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Glass tile has been around for many years and with all the shapes and sizes and colors and textures we have today it’s hard to beat. There are so many colors and shades available that architects and interior designers are implementing glass tile more and more in their upcoming projects.

There just is not anything else out there that has such a huge color palette that varies from very bright colors too subtle pastel shades. There is also a very large size selection of glass tile and mosaic glass tile that can range from 3/8” x 3/8” all the way to 12” x 12”. Some of the terrazzo mosaic tile, which is an engineered stone, is available in slab form up to 118 inches by 58 inches. The slab form is especially great for countertops and is fabricated just like marble or granite.

One of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time is mosaic tile that glows in the dark. The tile takes in the ambient light of the surrounding room and when it gets dark it radiates a glowing light. This is great for a dark hallway bathroom or a child’s room, who needs a night light! A really incredible application is using this glowing mosaic tile for the water line around your swimming pool, when the sun goes down the swimming pool takes on a completely unique look and saves electricity.

This is also a great idea as a decorative feature strip for exterior steps to designate this step from the tread and maybe save a few broken ankles.

Stained glass is fabulous, that is a fact. It can add a lot of luxury and charm to your home. Learning how to make it is not that difficult and you will see how in the following lines.

How to do it yourself.
As you have read stain glass production is a hard thing and you cannot do it at home. However there is an alternative that will allow you to make wonderful stained glass pieces.

The first thing you will need is the pattern. There are many patterns available in the internet so just spend some time and find the one you like the most.

Once you have your pattern number it and cut it apart. As you ca see stained glass is made of various small colored glass pieces so the pattern should correspond to this idea.

The cut and numbered pattern is than traced onto the glass. Use glass of different colors for ach part of the pattern. Break the pattern into pieces and foil them together. When all pieces have been foiled, place them into the assembly jig.

The next step is to solder the pieces together. It is important that you solder all foiled joints to create the metal web that holds the glass pieces. Use solder and soldering iron and fill carefully all joints.

In fact your stained glass project is finished. All you need to do is to clean it using water and a soft cloth. You can also add an ancient look by applying some patina solution after the cleaning.

Glass shelves seem to defy gravity, allowing whatever is on them to appear to float in mid-air. While glass shelves can’t hold a lot, they beautifully enhance everything that you display on them.

Glass shelving is often associated with bathrooms, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but why not consider them for other rooms in your home as well? Glass shelves in the kitchen with jars of beans or candied fruit are a great way to spruce up an unused corner or area above the door. Likewise, a set of glass shelves with family pictures in the den gives you added display space without making the room feel too enclosed.

In order to maximize the beauty of glass shelves, make sure you use appropriate supports for them. Glass shelf brackets are specifically designed for the purpose, enhancing the elegance of the shelves themselves. Don’t use glass shelf brackets for other types of shelves unless their use is clearly specified in the mounting instructions.

Brackets approved for glass shelving tend to be lighter, more delicate and, in some cases, purposely smaller than other types of brackets. A large metal bracket may completely overshadow and weigh down a glass shelf, causing it to look unbalanced and unnecessarily heavy. It is also wasted on a glass shelf, since larger brackets are designed to hold more weight, which usually isn’t an issue with shelves designed for display rather than storage.

The tools needed for painting in reverse on glass are really very simple and limited. The initial cost of the materials can be shaved down to a minimum if you prefer to start out slow. I’ll make a list of things you’ll need, and I would be willing to guess that you already have at least half, if not most of them somewhere around the house.

1) A small to medium table to work on. It can be as simple as 2 saw horses with short pine planks over the top.
2) A pane of glass with a frame that fits. If you don’t mind starting with small paintings, The local dollar store should have 8″ x 10″ frames.
3) A large brush, 1″ to 3″ wide.
4) Maybe 2 small round brushes, a size 0 and a size 2
5) manicure sticks, tooth picks, or wooden barbeque skewers
6) Q-Tips
7) A flat pallet knife for mixing paints, (A putty knife would do in a pinch) Clean styrofoam plates or trays, The plastic lids to coffee cans are great for this, too.
9) masking tape
10) Razor blade or a utility knife
11) Paint. It does not matter whether the paint is water based, acrylic, or oil paint. It only needs

to adhere to the glass, and any of these will.
12) Paint thinner, it’s very inexpensive, and you shouldn’t even need a full quart for one painting.
13) A few small clean rags.