Illuminated glass block – brighten dark corners!

Geez! It feels like we changed one hour for daylight savings time and it gets dark three hours earlier.  One of my friends mentioned that to me and it’s so true!  I hate it when the days are so short.

I have lights all around my house. Not bright and not expensive lights. They are all on timers. It does make me feel better. And, I don’t walk into a dark room. Especially my kitchen dark and early in the mornings.

Remember those illuminated glass blocks that you tied the thick wired ribbon around and made a big bow? I used to love them but now feel they are soooooo dated. Take the ribbon off! Even just having the block with the Christmas lights in them looks good. But, I figured out something that looks even better and personalizes the illuminated glass blocks.

This is my first Mod Podge project. {GASP} I know right! I feel like I missed the whole Mod Podge era and I’m late to the party this go around.

Love this Mod Podge project.

Here is the supply list:

1. Glass block – The craft ones with the predrilled opening. (I used 8 x 8)
2. Mini Christmas lights. WHITE stringed, white lights
3. Sheet of aged music (I bought in the scrapbook section of a craft store).
4. Mod Podge
5. Paint brush

I stuffed the white stringed white lights into the block. For this project I used a string of 100. Because I wanted the illumination to be very bright. In many cases, when I have made these illuminated light blocks, I’ve used light strings that have 35 or 50 lights.  Just an Fyi, when you do use the 100 lights, the block does become warm.

Also, keep your eyes open at hardware stores for these glass blocks that have a precut opening. It’s really hard to cut a hole into them and I was never able to do it successfully. I found some at Menard’s for 2 for $7.00 this year. A craft store was selling them for $11.00 each. Huge difference!

Carefully tear the sheet of music so you have nice rough edges and  it fits onto the block with an edge of the glass block showing.  Or, if you like straight lines, cut the sheet to fit the block.

Take the Mod Podge and apply a pretty thick coat onto the front of one of the glass blocks.

Place the paper on the Mod Podged glass block.

Make sure to press the paper down well so that you have no bubbles.  You want to make sure there is good contact everywhere with the paper and the glass.

Apply a thickish coat (same thickness as what you put on earlier) onto the paper.  Make sure you have applied it well on the edges.  I finished it off with making nice horizontal strokes so that if I could see any once they dried, they would look uniform.

It took two coats for me to get the coverage I wanted.  Make sure the first coat is dry to the touch before applying the second.  It took mine about 15 minutes but it will totally depend on how much product you used and technical stuff like the humidity and temperature.

After the second coat is dry, plug in your lights!

Then, as it got darker….

I just love my illuminated glass block.  There are lots of variations you can do.  If you want this with more of a Christmas theme, use a Christmas carol.  Or, how about an inspirational poem or Psalm?  So many ways to add a little light into the darkness.

Put it on a timer.  They are not that expensive anymore and there are many choices around Christmas.  I always buy lots when they are on clearance after Christmas.

Make one of these for yourself and for a friend.  Also great as a neighbor gift, hostess gift or teacher’s gift!