HAHA Yup! I’m trying to use that super cliché retail slogan. The kids are all back in school, football season is in full swing, and it’s still hot and rainy here in SWFL. Now, while September 22 is still a month out, that gives us all ample time to go over Fall glass ideas and FALL back into love with glass!!
See what I did there.
In a recent blog post, I told you all about some fun DIY glass projects that you could try. But as you know, there is so much more than just that. So to get you into the fall spirit, here are some ideas on how you can use glass to help usher in those autumn vibes.
Square Glass Coasters
Coasters, are essential when it comes to keeping condensation from our favorite fall brews from ruining our wood tops. And seasonal coasters can be a nice touch! You can make them personal with glass coasters… that you paint on!
Back painted glass is kind of a big deal for us here at Builders Glass. As in, we REALLY love it and experimenting with it on our own time isn’t uncommon. But you can give it a try too! And it’s a great project for kids.
You can print out fall themed designs, pumpkins, leaves, etc. and use those as a guide for painting on your designs! But keep in mind, that when painting designs on glass, you have to paint the design in reverse because that’s what you will see when you flip the glass over, but it is such a fun and creative challenge for you and your kids!
Note: Square glass coasters are much easier to cut and handle for these types of projects.
From trial and error, this is how I suggest going about your square glass coasters:
- Find the designs that you would like to use and print them out. Simpler designs are easier to follow than ones with a lot of detail. If you want them to face a certain way, remember to flip the image to it’s opposite before printing!
- Place the image underneath your glass coaster. Make sure that you wipe the surface that you’re going to paint really well so that no finger prints are dust end up being stuck in the paint.
- Follow the lines first! Before trying to paint the whole design, trace out the outlines and detail lines before going in with any color. (If your character or design has eyes, make sure you paint the highlights now too so that they show up on the eye instead of accidentally painting it on the wrong side of the image.)
- Now you can do all the little details. Yup! Start with the detail’s first because those have to be on top of the main background colors. Make sure the paint dries really well before you put more paint on again. Paint takes a little while longer to dry on glass than on paper or canvas!
- Fill in the rest with your design’s background colors and let it dry. When it has dried fully, go over the image with a little mod poge to protect it, add some little rubber feet to keep it from sliding around, and flip it over to reveal your new coaster masterpieces!!
I’m really a fan of this project idea, and will definitely be trying it with my family over the holidays.
Larger pieces of glass can be used as pot trivets for the table, a glass table runner, or you can paint a whole glass top for the season! And we can cut glass here for you to any custom size! And because we only stock ultra clear, your paint wont look discolored on the back of green glass.
Fall Themed Table
One of my favorite ideas from the previous DIY blog post was to try a showcase table. Fall is supposed to be the season of bounty, and while you might not have a cornucopia, what’s to stop you from filling a cool table base with fall themed decorations and capping it off with glass!
Now, if you do know where you can get a cornucopia table base, please let me know because that would seriously be the coolest thing ever. But to make due with what is around, wood is a good material to start with.
Wood crates, tree stumps, or branches make for a great fall look, and you can paint them or jazz them up however you see fit!
Trunks that can be filled with autumn decorations make for a fun and festive center piece in a room, and easily converts into a coffee table with a glass top.
Entry way tables are also a really nice decoration piece that can change with the seasons, and the most versatile of any material, is glass!
We just installed a small, all glass, table in our showroom. Made of ultra clear low iron glass, it nearly disappears while putting decorations on display! At the moment we have a money tree and an orchid set on it and it looks really clean, but as fall approaches, we may be planning on dressing it up accordingly. It’s perfect for an entry way, as it doesn’t feel like it takes up much space, and matches any and everything!
Glass Candle Holders
I don’t know why, but I am a HUGE fan of tea lights. They just make me really happy, ok?! And fall candle holders are some of my favorites. Again, they just make me really happy!
Old wine glasses that you no longer use are perfect for tea lights. Especially when you flip them over and use the base as the candle stand! And if you’re looking for a bit more variety when it comes to height or glass thickness, the dollar store has quite the selection.
You can fill the cup part of the glass with decorations to create that snow globe effect, or paint it with your own personal designs. Painting the outside of the glass gives for more of a textural and dimensional feel, while painting the inside of the glass will give the image designs a perfect polished look.
One idea that I want to try are Turkey wine glass candle stands:
- Pick your materials. If you’re going for the turkey look, you can either go with cutting out construction paper, or using store bought craft feathers for the turkey tail. You can either paint on your turkey’s face, or use stick on googly eyes and folded construction paper for their beak! This is a perfect time to get creative!
- Assemble your turkey by sticking its tail onto the glass and fanning them out in that “turkey tail” shape. Be mindful that too much glue will show through the glass!
- To help with the clear nature of the glass, you can paint on some wings or feathers around the shape of the glass to help hide anything that might show through!
- Put your tea light on the wine base and viola! A turkey candle stand!
Another fun option, Ghost wine glass candle stands:
There’s a couple different ways to experiment with this, but then you can have a whole spooky fleet of ghosts!
- You can either paint on your ghosts, or make little 3D figures. If you’re making a 3D ghost, you can take a small craft ball, or a cotton ball, and drape a piece of cloth over it. Your ghosts can have as much or as little detail or shape as you want! You can also cut out a ghost from construction paper or from a printable.
- With your 3D ghost handy, you can attach a thin string, preferably clear or white, and hang it from the top of the inside of the wine glass. Now it floats!
- If you paint on your ghost, you can either use a printable reference to help you paint the ghost on the glass, or try going free hand! You can paint one ghost, or multiple ghosts flying around, and the shape of your wine glasses will help to give them a little depth and dimension.
- We’ve got spirits! Go ahead and place your tea light on top the base of your wine glass and watch your ghouls float!!
We don’t provide wine glasses here at Builders Glass, but it is a fun project to look into!
Mirror for Fall!
Don’t rule out mirror when thinking about glass for fall. Mirror is SO versatile. And what it is surrounded by makes such a difference. But as you well know, there is more than one, two, five kinds of mirrors. Especially when you throw antique and colored mirrors into the mix. So, how can we use it for our fall festivities?
Serving trays are ALWAYS in use during the holiday seasons. Freshen them up with a mirror surface! And they don’t have to be regular, or even ultra clear mirror (yes I just said that). For that true fall feeling, bronze, rose, and golden brown mirror are PERFECT! They match all your fall decor and help brighten it up. Colored mirrors are a unique option that are definitely available to you. Also, picture your creative fall wine glass candle holders lit up on top of a mirror tray!
Antique mirror is also a fantastic option, as always, and should be considered! Patterns such as Sunset, Silver Patina, Summer Cloud, and Hollywood cover all bases when it comes to fall styles and designs.
Mirrors can be used as an alternative for a glass table top cover, as well as accent pieces for the season. You can never go wrong with mirror!
To see our selections of colored and antique mirror, as well as what glass we can provide you with for your fall projects, come visit us in our showroom and FALL into love with glass all over again – and get inspired while you’re at it!
