I don't know about you but whenever I think of stained glass windows the first (and pretty much the only) thing that comes to mind is a church. There is a
possibility, however, to turn this traditional look into something modern.
How?
With vector designs. If you are not sure what this is just Google
vector art or vector design under images, cool huh? You can also use
deviantart.com as a resource to find a design you like, make sure
though that the person is OK with their art being used and reused,
most users on deviant art will have "rules" about using
their work. Most times you can use it but not for commercial purposes
such as reselling it.
Need:
Clear contact paper you can buy it at the local hardware store or online cheap
- Print out of the design you want to use for the project
- Scissors and/or Stanley knife, it costs a couple bucks at most stores
- Glass Paints
(these come in both opaque and transparent colors, you should choose
according to the design you are working with)
- Paint brushes
- Black permanent marker (thickness
according to need)
- Clear gloss spray paint (runs a few of bucks at the hardware store)
How to:
- Print out the design that you want to use for the project.
- Cut out the clear contact paper ( make
sure it has a clear backing too so you can place it over the design
and see through it).
- Place it on top of the design print out (adhesive side down but do not remove the backing!)
making sure you align it properly.
- Now, remember when you were a kid and you traced pictures onto the paper? This is exactly what you will do. One way is to trace the outlines with the
black permanent marker and then paint the insides, or you can do the
outlining with opaque paints and the rest with the translucent ones.
Either way first do the outlines of the design and let it dry off
completely, this takes about 4 hours more or less, you are welcome to
blow dry it to speed up the process.
- Filling in the design will take some precision and patience. You will not need a lot of paint as the contact paper wont absorb it, so take care not to
put on too much onto the brush and to have only one layer of paint
everywhere. You want to make one way even strokes otherwise it will
look messy, streaky and blotchy.
- Let this dry, do not lift up vertically until it is completely dried otherwise some runnage might happen, after spray on a coat of clear gloss spray
paint.
- Once the spray paint is dry you are ready
to carefully put it up onto the window glass.
There you go now you have a unique and beautiful (but faux..shh!) stained
glass window, for just a fraction of the price
too!
Tips:
- Another option for a
textured look of the outline is instead of using regular paint or
markers is to use heavy dimensional fabric paint.
- Have someone help you when applying the film onto the window, don't
take all of the backing off at once start with a corner, align it and
stick it on then slowly pull the backing while adhering the rest of
the film to the window, this minimizes chances of any air bubbles or
wrinkles.
