This project is a family favorite. My kids *love* to “crack” glass stones with me. They don’t even make anything with them most of the time, they just enjoy watching the glass crack and then admiring their handiwork. I like to paint the stones, glitter them, set them in bezels, make magnets, and all kinds of other things. But let me back up a bit and first show you how to “crack” glass!
Project estimate:
- Glass stones (purchased in the floral department), $1
- Water & ice, on hand
- Bowl, on hand
Total: $1
Step one: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Arrange your glass stones in a baking dish.
Step two: Bake the stones for 20 minutes.
Step three: Prepare a plastic bowl with ice and add water.
Step four: When you remove the stones from the oven, pour them IMMEDIATELY into the ice water. They will crack instantly.
Your stones are now ready to work with. The cool thing with this project is that the stones have cracks on the INSIDE but the outside is perfectly smooth. There are no sharp fragments or anything that will cut you. Occasionally, a stone may crack too deeply and break in half, so make several at a time.
What to do with your beautiful “gemstones”? One idea is to just set it on a bail to make a pretty, diamond-like pendant. Another is to wrap it with wire like I did in this tutorial. Let me know if you’d like to see more ideas with these stones, and I’ll post them next week!
19 Comments
Jenny
LOVE this idea! They look great, and how easy is that? I plan to make some asap
Peg Kincade
You can do the same thing with marbles. I did that years ago.
Amy
I’d love to see more craft ideas with these! Also, where to get the other supplies for them (the necklaces and wire etc) for cheap! Thanks!!
Brittany @ Brittany's Joy
LOVE this! I’d love to do a bunch of magnets for our fridge… off to the dollar store! haha
Jennifer
LOVE it…would love more ideas!!!
stupid
So.. Uh.. I should point out the obvious because I obviously did NOT think this through very well but um, DO NOT USE A GLASS BOWL. yeah. Not smart- the minute it came out of the oven it shattered. oppsies.
lynn
wonderful!!!! i would love to see more of your creations! (: ( : (: thanks
Serena
That is a clever way to use those colored glass stones I see sold in bags at Dollar Tree. I would love to see more projects using them.
Johnnie
So cool Heather!
jenn
I just love your ideas,, love love love the diamond pendant…. would love to make it,, do you have a tutorial on that one? thanks so much,,,
Marie B
I made some of these and one cracked in half and the others barely cracked, but I forgot to put water in the ice! I am going to do it again and would love for you to show us more crafts to make with them! Thank you for sharing!
Angie Lenont
Please add more stone work
Love it looks like fun going to do it this weekend tks again
Joanne
Love this would really to pick your brain for lots of other ideas. I would love to make my own embellishments for my cards but need light weight objects. Thaks for sharing.
Zvar
these look SO COOL if you paint over the back with an opalescent or holographic nail polish. like amazingly cool.
Rhoda Edwards
Great craft idea! please post more glass stone ideas. Loving it.
Sarah
Brings back fond memories. As a child, my Mom had taught us a version of this using marbles and a cast iron skillet. So much fun and if doing during the hotter months, the skillet doesn’t heat up the house like turning on the over does.