Glass as a decorative motif is beautiful. Placed where the sun can shine through it, glass adds color and sparkle to any room. Whet is a kitchen window without a sun-catcher hanging in it. These small pieces of glass can be hand-made or mass-produced. The method of construction may be like stained glass or fused glass. The sun-catcher may incorporate large glass marbles in a metal sculpture. The subject of the sun-catcher may be flowers, or birds, sailboats, insects, vegetables, fruits, fairies, elves, gnomes or nearly any other subject imaginable. In each case, the glass adds its magic to the room it inhabits.
Also in the kitchen, or sometimes in the office, glass magnets add even smaller bits of color and shine. Stuck to anything metal, a small magnet can have a large effect, especially if a suite of related magnets hang together. These glass magnets may be in the form of an animal, fish or flower, or the design may be incorporated into a rectangular or circular shape. Here again, the imagination is the only limit to the subject of the magnet, and the form can be as big as the magnet on the back can hold securely.
Glass snow globes are fun for young and old.
Another decorative item in which glass is nearly indispensable is a snow globe. Although there are snow globes that use a plastic ball to hold the liquid and snow, glass snow globes hold up better over time. The scene or figures included in the snow dome are probably not made of glass, although there is no reason they couldn’t be. And the base is usually not glass, but resin or plastic or sometimes metal. The liquid is usually water, but to slow the snow fall, thicker liquids may be used. The snow itself maybe with pieces of plastic, or glitter, or specially made small forms like flowers or musical notes. Quite often a music box is built into the base of the snow globe. Snow globes are usually found around Christmas time, but are also popular souvenirs.
Music boxes made of glass as especially interesting, as you can usually see the music-making mechanism as it plays. Sometimes the mechanism is hidden in an opaque box of wood or other material and only the top half of the box is made of glass. In this case, the box is functional and can be used as a jewelry box or to hold other trinkets. The same possibilities for boxes are available as there are in sun-catchers: the same possibilities in method of construction and subjects.
Although not often used to summon help, bells are now a collectibles, and often made of glass. They may be engraved for special occasions, or have a decal of a tourist destination. Cut glass and encased glass bells are available to add to collections of glass in those forms. All sound as sweet, as long as you do not have to answer the bell. Having one in the house for invalids to use is a good idea, but that one should probably not be made of glass. Glass bells are more for looking and not for use, but that does not make them look any worse.
One final decorative use for glass is a dome to put over other collectibles to keep them dust-free and like new. Glass domes may be used by themselves, straight on the table-top, or may have a wood base on which the sheltered object and the glass dome rest. Domes for pocket watches incorporate a hook from which the watch is suspended. Glass domes are very useful to protect objects made of fabric, feathers or metals that oxidize. And you can always collect glass domes for their own sake. You probably have that field to yourself, and your collection is useful.
The images on this post are from Stock Xchnge.
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