A guide to Long Island beach glass

I love living on Long Island—we’ve got the best of all worlds: the city and the sea. One of the best parts of living on an island are the possibilities when it comes to summer-season crafts. We have free, unending access to seashells, driftwood, and, my favorite: beach glass. In this article, we’ll explore the awesome world of beach glass, including what to look for and crafting possibilities.

But first, it’s important to know where to go to find the best beach glass. And the truth is, you can find it absolutely everywhere. Any beach you go to, whether by the ocean or by the bay, will have beach glass on its shores. Picking it up is doing two things at once: it’s giving you something to collect and craft with, and at the same time, it’s helping our environment and our sea creatures by removing it.

“When you go all the way out to the parts of the beach that nobody really goes to—that’s when you’ll find all the best stuff; all the really old pieces that have been tumbling around for a long time,” said Melissa Alford, who was cruising local beaches for her beach glass crafting supply.

What to look for:

• Pieces with smooth edges. The longer they’ve been in the sand and water, the smoother they’ll be. Tip: You can also pick up less-smooth pieces and put them in a rock tumbler with some sand. These machines cost between $50 and $150 online.
• Beach glass will usually be found in three colors: white, green and brown. When you find purples, pinks and blues—those are the truly unique pieces most crafters enjoy the most.
• Finding beach glass with bumps, ripples and other patterns is a real treat.

How to use beach glass:

Jewelry. Wrap beach glass in wire to make unique earrings and necklaces. Use rope, leather, or chain to make long pendant necklaces.

Mosaics. Put the pieces together like a puzzle to create a truly unique creation. For example, Alford and her daughter created a mosaic with the first letter of their last name. They traced the letter onto a piece of canvas and then glued pieces of beach glass, according to Alford.

Wall hangings and wind chimes. Incorporate shells and driftwood to make a truly unique piece.

Wall art: Use the beach glass to create shapes and pictures, like flowers, mushrooms and animals.

For Alford and her daughter, variety is the key.

“We’re not choosy. We pick up anything that we find. We really like the dark blues and pinkish purples, and we absolutely love the textures, like when you find a piece of beach glass with waves and bumps. That’s the best,” she said.