Harvesting Glass from Around the House

I'm in the process of making some renovations at home (there's something satisfying about destroying things) and I'm taking the opportunity to salvage an old, broken mirror from the walk in closet. I can reuse the mirror in stained glass projects. The only problem? This mirror was pretty solidly attached to the wall and I couldn't tell how.

You can see the glass is already broken so I need to be extra careful removing it from the wall.  So, I gathered my tools and began...

The first step is to cover the entire surface with contact paper. If the mirror breaks any more this will keep it somewhat contained. Don't forget to wear work gloves!

I found this handy tool in the paint department of a hardware store (it's made by Red Devil) and it's one of the best multi-purpose tools I own.  It's stronger than a putty knife and has those great edges.

I started at the top and used this tool to pry the regular picture hook hangers out of the wall. Then the mirror was only attached by a nail through the bottom frame. It was a snap to pry that nail out of the wall.

The mirror was off the wall without any more damage to the glass... or to me. It was a little bit of a let down to remove it so easily - I was expecting more of a challenge!

Put a Label on Me!

Want to make an authentic looking set of coasters or serving tray from a bottle? Reapplying a label to a bottle after you've flattened it in your kiln is easy enough if...

• You can get the label off the bottle in one piece and in good enough condition to reuse.
• Your glass is clear or light enough to read the label once it's applied.

The bottle pictured here will eventually be used as a coaster so it's ideal to apply the label to the back of the bottle. The flat surface (kiln shelf side) will be facing up.

I use Weldbond thinned with water - about 2 parts Weldbond, 1 part water - to glue the label to the glass bottle. You can buy Weldbond at Michael's or HomeDepot.

Coat the label with a layer of the Weldbond mixture and let the paper soak a moment or two so it's flexible. You'll be working on a less than flat surface and you'll need to work out the air bubbles.

Place the label face down on the bottle - remember that the flat side is down and you're working on the domed side of the glass. Position the label and coat it with the Weldbond mixture, going beyond the edges of the label.

Weldbond dries clear so it won't show up if you go WELL beyond the edges, and you'll want a good seal. 

After an hour or so use your finger to work air bubbles out to the edge of the label. Add a coat of Weldbond until you have a good build and the edged are completely sealed - I like to build up 7 layers. Let each coat of Weldbond dry for 24 hours before applying another.

The glue under the label will dry more slowly than the rest but don't worry, it will catch up and eventually you won't see any glue at all.

Keep in mind that you can't put these in the dishwasher - "wipe clean" is the best way to maintain them. But you'll have a fully functional coaster or tray once you add silicone pads to the back.