Upcycling Bland Christmas Baubles

by Recycling Beloved Broken Glass Ornaments

Christmas 2019 I broke two treasured handblown glass ornaments. They were part of a vintage collection we have. Every time this happens, it hurts because each year they become harder to replace.

That Christmas season we watched a German movie based on a woman in the glass making industry in the late 1800s. In the movie they used the delicate glass that broke for glitter accents. And that’s exactly what I did.

Since that year was our 25th wedding anniversary, I decided to upcycle an ordinary glass bauble with the number 25 in vintage glass dust. For instructions see below.

You can of course also use glitter to embellish some of your Christmas ornaments.

The Glasblower
Marie violates all traditions after the death of her parents. To feed herself and her sisters, she becomes the first female glassblower in the small town of Lauscha in 1890, and her artful glassy Christmas balls find themselves in America.

Materials

You need a glass bauble that’s broken or just break one you don’t like. A mortar and pestle to grind the glass into fairy dust. A paper napkin or towel, glue, tea spoon, and an old brush. Plus you need either a nice glass bauble or a votive glass to decorate.

Instructions

Place the broken glass into the vessel. Cover the glass with the paper napkin and grind it down with the pestle. It may take a while until you have really fine glass dust.
Paint the desired decoration with glue into the ornament. Then scoop some glass dust onto your spoon and sprinkle it over the glue. Let it dry. Once the glue is completely dry, shake off the excess glitter.

2019

Covid House Arrest

During the lockdown light, we got off easy here in Vancouver, I reorganized my Christmas decorations. While doing so, a large golden bauble, made with very thin glass, broke. The loss was not so tragic because it was one of those ornaments I would not miss, if it disappeared. Nonetheless, I kept the glass shards. Before putting them away, I made an abstract photo. It turned out quite nice.

And until I have an idea of what to use the gold and silver chards for, it will be in the Christmas stuff cupboard.

2020