Fused in Loops in Bottle Bottoms

One of the questions I get very frequently is “How do I make holes in bottle bottoms if I don’t want to drill?”  And I get it, drilling is only a tiny bit fun.  So, I did some experimenting and found I could fuse loops into my bottle bottoms.  While they aren’t the same as a hole, they are a solid workaround for drilling, and sometimes, a more attractive option. This tutorial has two different methods of adding loops to bottle bottoms when fusing, the first using a ring cut from the same bottle, the second using a scrap of glass from the same bottle.

Adding loops using a bottle ring

Adding loops using a scrap of glass

It is important to use glass from the same bottle for both of these methods. Mixing bottle glass should only be done after testing to make sure the bottles are compatible.

Shelf Paper Burnout Time Lapse

If you’ve ever wondered why your shelf paper smells when you fire it, you are in luck!  We’ve made a time lapse video showing the organic binder burning out of the shelf paper as it fires.  Notice how the paper turns black and then white again, when the paper is white...

Nichrome Wire Gauges and Uses

Nichrome wire is a very useful thing in the glass fusing world.  Nichrome is shorthand for Nickel Chromium, which are the two main ingredients in Nichrome Wire.  There are several different types of Nichrome, with different capabilities. These specs are from the...

Triangle Bead Mold Instructions

The Triangle bead mold kit is easy to use and versatile, you can change the size of the beads easily, as well as embellish them with paint and mica.  The basic instructions for triangle beads are included here. Step 1: Prepare Mandrels by dipping in bead release and...