Terra's Lair

Here's an easy way to give your windows a stained glass look. The effect you get (click on the link to YouTube for video):

http://youtu.be/UGP4VnyKxxY



Here's a picture:

Basically this is a thin, old, white sheet painted with thinned acrylic paint. There is a light shining behind it to give it illumination. If you live in a cold climate where you might get some condensation on the windows, you may want to give the painted sheet a plastic backing so the paint won't leech onto the window frames.

You will need:
Several colors of acrylic paint including dark gray
1 1/2 inch angle brush
Small brush (about 3/4 inch)
Old, thin, white sheet
Plastic sheeting
Glue gun
Sharpie
Yard stick
Interesting shape (I used a French curve)

Cut Shape of Window: Cut out the sheet to be about 3-4 inches bigger than the window.

Design Glass Style: Find an interesting shape that you could trace out over and over again. I picked a French curve. Do the perimeter of the window. Be sure to mirror the design with the left and the right side.

Diamond Tiles: For the inside of the window, take your yardstick and trace out a diagonal line. Then repeat the next line 3 inches apart. Continue until you fill in the space. Then do the opposite diagonal line. This will give you those diamond tiles you see in a lot of stained glass.

Paint Glass: In a jar or cup, mix in a lot of water with your paint. Then start to randomly paint in the shapes. See how in the first picture the paint bleeds into the next square? That is good, it actually helps give it that authentic stained-glass look. Don't be too careful filling the whole square in. The paint should bleed in and fill the square. You actually want that mottled uneven look. If it leaves white spots after a few minutes, do touch it up though.

Leading: For the leading, mix in less water with dark gray paint and using your smaller brush, paint in the lines to give the illusion of leading.

Plastic Cover: (If needed) Lay out the plastic sheeting and glue it to the sheet in sections. Be sure to keep the sheet as taut as you can.

Hang and Light: Hang in your window and be sure there is good illumination from behind. I have a flood light behind this window.


Thanks for reading