Mosaic Stained Glass Window
Introduction: Mosaic Stained Glass Window
I'm celebrating all the colors of the rainbow with this mosaic stained glass window! I used red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to create an abstract floral mosaic window using scrap stained glass.
I made these windows to put in front of a window at the end of a dark hallway. Nothing beats colorful light and these turned out way better than I hoped for.
Step 1: The Windows
The windows have three parts to them:
Frame- 20x23mm
Front-15x45mm
Sash-20x20mm
The window pane sits in the frame against the front and is held in by the sash.
Step 2: The Glass Pane
I had two panes of 3mm tempered glass cut to fit in the frames. The permissible weight load for glass shelves is based on thickness of the glass, the square footage of the glass, and the span between supports. I used these calculations to figure out if the glass panes can hold the load of the stained glass.
Here's the calculator: https://www.dullesglassandmirror.com/glass-weight...
It's better to paint the windows, before you put in the glass or at least paint the areas touching the glass. After painting everything, I put in the glass panes, caulked all around the inside and attached the sash with screws.
Step 3: Gluing on the Stained Glass.
I used masking tape to make guide lines on the backs of the windows and then did the designs freehand. You can also use adult coloring book pictures or printouts of mosaic designs.
For glue,I recommend something designed to "bond" glass to glass. For example: superglue, epoxy or silicone. Elmers glue is popular, but it is a PVA glue and it'll "stick" glass to glass, but it's Ideal for just basic crafting.
I used CEMEDINE Super-X Gold super glue. It's a super strong, fast setting and a curing all-purpose adhesive. It sets so fast, it's almost too difficult to work with.
Leave enough space for grout. You don't want any of the glass touching or too much space between the pieces.
Step 4: The Grout Work
You will grout just like you would tile. It is tad more difficult, especially if the stained glass is different thicknesses. 74
You'll find the sponge getting caught up on jagged corners.
To grout
-Mix the grout according to the instructions on the bag. Premixed grout is available too.
-The tool used to apply grout is called a 'float'. Just sweep the float at a 90degree angle back and forth, removing excess grout. I've made a few of these and find it easier to use my hands.
-Wait a few minutes while the grout begins to harden. The times should be in the instructions on the bag.
-Carefully wipe the tiles in a circular motion with a damp sponge and be careful not to drag out any of the grout from the corners of the tiles.
-Once the grout has hardened, the tiles will be left with a slight haze on them. Clean it up by going over the area lightly with a damp cloth, then buff immediately with a dry cloth.
*Scrap glass is often jagged and some types have designs etched in. The grout will harden in these areas if you don't clean it before it sets. If the grout dries, it's tough to clean. I missed some spots and used awls, precision straight edge screwdrivers and nail polish remover to clean the dried grout out. It sucks!
Step 5: Tips
*If you want the back of the window to look nice too:
-Use a clear glue
-The backs of each piece of glass, needs to be covered in glue and in contact with the glass pane. Spot gluing will be noticeable and the spaces without glue will standout.
-If you don't like how the back looks, apply frosted privacy film.
*You can darken grout with acrylic tube paint. Just dilute it with a little water and paint the grout. The grout will soak in the color.
*You can also caulk or use paper clay instead of grouting.
*Cover the front of the window with painters tape, to protect it from grout stains.
*Paint the inside edge of the window the same color as the grout for a nice clean look.
Step 6: Finished!
I hung them inside the window frame in front of the hallway window.
It looks awesome! 320