how to install glass into 3" and 5" ornament boxes

  Rose does not recommend silicon because it can be stringy when applied.  She uses Aileen's Tacky Glue, which is what she uses to glue the glass into the bezel.  She squeezes some Tacky Glue onto a plastic lid, then uses a toothpick to carefully apply the glue to the round ledge in the ornament box.  She puts a small amount of glue onto one end of the toothpick, then rotates the toothpick as she drags it along the glass ledge.  Rotating the toothpick helps get the glue off of the toothpick and onto the glass ledge in an even manner.  Each time you do this you'll get about 3/8" to 1/2" of coverage.  She does it this way instead of trying to apply the glue directly from the bottle to avoid overloading the glass ledge with glue.  Too much glue and it will ooze and make a mess when you install the glass.  You can imagine that would be a bad problem to have once you've already completed your artwork.  

Once the glue is applied around the entire glass ledge, set the bezel that holds the glass onto the glass ledge and rotate the glass first one direction and then back again. You only need to rotate it about 1/2 inch, just enough to assure that the glue is touching the entire circumference of the bezel.  Aileen's Tacky Glue is very strong, so a little bit is plenty to hold the glass in place.  The reason for covering the entire glass ledge with glue is to create an airtight seal against dust and moisture.  The glue remains flexible after it cures (takes about 24 hours), so it can handle any differences in expansion or contraction between the wood and the glass.  That's why we don't recommend any sort of glue that is not flexible after it cures.