Glass Block Gifts

Glass block gifts are relatively inexpensive and fun to make

I started making these for Christmas presents about 3 years ago. Everyone just loved them. After thinking about it for awhile I decided that they make great gifts for just about any occasion. You can be as creative as you want or just put your lights in the glass block and tie a pretty ribbon around it.

Things You'll Need

• Drill
• Glass drill bit (absolutely must be a bit specifically for glass)
• Strings of lights (preferably white)
• Ribbon for bows
• Glass blocks which can be purchased at Lowes

Instructions

1. Drill a hole in the side or back of the glass block so that you may feed a string of lights through it. The best way I have found to remove the dust from inside the glass block once your drilling is done is to put some water in the block and shake it around, then empty and let your glass block dry out for 2-3 days.

2. When your glass block has dried out simply feed a string of white lights, or colored if you prefer, into the hole making sure you leave enough of the cord out to plug into the wall from where you want to place it. One thing I always do is plug the lights in to make sure that they all work before I put them into the glass block.

3. 

   Now that your lights are in you have several options. Take your ribbon and tie it around the glass block like you would a present and voila! There is your gift. You are done. For the more creative types the possibilities are endless. You can paint your glass blocks, you can decopauge them, you can use fabric and a glue gun to do whatever you want. Decorate them with pastel lights and ribbons for a newborn. They make great nightlites.

Tips & Warnings

• If you would like to put several decorated glass blocks together you may buy the lights that are 2 ended and just start putting them in the hole from the center, leaving both ends out so that you may hook up more blocks together. This is a great way to do luminaria at Christmas time.

• Just let your creative juices flow and have some fun

• Paint the sides and back so your lights stand out more

• Buy the one ended mini strings of 20-50 lights. They work great and don't produce to much heat.

• Don't exert to much pressure on the glass block while drilling as you could end up shattering the glass.

• It is not a bad idea to wear a mask while drilling as there is a lot of dust stirred up in the process