Last week, my car was broken into and my GPS was stolen.
It was quite the shock as I walked outside my house with Little Bug and was greeted with a sidewalk full of broken glass.
It shouldn’t surprise me – as we DO live in Detroit.
In fact, I usually wake up every day and look outside at our cars to make sure they’re still there!
After calling insurance and getting Little Bug secured with a movie in the car (thank GOODNESS they didn’t take our portable DVD player!), I started to clean the glass out of the driver’s seat.
I started to realize how beautiful the pieces of broken glass were.
Many of them were still in large chunks.
I knew I had to collect as many pieces as I could to create something with it later.
A few days later I had turned the shards of glass into this beautiful stained glass window!
It was really simple to do.
Using some clear craft glue, I simply glued the pieces to the back of the glass until the whole thing was full!
The frame is actually an “as is” cabinet door from IKEA.
(Remember this cabinet door redo here?)
I love how it looks like rain on a window up close.
That night my husband came home and told me about a Bible verse he was reminded of that day:
Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in a steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I thought that verse was so appropriate for what had happened to my car and my GPS that day.
I wanted to display the stained glass broken glass window even more now -
to remind myself not to store up treasures on earth that won’t last anyway.
I just can’t decide if I should display it down low…
… or up high?
What do you think?
You all had such GREAT suggestions for Lady Bug’s wardrobe, thanks!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, you are such an inspiring lady! What a beautiful way to take a bad situation and turn it around. I love your window, and I think it looks better at the bottom.
What a great way to a bad thing into good. I like it better displayed at the bottom. At the top it kinda gets lost in the frame and curtains…
You are my idol! I love that you took a crappy situation and found a way to craft. You truly have the crafters heart. Seriously. And it turned out so pretty!
Wow, Becky. You are lucky they didn't take the DVD player as well. You've got some picky theifs up there.
I think you should keep the broken window down low. I wonder if there's a way to add some color or pattern? It blends in with the window so well it's hard to tell what it is…
What a beautiful testament for turning something bad into something beautiful!
What a great reminder of where our treasure is. And also a great reminder of how God was watching over you and your family when it was only your car broken into and not your home while you were in it. I like it better at the bottom too, but I could see if you glued some pretty ribbon to the top of the frame and hung it from the middle bar in the winder, it would be showcased even better. Just an idea though, I really like it where you have it in your photos.
I'm so inspired by the way you turned something negative into such a beautiful craft! amazing!
Can you hang it from a wide ribbon so that it falls below the window sash?
Love the look of that window. I'd say screw some eyes into the top and hung it in the center of the bottom window pane.
Wow that's amazing! Very creative and beautiful! Next time i bring my car to the auto body repair (Dallas' car district is the best, by the way) I'm gonna ask if i can take the broken glasses and mirrors back home – i just hope I don't crash my car again haha. Or maybe I'll ask a cousin who owns his own shop for collision repair (Plano, TX this time) for left-over broken glasses and mirrors. They make similar displays but not as gorgeous as yours!
So pretty and creative! I just happen to always have a ton of broken auto glass laying around (my husband has an interesting job…don't ask. He's not a thief tho
…do you remember what kind of glue you used? I'd love to make one!
Very creative. I might have swept it all up into the garbage. Thanks for sharing this great idea! Great job! ~Pepper