Making Garden Totems for Enjoyment

Garden Totems are an exciting way to capture the sunshine rays of summer. Your collection of misfit vases, out of use ashtrays, fluted fruit cups, drinking glasses, and glass lighting domes make a beautiful work of art.

Garage sales are a good source for cheap glass as is second hand shops. Glass in color or etched is especially sought after for building garden totems. The hunt for the perfect pieces and topper for your totem are a fun way to spend the day. Glass of gold, green, and blue will set the mood in your garden.

You will need GE silicone11 adhesive to secure the glass pieces together. Apply directly to clean glass and let it bond according to directions. The adhesive is purchased in a hand held squeeze tube. No tools required.

No hard fast rules for totem building. Fit pieces together before gluing. Be sure you like the layout and that glass surfaces of each piece have good contact to aid in stability. A glass dinner plate turned face down is a good base for totems. Stack your glassware up from the base to create a glimmering work of art. Totems look fabulous in the garden-as well as on a side table in a sunny window.

Keep an eye out when shopping at tag sales for the perfect totem topper. You may like to finish your totem with a glass bell, Christmas ornament, birds, balls, rabbit, cat, or even a tea cup. If you choose a tea cup it can be used as a bird feeder or bird bath. The possibilities are endless.

Each totem is unique. You can mix and match items in totems. Solid and translucent pieces are desirable and pleasing to the eye. You will want to stack the glass so it reaches a safe height and won’t become top heavy making it harder to secure. For very tall totems, you can drill a hole in the glass pieces and string them on rebar or copper pipe sunk into your garden soil. This will add protection of the totem from wind and garden visitors.

Garden totems are fun to make. They add zing and a surprise element for very little cost. Totems also make great gifts. You’ll want to make several for your own property, but when your friends and family see how beautiful they are-you will find yourself making one for them too. They can be addicting to make.At first it’s all trial and error.Once you get the hang of it-there will be no stopping you.