I have to tell you all that I have tried many different things and settled on the following because they look the best. First, I bought my blocks at Lowe's for about $4.25 a block. I bought them in cases of 8. Next, I purchased a diamond core drill bit online from a company called McGills for $15 (just Google diamond core drill bits).
I used a drill press at a slow pace. It took about 4 to 5 minutes a block. I also used a diamond bit lubricant that I sprayed on with a small spray bottle. Just a little bit will do it.
I then tried different alternatives with the lights. For outside light boxes, which I use as luminarias, set upright, I used regular mini sets of 50 that I bought for $.99. I tied the bows around the sides so the lights only show through the front and back. I sprayed both sides with frosted spray from Lowe's, by Rustoleum, a couple of coats and then set them at intervals down the driveway. Very nice effect.
For indoor ones, I used LED mini lights that I got from a friend who does that for a living, so it gave me a price break. I used pre-tied bows from Lowe's that were $1.99 each. That sort of offsets the LED lights' price. LEDs do not get warm and they use 80% less energy. I would look online for these. I also sprayed these with frosted spray. Oh yes, I forgot I bought some opaque glass spray paint in blue and green to spray stenciled phrases like, "Peace on Earth", etc. on the fronts of the frosted glass block, that I used for the luminarias.
By Gabriella
This page contains the following solutions.
I just made these blocks, I used a RotoZip tool with a masonry bit (used for tile work) to drill the hole.
When making glass block lights, I remove the icky wax-like substance by using a 4 inch razor blade in a "safety scraper". You can purchase this item and the refill blades for a low cost, along with the glass blocks at places like Lowe's.
This is a page about glass block Christmas decorations. Glass blocks can be made into beautiful Christmas decorations.
This is a page about buying pre-drilled glass blocks. Drilling a hole in a glass block can be a lot of work. Buying them pre-drilled can save you lot of time on your cat project.
This is a page about making a gymnastics themed glass block. A easily personalized gift for your favorite gymnast.
The addition of pictures and photos to a lighted glass block makes for great home decor projects. This is a page about putting pictures on lighted glass blocks.
This is a page about making an angel themed glass block. A unique holiday decoration can be fashioned using a glass block as a lighted base.
