This is an update on an old favourite: garden art flowers made from dishes. Instead of using full-size dinner plates, here I’ve used smaller side plates and other quirky pieces made of clear and coloured glass. You can find everything you need at a dollar store, thrift shop, or stuffed in the back of your kitchen cupboards.
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The complete tutorial is on my blog at eBay here: How to Make Pickle Dish Garden Flowers, but I’ll give you an overview. It’s a fast and easy project that you can complete in an afternoon (unless you’re super slow at painting or an uber-perfectionist, and then you’re never really done, are you?).
Here’s the Basic Supplies
Basic Steps
Again, if you’re new to garden art making, see my post at eBay for complete instructions.
Start with the clear plate or pickle dish and then add on any smaller pieces you like. I choose tiny flower vases, sherry glasses, and salt and pepper shakers to form the middle of the flowers.
Because the flowers are fairly lightweight, you can use old BBQ skewers as stems. I glue ballpoint pen caps onto the backs of the dishes and insert the stems that way.
Make sure you choose a craft paint that works on glass surfaces. I like Martha Stewart ® craft paints as well as Folk Art ® ( enamels.
The flower vases (above) are used to represent the flower stamens. A bit of glass marker and paint completes the look. I use Craftsmart ® Paint Pens.
Everything is held together with GE II Silicone Sealant (waterproof, clear, made for gutters and flashing).
For more details see How to Make Pickle Dish Garden Flowers and, if you want to make full-size ones (who doesn’t), see How to Make Glass Garden Art Flowers (and drill through glass).
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
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Have you had any trouble with the silicon glue coming loose from dishes and breaking. I’m a little intimidated with the thought of drilling dishes.
Hi Lynn, It doesn’t come away but some dishes are really thick and heavy so it never entirely holds. In case I can encourage you, the drilling is a slow, gentle process. There’s a video of me doing it on this article and I’m holding the camera in one hand while drilling with the other. Not difficult! https://empressofdirt.net/makeglassflowers/
Could you tell me if you can make the glass projects for outside if you can use plastic thanks will wait to hear back
Hi Punkin,
You could use plastic dishes etc. The only problem is plastic tends to be much lighter in weight and may blow over or blow away. But, if you like the look of the plastics, give it a try. You might just need to use rocks or stones to hold things in place.