Using Scrap Dichroic Glass to Make Donut Shape Pendants

This is a beginner's guide to making some-what simplistic donut shaped pieces of dichroic glass. The shape and size of the donut made is ideal for making pendants and necklaces, but could be sized differently using the same method for smaller items, such as for earrings.

For those who don't know, making a fused dichroic donut pendant is a great way to use up the leftover scrap pieces of dichroic and other pieces of glass.

Anyone can create these necklace pendants from a ton of different types of scrap glass. There isn't really a template for this type of design; it is very much left up to whatever you come up with.

Most will notice from looking at photos, start with a solid color, such as green for fusing the base, from which you can go ahead and place dichroic pieces laid on top. Choose your colors carefully as these two pieces will then fuse together.

Try laying out the base using different angles to accomplish making a variety of different shapes. You can use different shapes of dichroic glass as themes for future designs.

Keep in mind that you don't always have to use dichroic. Artists can use many types of small pieces of fusible glass, just keep the COE in mind.

Once you made all of your cuts and laid the glass out in your design, make sure everything is cleaned and dried properly. Next step is to load it onto a primed kiln shelf, keep in mind you can use shelf paper instead.

Put the shelf into the kiln and allow your kiln to vent; if using shelf paper, gradually bring the temperature up to around 1000 F until the binders have burnt off.

Close the vent, take the temperature up to around 1450 to 1550 F. Wearing your dark kiln safety glasses check the fusing process to ensure the glass doesn't over fire.

Once you are happy with the fusing process, turn the kiln off and allow it to cool down to room temperature.

The pendant can be finished off by gluing a bail to the back of it or use a leather thong to suspend the pendant around your neck.

Experiment with colored fusing glass and fuse different designs, the combinations and shapes are virtually endless.