Blue Ice Wine Charm

This Blue Ice Wine Charm from Delphi Glass is so easy and fun to make!  Wine charm rings like this make great party favors for weddings and showers.  They're also a great way for guests to help remember which glass is theirs!

Materials:

• Assorted Moretti Glass Rods
• Silver or Gold Looped
• Earring Wires
• Embellishments
• Fireworks Beadmaking Kit
• Protective Eyewear
• MAPP Gas Cylinder
   

Instructions:

1. Hot Tip: Read and follow manufacturer’s instructions for all products used. Use photo as a guide when making project.
    
2. Begin by warming a glass rod in the flame. NOTE: Wear safety glasses. Starting 3"-4" from flame, gradually bring the tip of the glass towards the blue flame. Work glass in flame until a hot molten ball forms. In your second hand, warm your coated mandrel using the same procedure used to warm the glass rod.
   
   
   
   
3. When glass is molten and glowing, wrap evenly around heated mandrel. While rolling the mandrel away from you, drape glass on mandrel from the top down. Do not pull cool glass. Pulling glass may remove mandrel release resulting in residue inside your finished bead. Heat more glass as you roll. When sufficient glass is wrapped on mandrel, separate glass rod from bead by directing heat to the joint and pulling away.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Continuously roll the mandrel with your bead in the flame to shape adding glass until you are satisfied with the size and shape of the bead. Bead should not be larger than 10mm in diameter to prevent cracking during cooling. Using the smooth surface of the marver, briefly take the bead out of the flame and roll on marver surface to shape your base bead.
   
   
   
   
5. Holding the bead at an angle, roll against the marver edge to bevel the end. If glass becomes too hard to shape, return bead to the flame to soften glass.
    
6. Cool bead by removing it slowly from the flame and allowing the red glow to disappear, 10-15 seconds. Place bead and mandrel between the layers of the fiber blanket to cool for 60-90 minutes.
   
   
   
   
7. After bead has cooled, remove from mandrel. Hold the bead with the scrubber and turn the mandrel to loosen. The bead release residue will flake away as you slide the bead off. If the bead is difficult to remove, soak in water.
    
8. Create beads of assorted colors, so that each charm will vary in design. Thread glass beads on a silver, looped, earring wire. If desired, embellish further with seed pearls or gems. See photo for reference.