How to make funky frosted glass centerpieces

Guest post by Adrienne Lalli

chollacholla made these AWEMAZING frosted glass centerpieces for her wedding shindig. The sky is the limit with this idea… beakers, mason jars, intricate vases, dollar store vases etc. Minimal materials are involved, and they will create one helluva'n ambiance. Introooducing… Adrienne Lalli and her wonderful frosted centerpieces! – Offbeat Shrie

centerpieces2 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

I bought about 20 dollars worth of old clear and colored glassware and used a frosting spray to make them diffuse. They allegedly burn for a week, but I'm going to have a friend assemble them right before the reception.

The reception is in a dim room, so I hope that they'll just cast a nice ambient glow for the guests. You can do a whole lot of things with LEDs!

Materials:

Step 1:
Assemble your glassware. I found all the glass pieces by hitting up the local flea market (if you say it's for your wedding, they might give you a good deal). I looked for old mason jars, flower vases, and other containers that were clear and free of any printed material. I then threw everything through the dishwasher for a good squeaky cleanin'.

Step 2:
Frost the glassware. I purchased a can of frosting spray but failed to practice before applying it to the glassware. It came out pretty drippy and weird, so in a moment of panic, I used sandpaper to add “texture” and make it look intentionally imperfect. I've also heard that local sandblasting shops will frost glass for really cheap. I would recommend looking around if you want a perfect, professional look.

Complete Throwies7 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)
LED assembly photo courtesy of Instructables.com

Step 3:
Add stuffing. I stuffed the glassware with plain ol' white tissue paper to further diffuse the light inside. I imagine you could fill it with shredded paper, Easter grass, or leaves to get different effects! LEDs generally don't emit heat, so flammability shouldn't be an issue (though I would try it out first).

Step 4:
Assemble LEDs. This is super easy: after procuring your components, simply straddle the “legs” of the diodes over the button battery. However, these legs are polarized, so if the LED doesn't work, flip it over. The current has to flow in a specific direction. Once good contact has been established, secure the legs to the battery (tight!) with scotch tape. Tons of information on LED assembly is available online: just Google “throwies” for more instruction. These bad boys will burn for a week at least, so you can even make them the night before the reception.

Step 5:
Drop several LEDs into each container. Depending on the light level of your venue, you may want more or fewer LEDs. Test it out to see how bright you want it to light, or how moody you want them to look.

Ta da! Beautiful, DIY, handmade centerpieces that will light your event and wowzer your guests!

centerpieces alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

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