Christmas might be the busiest season of the year for a kiln. Fused glass catches the cozy glow of a fireplace or tree lights in a way few other materials can. If you’ve been hunting for Christmas fused glass ideas that work for your own home, as handcrafted gifts, or for a studio’s holiday inventory, this list has you covered.
Fused Glass Christmas Ornament Ideas
Fused glass Christmas ornaments are small, quick to fire, and easy to gift or ship. Most ideas follow the same basic process.
How to Fuse Glass Ornaments
- Cut a base shape from fusible glass using a fused glass pattern or a simple circle or star.
- Clean every piece, then set the bottom layer on a kiln shelf lined with fiber paper so nothing sticks.
- Add color with frit, stringers or small cut pieces.
- Sandwich a loop of high-temperature fusing wire between two layers so the hanger fires right into the ornament.
- Full fuse around 1,450 degrees Fahrenheit for smooth edges, or tack fuse around 1,350 to keep raised details. Temperatures vary by glass, so check your manufacturer’s schedule.
- Let the kiln cool fully before opening it.
Once you learn how to make these DIY fused glass ornaments, each one takes a single firing.
Striped Bulb Ornaments
Beginner
To make striped bulb ornaments, first cut a round bulb from red, green, or whatever color glass you choose. Then, lay stringer stripes across it and add a small silver cap at the top. Full fuse for a classic look that matches any tree.
Dichroic Star Ornaments
Beginner
Cut a star from black glass for the base. Then cut a slightly smaller star from dichroic glass and set it on top with the coated side facing up. Add a clear star the same size as the base as a cap, which magnifies the shimmer underneath. Full fuse, and the ornament shifts color as it turns on the branch.
Personalized Year Ornaments
Intermediate
To make a personalized fused glass ornament, fire a name, a year or a company logo onto a clear round using fusing decals. Businesses can order these in bulk as client gifts.
Fused Glass Christmas Tree for Displays
Not every tree needs needles. These fused glass Christmas trees fit on a mantel, desk, or windowsill for you to proudly display.
Glowing Tree Candle Screen
Intermediate
Fuse a green tree silhouette onto a clear panel and dot the branches with red and gold frit. Slump the panel into a gentle curve so it stands on its own, then set a tea light behind it. The candlelight shines through the glass and makes the frit ornaments glow.
Tabletop Tree Panel
Intermediate
Cut a tall tree from green glass using these glass cutting techniques, add dots of colored frit as ornaments and fuse a dichroic star on top. Set the panel in a display stand for a mantel or desk.
Holiday Decor for the Table and Window
Snowy Pine Platter
Intermediate
Draw pine trees in green stringer across a clear base, dust white frit along the bottom for snowdrifts and full fuse. Slump it into a platter mold for cookie exchanges and holiday snacks.
Holly Wreath Window Hanging
Advanced
Cut a clear ring, layer overlapping holly leaves around it and add red frit berries. Hang it on a wall, or in a window where daylight makes the greens and reds glow. Clean ring cuts take practice, and the layered leaves need a careful firing schedule to avoid trapped bubbles.
Christmas Stained Glass Projects
If you also work in copper foil, here are a few Christmas stained glass ideas to try.
- Star or snowflake suncatcher. A manageable first project that only needs a handful of pieces.
- Poinsettia window panel. Gives more experienced artists room to play with deep reds and textured greens.
- Frosted window scene. Clear textured glass behind a simple tree or village silhouette looks like frost on a winter window.
Cut your pieces, wrap each edge in copper foil tape, then solder the seams and add a hanging loop. A coat of patina turns silver solder lines black or copper for an antique finish. Hollander’s stained glass collection carries cathedral and opalescent sheets in holiday colors from Kokomo, Wissmach and Spectrum. For more motif inspiration, see our post on seasonal and holiday-themed stained glass projects.
How Do You Plan Your Holiday Kiln Schedule?
Christmas deadlines arrive fast, so work backward from the day you need finished pieces.
Six Weeks Out
Order your glass, frit and dichroic in a single COE. Mixing COEs can crack a piece as it cools. Pick up wire rated for fusing temperatures at the same time, because standard craft wire burns out in the kiln.
Four Weeks Out
Start firing ornaments and other flat pieces.
Two Weeks Out
Finish anything that needs a second firing or a slump and pack the gifts that must ship.
Stock Up Before the Holiday Rush
Most Christmas fused glass projects go smoother when your glass, frit, fusing wire, molds and cutters are ready before the holiday rush. Browse Hollander’s fusible glass collection for deep reds, evergreens and snowy whites to stock up for seasonal projects.