How To Make a Glass Garden Totem

This is a simple but beautiful project.
Rated -- Easy for beginners.

Materials List



• 2 glass plates, equal sized or different sizes (your choice)
• 1 glass flower vase
• 1 ceramic tea pot or other decorative topper
• 1 ¼” X 2” wood screw and a flat washer
• 1 wooden stake (the stand of the totem)


Tools List



• 1 tube of glue for glass (optional)
• 1 1/4” or 5/16” diamond core bit
• 1 drill, drill press or rotary tool (such as Dremel)
• 1 hammer to pound the stake/stem in the ground


This glass garden totem is a good project for beginners. It’s easy to make. One hole in the center of the plates, vase and totem topper. That’s it! One screw holds the entire totem in place and on the stand.

Let’s get started.

You’ll find glass plates, ceramic plates and glass flower vases at garage sales, flea markets, dollar stores and local thrift shops. We found ours at a local thrift store. We chose a pretty tea pot with a blue and yellow, tea shop motif as our garden topper. This would have been especially attractive if we had been lucky enough to find matching cups and saucer to use as a teacup bird feeder. No luck this time but it’s an idea for next time.

Overall size, number of pieces and color combinations are up to you, the artist. There is no right or wrong combination

Layer your pieces in an appealing color combination. Be creative. Decorate with beads, paint or stencils. This is your creation.

Drill a 5/16” or 3/8” hole through the center of the plates, vase and totem topper. A diamond core bit works best. You’ll need a hole large enough for the wood screw.

When drilling with small diamond core bits remember to:


• Use a slow drill speed of 1500-2500 RPM
• Use light drill pressure
• Keep the drill bit and the glass wet


For more drilling tips, visit the "How To Drill Glass" page on our website and download your free copy of the Glass Drilling Guide.

For this project, drill each piece individually then glue them together.

The bottom piece of the totem is an inexpensive glass flower vase, turned upside down. Drill a hole through the center of each piece. Carefully line them up and drop the screw through the holes to make sure that the holes are aligned. Decorate each piece then glue them together, again dropping the screw through the holes to make sure of the alignment. After glue and paints dry, then glue the pieces together. If you use a teapot as the topper, do not glue the top on the pot yet.

At the thrift store we found a bundle of stairway balusters to use a garden stakes/stands and painted them white.

Use a clear or white caulk to fill the spout of the teapot. Let it dry. This prevents the pot from filling with rainwater.

Hammer the stake/stand into the ground. Place the wood screw through the washer and totem. Screw it into the top of the stake/stand. Glue the lid on the teapot.

You’re done!!!