New Project Ideas for Glass Fusing

Glass fusing is a fun, challenging technique that you can experiment with in your portable kiln. Using special fusible glass, you can create intricate designs and artwork featuring a multitude of colors. There are dozens of ways you can combine fused glass to create items as small as jewelry or as large as lamp shades.

Designs Using Glass Nuggets

One of the simplest ways to try your hand at glass fusing is by using commercially available glass nuggets. These rounded pebbles come in a variety of colors that you can arrange on the shelf of your kiln. This is a great way to start creating sun catchers that you can add small chimes to. You can also use this method to create picture frames and Christmas ornaments.

If you want to shoot for something a little more challenging, consider creating a textured bowl using glass nuggets. If you space the nuggets in an irregular pattern, they will fuse creating a unique dimpled pattern on the inside and outside of the bowl.

Using Stringers

While it is common to see stringers used to create flower stems, you can also use them to create musical notes, snowflakes and intricate filigree designs on a glass sheet backing. You can also form them into completely random shapes, and stack a variety of different colors next to each other to create a completely unique pattern.

Stringers are typically used over a glass sheet, which can be shaped more precisely after the stringers have been fused, providing more rigidity and a nice backdrop for the stringers.

glass flower art

Advanced Techniques

Some of the more popular advanced techniques are glass combing and drop ring designs. In glass combing, you will need a kiln for glass fusing that allows you to reach in with a rake and gently comb the melting glass together. This adds a swirling effect to the finished glass, but should be done with great care and very slow, gentle pressure.

A drop ring uses a mold with an opening. You place a flat sheet of glass over the hole and drape stringers around it. As it heats, the glass droops into the hole to create a bowl.

These projects are perfect for anyone with a glass fusing kiln from The Tabletop Furnace Company. Use a variety of nuggets, stringers and molds to make everything from jewelry to home decor items with your very own kiln.

 

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