Homemade Broken Glass Mosaic Light Catcher Crafts

Materials

Making broken glass mosaic light catchers requires a clear glass or acrylic background support and clear-drying, one-part epoxy or liquid jeweler’s glue as well as bits of broken glass. Breaking the glass specifically for a mosaic project works best if you place the whole glass objects inside a sealed plastic bag. Wrap the bag in a towel, and then strike it lightly with a hammer. The goal is to break the glass into workable bits that are less than 2 inches in diameter, not to create glass powder.

One kind of light catcher is a color collage mosaic. Making that style of light catcher begins with cleaning an acrylic panel or sheet of glass with glass cleaner and drying it thoroughly.
Cover one section of the panel or sheet with strong, clear-drying glue. Bits of broken glass of various colors go in the glue on the panel or sheet in any arrangement. Continue to cover other sections of the panel or sheet with glue and then broken glass to make the light catcher. Leaving the mosaic undisturbed for at least 24 hours allows the glue to dry completely.

Image mosaic light catchers are another style and crafting option. The first task is to trace or draw an image onto a glass or acrylic panel. Glue the broken glass bits onto the panel in sections, beginning at the center of the image design, and work your way outward to the sides of the panel, covering each section with the appropriate color of broken glass to make the desired design. For example, making a flower in the center of the panel requires filling in the petals, stems and leaves with broken glass before filling in the background of the panel. Then the background is filled in from the edges of the flower outward to the sides of the panel.

Light catchers can be quite small, and coasters can become the framework for miniature light catchers. Begin by covering the inside platform of each glass or crystal coaster with one-part epoxy or liquid jeweler’s glue, and then press broken glass bits into the glue. Gluing strips of ribbon to the top rim of each coaster makes a hanger for the miniature light catcher. As with other glass light catcher crafts, it's best to wait 24 hours for the glue to dry before hanging the mosaics.