DIY Stained Glass!
Introduction: DIY Stained Glass!
Today I'll be telling you how to make your own DIY stained glass for cheap! The total cost for me was under $20, but if you already have glue at home, it'll probably cost you less than $15. This is such a fun and easy project, you could do it by yourself, with your kids, or as a party! Best of all, you can be super creative and make any design you want. I'll be using a Beauty and the Beast rose inspired design that I drew, but you can draw your own or find a design you like in a coloring book.
Have fun!
Supplies
- Picture frame that comes with a glass pane.
- Clear glue
- White glue
- Black acrylic paint
- Other acrylic paints in any colors of your choice.
- Popsicle sticks
- Paint brush
- Reference sheet; you can draw your own or use something you find in a coloring book.
Optional:
- Glossy mod podge
Step 1: Prepping the Glass
Take the glass pane out of the frame and clean it with a wipe to get all of the dust and oil off. Even if you get a few scratches here and there, it won't be noticeable in the end, so don't worry too much about it.
Place the reference sheet under the glass. You can tape it down if you would like to. The reference I'm using is one I drew based off of a Beauty and the Beast rose pin.
Step 2: Paint the Lines
Mix the white glue and black acrylic paint together. The exact ratio doesn't matter too much, but I mixed approximately 70% glue and 30% paint.
Once you create the mixture, use a thin paintbrush and paint on the glass, following the lines of your reference. I recommend starting from the top left and making your way down and to the right to avoid smudging lines (or, if you're left handed start the top right and make your way down and to the left). 74
Once the lines are done, wait 1-2 hours just to be safe.
Step 3: Add Color!
Once your lines are dried, mix the clear glue and acrylic paint together. The ratio will depend on the paint itself, but you want to make sure that when painted on thick, the mixture is translucent but still show color well. In order to find the right shade, I added a little bit of paint at a time, paint on a little to the glass, then hold it up to the lights to see if you like the opacity. Also, if you were wondering if metallic paints work, they do! I used gold for the base of the glass dome.
Although it depends on what your reference is, I recommend to sticking to less than 10 colors and different shades in each one.
Unlike the lines, with the colors, you should start with the main focal point of your stained glass. With the secondary colors, you can choose colors that will work with the main ones, rather than the other way around.
Step 4: Optional: Add a Mod Podge Seal
This is completely optional, but I added a final coat of mod podge over everything. I think this added the final touch that truly makes it look like stained glass. It's a little hard to tell from the photo, but I promise it does!
Step 5: Voila! You're Done!
Once you put your glass pane into the frame, you're done! Congrats! Put it up against some light, and it'll look beautiful. There's no limit to what you can do with this project. You can do it on a larger glass frame or even do it on your smaller windows! 1013