Break up glass pebbles into crushed glass for resin geode art pieces - safely

The resin geodes class is now launched! You can read more about it here - resingeodes.wo...
Are you into the emerging craze of creating artistic geodes from paints, resin and various embellishments? Me too! It's amazing! But if supplies are difficult to find or you are on a tighter budget did you know that you can crush or smash up dollar store glass nugget vase filler and create the perfect sparking crushed glass for your geode art? It's easy and safe to do and the type of glass used is not sharp so its safe to use in your geode art. Here's how I break up those glass pebbles and create crushed glass for my geode art.
You can find all the supplies you need listed in an easy to use pictorial list in my project 'kits'.
ALL of my kits are here - kit.co/mixedmedia
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deby coles, mixed media crafts, geode pour, resin geode, geode art, concrete geode, crushed glass, vase filler, how to, break up glass, smash glass safely, glass pebbles, glass rocks, glass nuggets, dollar tree, dollar store, mixed media, mixed media art tutorials, geode art, craft ideas, dollar store crafts
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[@roncandelaria3703]

....spent all day trying to figure out how to get colored (blue) shattered glass and happened to run across this video....you saved my day (and probably my project too)! Thank you so much!

[@Onajourneysearchingformyfaith]

Thank you Debby cause u save me right now. I need white crushed glass and I can’t find none anywhere😩🙏🏾 this is what u call take you hand tun fashion thank you very much

[@patriciaroberts-thompson]

Thanks Deby, I now have a lovely bag of glass bits for my first geode!

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Excellent. Good luck with it Patricia

[@diamondb1756]

Thank you for this video , I’ve been searching for colorful broken glass.

[@texasgemtree]

Genius! So much easier. I have so many of these I bought a long time ago and never used them in the projects I originally bought them for.

[@fooddottie]

Was wondering where people got these larger glass pieces from - now I know the trick. Thanks so much Debbie

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Always pleased to be helpful. Enjoy.

[@elliemerc01]

I watched this and was expecting broken glass jewelry but my bad. Thanks for your demonstration, maybe somewhere down the road I will be able to use these.

[@lizwalmsley7749]

Also, probably want to use a metal or melamine bowl for ice bath. So your bowl doesn't crack. Even pyrex can crack under these conditions. Am excited to try. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@MommaBearsCorner]

can put cloth other it to crack and USE simple tweezers to pick up and then toss out the tiny pieces that are too small and sharp. That would solve it all. If one wants smaller pieces, I would if one could reheat and then crack them loose or will that break it up way too much too fast and too small..... Guess have to try both ways. Thanks for sharing because yes, they want way too much for this in the craft stores. Even temu has some but 10 grams not enough to do hardly anything on canvas, so greatly appreciated. I thought of doing this, but good to know about the heat and cold method first. makes more sense. Thanks for sharing.

[@bbrown8353]

Another great tip from you! I love watching your videos, just a comment as a kid I used to do this with round marbles just to the point of crackle to make jewels. I was taught not to use non stick/teflon at the time - pans because the glass gets so hot it can affect the finish. This may not be true with the newer non stick surfaces but I thought it was worth passing along

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Thank you for the tip. I hadn't noticed any problems, but I use bottled gas and my pans really don't get very hot.

[@valerieprelle9052]

Thank you! I put my glass in the non stick pan for 13 mins, burnt my glass, discolored them smells bad.

[@travellasingleton651]

I've been looking for bags at the craft store and came across this video. I have tons of these glass pebbles in my home, Great for my crafts. Thanks

[@jkgirlify]

Oh my goodness, Thank you so much for this wonderful information 😁

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

You are very welcome Jessica. Glad to know it was helpful

[@cindyp2181]

Put them in a quart Ziploc freezer bag (doubled and use the best quality for better thickness), when you break them up with the hammer. Also put a towel over the bags. That will contain all the mess and makes it much safer.

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

I found it really didn't make any mess. The marble stayed intact but broken into pieces. But you are right, safety is important. People must take whatever precautions works for them.

[@teap.9045]

Awesome tip!!

[@ladyblueamb]

@@DebyatMixedMediaArts thanks so much for the tips I'm going to try it

[@aleashajohnson7993]

Cindy P this is a good idea. I was trying to crush some glass pebbles in a ziploc bag but did not think of the towel!

[@aleashajohnson7993]

Cindy P or heating and shocking 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@robyns6148]

How long did you keep them on stove?

[@pattyaap7345]

thanks Deby! I love the natural light in your house!

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

The house faces directly east and we get flooded with light in the mornings, it's beautiful.

[@enikopelsoczy7622]

Thank you for this video! This is what I needed.

[@juliadoverart5907]

This is brilliant!! Thank you. I couldn’t work out how to break them up- the hammer didn’t work on its own 😉

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Thanks Julia, glad it was useful

[@conniegroves9176]

Ty ty ty .... Having problems finding crushed glass in stock in my area. Extremely helpful!!!

[@lou9007]

Thanks Deby! make it a lot easier now trying to get hold of the 'real' glass in the UK seems difficult and very expensive, your a star.

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Same here Lou, I scoured the island and can only get these in blue and for sadly no where near a dollar, but much cheaper than importing craft store crushed glass

[@kathleenmacdonald5511]

I wonder if you can take colorful gravel (like from a fish tank), spray it with glitter and use that rather than breaking up the glass pebbles.

[@katrinadunlap1012]

Yes you can mix with mod podge & glitter

[@dianajacobs6170]

Enjoyed watching your video. I like how detailed you are helps, Thank you !

[@hedgehoghero8692]

Perfect for miniatures and dioramas, thanks you

[@samanthabrewington1463]

I don't make craft videos but I am working on a dragon creature type film and since dragons use gems and stuff to build there nests so this will help me a lot. Thanks

[@ftumi]

This would be great for the scales!

[@TheJackierose1]

Thank you. I've just wasted so much money ordering broken glass. Wish I had watched this yesterday - grrrrr

[@Jessicaimmen]

That a great idea! Thank you for sharing!

[@Faymysticreations]

This method works so well! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!!

[@meladams1216]

This looks so satisfying! I’m gonna do this just to use the hammer!!

[@kim99may]

I have tons of them I can try with! ❤❤❤ Great idea 💡 😊

[@DROSIFICTION]

Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for!

[@NeoDon1]

Yes, having more surface area exposed to heat works better.

[@diywithbellary]

Thanks for the video I really needed to know how to do this.

[@HeatherWrightArt]

Awesome, thank you!!! Now I need to create a geode on my channel!!!!

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

I'm new to your channel Heather, but wow you have some nice paintings there.

[@HeatherWrightArt]

Deby at Mixed Media Arts Wow, thank you Deby!!! I have been a big fan of yours for a while now, so happy to receive such a nice compliment from you, I'm honored🙏💙🎨

[@swankyart4737]

Awesome tip Deby 💕

[@jennboone68]

I have been looking for this thanks for your help

[@lorettaclose2510]

These look great. I am looking for ideas of things to make with them with a group of kids. Any ideas to share?

[@janagrosu5586]

Deby thanks a lot for this video!!! 🙏im thinking to grow some crystals from salt but do you think they will melt in time like salt usualy do?? If is convenient to.use them in art maybe glass is better?

[@fatih_han]

Thank you so much for this video ❤️

[@norelyslopez3150]

Thanks you so much for sharing such a good information

[@andreagossmann1898]

I LOVE your videos!!!!

[@rm-nelson1256]

Thank you sooo much for this information, really helpful ❤

[@RebeccaTurnerEsotericCreations]

Brilliant! Such a money saving idea as well!

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Thanks Rebecca. Always better to DIY :-)

[@constancelevering4296]

You are a genius, Thanx for sharing ! 🌹

[@cinnabunny6201]

Hmmmmm. It looks like fish tank pebbles to me. Those are super cheap too. Could you use those instead & save yourself time and safety?

[@ftumi]

Are those made of glass bc I thought the same thing

[@yogi8284]

Awesome!! I can't find crushed on my island and I can't purchase it online. Put the people's are available here. I'm gonna be doing a whole lot of smashing this weekend

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Excellent, glad to know it is useful for you. Where do you live Yolande?

[@kamilahbanerjee]

Do u think with glass bottles I can put them on the grill them in cold water

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Glass bottles aren't the same. The glass will be very sharp if you try to smash it up and wouldn't give the same edges. It really has to be these 'marbles' because they are more like windscreen glass and break up into the right type of pieces.

[@destrygraves]

How did you not crack your tile table?

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

It really is a very gentle tap to break them up once they are cracked. Definitely not enough to crack a tile.

[@H.mm.d.369]

Thank you ❤

[@diedredunham7383]

Ok, now I feel silly. We used to do marbles like this to make into necklaces. Thanks!!

[@jbtechcon7434]

3:06 Hammering on your tile. What could go wrong?

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Absolutely nothing. It really is just a gentle tap and the tile is protected by the tea towel.

[@ftumi]

​@@DebyatMixedMediaArtsand the fact that you heated them up vs just smashing them

[@irenerhynes6732]

Can one use sea glass the same way. Thank you for this tutorial.

[@debjoly3615]

Did you happen to get an answer?

[@ftumi]

Right! I found this also at the Dollar tree next to them

[@MMMary7757]

How long do you leave them in cold water? Bra or no bra... this is genius and a great help for new crafters! If you are Nee, You should be wearing safety glasses and gloves. This is a no brained! Thank you for posting. Love your work!

[@ftumi]

Yes, she mentioned safety glasses... Just till they crack/ cool

[@kaylieburnes8720]

Can you do this with the cubes to

[@hawraaalmosawi9896]

Hi. I have crashed glass with sharp edges. How I can make them soft ?

[@dvldgz6306]

Put it in a burlap gab or tie them in a shirt and leave them in the dryer so the glass tumbles and bangs against each other.

[@ftumi]

​@@dvldgz6306 oh my! Wouldn't that ruin your dryer?!

[@dvldgz6306]

@@ftumi as long as it isn't too heavy I don't see why it would be a problem. If it's a real concern do it at a laundry mat.

[@ftumi]

@@dvldgz6306 if a piece were to escape it could ruin all the inner components etc. I wouldn't want to do that to someone's business (drier) but ty for the weight problem of it... Now, I can do my weighted blanket lol

[@dvldgz6306]

@@ftumi I use to be a magician part time and one of the tricks was walking on broken glass. The sharp edges were dulled by putting the glass in a thick burlap sack and putting it in the dryer. The glass was not sharp at the end. It was never a problem for my personally.

[@islamkisehzadi.9394]

In which city r u frome.

[@mayrakopjansen2814]

Awesome thanks for sharing

[@AndreaStevens2012]

Where did you get your pebbles? The last couple bags I purchased from Michael's were not colored through, they were only painted. I discovered this when drilling holes in them to be use on a wind chime and the drill bit occassionally skidded across the pebble removing the paint, they were actually clear pebbles. So, I'm wondering if there are different types or is there another place to purchase ones that are colored through. Thanks!

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

I scoured the entire island and eventually found them in my local sewing shop. That's not going to work for you I'm sure - it's weird here! You could try the dollar store or florists. I also have a list of beautiful ones here -kit.com/mixedmedia/glass-nuggets-for-crushing

[@AndreaStevens2012]

Thank you Deby!

[@ftumi]

I get mine at the dollar store / dollar tree

[@loistoy3403]

Thank you. ❤️🤎

[@Dascorpion_Belleza]

Thanks a lot for the info!

[@jccreatives9619]

Use video dear. Is that pebbles made with resin?

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

No, the pebbles are made of glass.

[@lentren2004]

New subscriber. Thank you for the video. I want to add sparkle, but not glitter to my dresser drawer fronts. Do you think this will work? If so, will I need resin over it? Thank you.

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Do I don't think this would be the right sort of material for that. It would be difficult to get a good finish and very hard to get it consistent across a whole dresser. And you'd need to break up a TON of glass. There are some very nice metallic paints and some very very fine glitter paints which are sparkly but not hugely glittery. I think that would be better.

[@lentren2004]

@@DebyatMixedMediaArts thank you so much for your reply!

[@lifethegoodthebadandthebea4877]

That's great! Thank you!♥️

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Glad it was helpful Robin, thanks for watching

[@sgutierrez5488]

so awesome !! thank you

[@jtp336]

Directions not clear,...got glass in urethra.

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

OMG you are so right. I totally forgot to mention that you should wear clothing to prevent those sort of accidents. I hope you get better soon.

[@ftumi]

??? You were naked?!

[@ftumi]

​@@DebyatMixedMediaArts don't worry think that's common sense and I'm sure you assumed people weren't going to do this naked near their privates

[@livmilesparanormalromanceb6891]

Cool video! Thanks!

[@tinawilliams5990]

Thank you

[@moodymoonlight3909]

Can I do this but with guli (marble in English)?

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Yes, I've done it with the regular round glass marbles too and it works the same, but I didn't like the way they looked. All the pieces still had an obviously round edge and it just looked weird. The pieces weren't right for how I wanted to use them. Maybe give it a try with a few and see what you think of the shape.

[@valerieprelle9052]

Do you believe I burnt my glass!!! I followed directions. 13 mins .

[@shay344344]

Wow amazing

[@dlppl3407]

Genius!!!!!

[@zenwerkzarts4243]

Fantastic!!! Thank you!

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

Always happy to help, thanks for watching.

[@raymondlibert9861]

Good vidéo . Tkanks

[@superstarhailey]

Nice

[@FriedaMMartin]

Since I’m completely covering them in resin, I don’t think that sharp edges will be a problem in the final project

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

It's only the tiny little shards that can be sharp really, the larger pieces are fine because they are a safety glass and don't break with very sharp edges.

[@CharleneWoods0404]

Genius!

[@Believe30]

Volume not working

[@ftumi]

If you are watching on your phone the close out and force stop KZbin and retry. If that doesn't work, restart It is not the video

[@KIT9168]

WOW..AND THE $$ THESE STORES MAKE WITH CRUSHED GLASS TY FOR SHARING

[@AngelasMixedMediaArtist]

Great idea thx

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

I just had a try with some clear kids marbles too. They look so pretty when they are cracked.

[@bernardagonzalez3909]

Bellos los amo

[@marthaluciacorreales4126]

Cómo traducir a el español

[@Gorgiss]

Im scared to make these..i just might burn my house down..😂😬

[@KustomDesignSpace]

Sameeeeee

[@ftumi]

​@@KustomDesignSpace & @ gorgiss If you are there watching it it will not start a fire.. just like cooking anything

[@blove2023]

Just wear gloves.

[@ОльгаТуманова-г7х]

Совершпила Большую глупость , не учила инглишь .

[@ftumi]

? What does this have to do with this video.. you can also use translator And START learning now lol

[@JoaniesJourney]

I called my local glass company and asked to buy shatter tempered glass. He said we just throw it out but if you bring me a bucket Ill fill it up for free!!! 😁

[@ftumi]

Awesome! LoL I should call mine and ask maybe they'll say the same hehe

[@kerielwatson3197]

I've done this with marbles. Be warned with some glass it is possible when you dunk the glass into cold water for pieces to 'explode' off. Wear safety glasses and try cover your water container whilst out pour the hot glass in. It seems to be more common with marbles than these glass stones

[@courtneygriggsby1358]

I'm soo glad I found this video!! Thank u!

[@kerengurionart]

Wow!! Such good tip!! Thank you so much! I'm from Israel and everything us do expensive to import to here.

[@dubst.t.]

Your video was awesome, (it's not easy to make quality vids!) and I'm not sure why people would say "I was expecting ____ but I guess I was wrong" because your title was spot on for the content shown in this! Thank you for sharing, I was looking for the "how to" on crushing these pebbles! 😉💟

[@sab_1055]

HEY! I've been smashing $1 Tree pebbles for years ... the wrong way. I use big chunks for mosaics. They've been hard to make. My pebbles became dust. I use that too, but this method is perfect. Thanks.

[@ivyyoung16]

Ok so this was one of the best explanations I've come across. Thank you

[@allisonbroomes3453]

Have you tried doing this with use glass bottles. I ja e some used green bottles was wondering if you ever do this and how to go about it

[@leeloadams6274]

Im so lucky I came accross this ,thanku so much for sharing,

[@alycepeters2909]

This reminded me of how we would boil clear marbles to make them crackle and we would think they were so pretty. Years ago lol

[@pjfoltz8810]

We would do that too!

[@joanargilan9381]

Really you boiled and not baked them? How long do you boil them

[@susanhlavaty9500]

We did that too

[@alycepeters2909]

@@joanargilan9381 yes, we did it as kids to make the marbles look pretty. We just boiled them until they cracked.

[@ftumi]

Never knew this! Awesome ty

[@AngelasMixedMediaArtist]

Hi Deby love seeing you again awesome 🙌🙌🙌🙌❤️❤️❤️👋🎁🎁

[@smoothlight3567]

Doing this, and my shoulder is in SO much pain from hammering! Lol , not a powerful glass crusher…. Ow 🤕 Maybe didn’t crackle enough first? BTW would use regular old skillet, teflon can release toxic fumes (Teflon alone is bad news). Enjoyed your video :)

[@barbaracabrera207]

Was just wondering where was best place to buy glass bits. Found your video by accident, looking for something else! Your channel was a great find! This is exactly what I need. I like that the pieces aren't SHARP! That's important to working on my project. I want to make DIY glass "balls" in art medium for texture in art pieces. It's expensive to buy. Plus, I love to find ways to do my arts & crafts with DIY supplies. Makes the whole process more rewarding. And I like that I know I did it DIY!!! Thank you for video. I see a trip to Dollar Tree in my future!!! Austin,TX USA

[@ambercrow5451]

Heck yeah! You just saved me some money because I was just shopping for that style glass but now I'll just make it. Thank you thank you!!! ❤️

[@Art.0606]

Would microwaving the marbles work?

[@DebyatMixedMediaArts]

I understand that microwaves work by vibrating the sugar, water and fat molucles in the food, and as glass doesnt have any other those things, I don't think it would work. But by all means try and let us know how you get on

[@sab_1055]

IDK. Sounds sketchy to me.@@DebyatMixedMediaArts

[@ftumi]

It heats from the inside out, also. It vibrates from the water content in the food that's why they say to add water to your food to reheat in microwave etc

[@brendawhaley7094]

ur sound went dow so low couldnt hear u

[@therealityartist9057]

Well I never thought of doing that before because I spent hours and hours trying to smash them up inside a big cardboard box with a small part of the box cut out just big enough to swing the hammer through witch was not easy thing to do and they are seriously very hard and tough to break up in small pieces believe me there were bits of glass flying everywhere outside of the box I made to catch most of the glass and it really helped as well

[@ileanalopez8035]

My glass losses color when I heat then up

[@ftumi]

Some beads are just painted . I noticed this when I put some in water, as a vase filler (got sick) didn't empty it right away, and they looked like they were cracked