• Materials Needed:
  • Art Glass, Frit, Stringer, Dichroic Glass as desired
  • Nite Lite & Nite Lite Collar
  • E6000 (Glue)
  • Prepared Kiln Shelf

Once you have decided what color you want the nite lite to be, cut a blank that is 3 1/2" x 2 1/2". Remember that you want the light to shine thru the glass so select a transparent color. This blank will be the main body of the nite lite and will be the canvas to which you add your decorations.

For this project we are going to tack fuse our glass so keep that in mind when you add your decorations. Later you may choose to full fuse your pieces but they will take longer due to the size of the piece. Tack fusing is quicker and less involved because it is only one layer of glass.

Using frit, dichroic glass, stringer and/or copper punch outs, decorate your nitelite however you choose. Remember to build your piece ON the kiln shelf so you don't run the risk of messing it up when you move it. If you use copper foil shapes, the light will shine thru any holes in the shapes and around them so they will seem to hang in the light.

Place the kiln shelf, with your piece on it, in your kiln. Because this is only one layer we can go to tack fuse temp at full speed. In the Paragon SC2 this is SPD5. In this kiln, which full fused at 1490, I tack fuse at 1400 and hold it for 15 minutes. The finished piece will have texture but no no sharp edges. Don't take it out until the kiln temp is under 300. If the back edges are rough use a metal file to smooth them off a bit. I run the file over these edges at a 45 degree angle and push away from myself. A few strokes should do the trick.

Once you piece has cooled, put some E6000 (see how to use E6000 article)on the metal bracket that will attach to the nite lite and place it on the center of the bottom of your glass. Put the glass face down on your work surface with the bracket sitting on top of the glass. Make sure it is centered and not too low or it won't fit on the nite lite fixture itself. The bottom edge of the glue-able metal surface will line up with the bottom of the glass.

Let the piece site for 24 hours before trying to attach the bracket to the base. This is a bit tricky as you have to squeeze the ends and thread the nut onto the screw at the same time but, with patience, you'll get it. All that's left now is to plug in your nite lite and enjoy!