It is even rarer to find one with the netting still on it as the salt water would usually deteriorate the rope.īecause of this these sea glass balls are considered vintage. They commonly washed up on shore after storms in the 1950’s-1970’s, however, it is more rare to find them nowadays. The glass buoys were made until around 1970 when they started being replaced by plastic or aluminum floats.

However you can find them in various other colors too. That is because the fishing floats were made from recycled glass. The most common colors found are aqua, blue and green. They are found in the ocean because the fishermen would cut the glass balls free since their netting and catch was more profitable. That is why they are commonly referred to as Japanese fishing floats. Japan produced the majority of the glass floats that are found washed up on the shores of the west coast of the US. In 1910, they became popular in Japan when they had a booming fishing industry. The fishing floats were used by fisherman initially in Norway, as early as 1840, as glass buoys to hold up their fishing nets. When I first saw them, I just thought of them as cool nautical décor, glass balls with netting tied around them, right? But little did I know, they actually served a purpose. If you are wondering what the heck these glass fishing floats are, you are not alone. They all revolve around this same beachy-coastal theme though so I bet you can guess what my summer mantel theme is. I know I promised a summer mantel last week but that will have to wait, because I have a couple crafts to share with you first. I did not get around to it then and I guess I have not decorated with a coastal theme since then, so I did not have a reason to make some. This is a project that I have been wanting to do for some time! Ever since I made this sea glass rope lantern, I have wanted to make some faux glass fishing floats to go along with it. Leave them unadorned or tie some netting around them for an added nautical look! Learn how to make your own faux vintage glass fishing floats to use as beautiful coastal décor.

Lantern fish coloring page