My project revolves around pure aesthetic – specifically a lot of color and shiny things and light (all of my favorite things).

The main idea is using a ton of glue that dries clear, I will add in different colored glass shards and build a gloriously colorful glass shard tree. As I cannot start until tomorrow since the glue emits harmful fumes and needs to be done outside, there are no progress pics but I will describe the potential process.

First, I will collect several empty bottles with various colors (like brown, blue, green, yellow) and put them into a grocery bag layered into several grocery bags for safety. Using something blunt and heavy, these bottles will be smashed into oblivion until I have sufficient . sized glass shards. During this process, I will also wear goggles and heavy clothing and gloves because, well, safety first always. Using a pair of tweezers, I will sort them into piles roughly based on size and aesthetic where they will await the next stage.

The glue I have selected is E6000, specifically because of two reasons: it dries clear and it is cheap. It is $4.99 a tube of 3.7 fl oz at both Micheal’s and Joann’s and I was lucky enough to have a sales associate ring up a 50% and a 40% on an item coupon for each glue tube, making it about $5.5 total for tubes. Given the nature of this project, I will likely be purchasing two more tubes. One downside of this glue is that it can take up to 48 hours to dry according to reviewers on the internet, so I plan on starting Thursday afternoon so I may be done by Saturday for any touch ups. I considered other glues – specifically hot glue – but it dries a bit cloudy so I decided against it.

Pictured: Clear glue and colored bottles to be shattered.
Not pictured: More clear glue and more colored bottled to be shattered. A single LED earring. And possibly food coloring and glitter and flowers.

Due to the nature of glue, the tree will have to be made one half at a time – meaning, I’ll start by drawing the outline of what a deciduous tree would look without its leaves. Then I’ll set a layer of plastic wrap on top of it where I will put a layer of glue. As the layer sets (which according to reviews and recommendations on the internet, is pretty fast), I’ll start putting more layers of glue on and placing glass shards in at different angles (using tweezers! and not my fingers!)  within the tree and continue applying more glue. As more glue is added, it should start forming a half cylinder simply by gravity. (If it doesn’t, I’ll just make it work.) I’ll also probably throw in glitter and maybe even food coloring (with quick swirling) in different layers to give more color in the tree. After the first half is finished, the original outline will be slid out from underneath and then flipped over and then the entire process is started again. In the end, I should end up with two halves of a tree that should roughly fit together with more glue. I’ll make the roughly 2D standing tree stand upright and then add roots and repeat the process to make more branches.

An extra fun thing I also plan on including is digging out a small hole at the bottom of the tree trunk where I’ll fit in a light-up earring. The story behind this earring is that I ordered light-up LED earrings for fun from China, and 2 months later, lo and behold turns out the seller sold literally one earring per order so I literally got a SINGLE EARRING. So this counts as upcycling this poor pairless light-up earring.

Why does your product photo have them in pairs?? Why were you so so misleading?? How could you do this to me?? //sniffles

Another extra thing I’ll likely add is using the super tiny glass shards as leaves and putting a thinner glue layer over them to make them not sharp. Not sure if this will work as well I envision it in my head (or any part of this idea) but I have high hopes!