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The Shortlist...
Can Stained Glass Be Painted?
When you look at a church or house with stained glass windows, you’re seeing glass that has pigment baked into it. Glassmakers apply a special paint to the surface and bake it at an extremely high temperature (~1,100 degrees) to change the color of the glass. This is why we see 500-year-old churches that still have the same stained glass in their windows.
But, there are also consumer-grade paints that you can buy and use to make your own stained glass. While they aren’t as permanent as the special pigments that pros use, they look pretty good. And, you don’t need a high-powered oven to apply them.
What Kind of Paint is Used on Glass?
You can buy stained glass paint at most arts-and-craft stores. Michael’s, AC Moore, and JoAnn Fabrics all carry a variety of different glass paints.
Or, you can also order some on Amazon. By buying it online, you can usually get a discount.
Here are a few good stained glass paint sets that you can purchase on the internet:
Pebeo Vitrail Stained Glass Paints: Pebeo Vitrail makes stained glass paints that you can bake in a conventional home oven. All you have to do is apply it, pop the glass in the oven, and enjoy your very own stained glass pieces. This paint comes in a set of six 20 ml bottles.
Buy Pebeo Vitrail Paints on Amazon.com
Gallery Glass Kit: Gallery Glass specializes in stained glass paints. Their pigments make a window look just like real stained glass. This kit comes with 18 different colors.
Buy Gallery Glass on Amazon.com
Folk Art Multi-Surface Paint Kit: The team over at Folk Art Products has created a paint that can be applied to any surface, including glass. By diluting the pigment with a bit of water, you can create your own stained glass pieces. It doesn’t look as authentic as some of the products listed above, but it’s a bit easier to apply and way easier to clean.
Buy Folk Art Multi-Surface Paint on Amazon.com
How to Remove Paint Stains from Glass?
If you want to use stained glass paint on a preexisting window, you may have to start by removing paint from the glass. Otherwise, your stained glass paint won’t sit well on the surface.
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to remove paint stains from a sheet of glass.
Here’s how you do it:
Step #1: Gather your materials. You’ll need the following items:
Step #2: Lay the glass on a clean, flat surface.
Step #3: Mix the hot water and dish soap. I recommend a 50/50 mixture.
Step #4: Use your facecloth to apply water/soap to the glass. Don’t apply any pressure. Allow your mixture to sit on the glass.
Step #5: Use your razor blade to gently scrape the paint off the glass. Apply as little pressure as possible to avoid scratching the glass. Take your time.
Step #6: Once you’ve removed all of the paint, rinse the glass off and dry it with a towel.
Step #7: Repeat this step on the other side of the glass if necessary.
Step #8: After you’ve removed the paint stains from both sides, clean the glass with Windex. Use newspaper to wipe the Windex off the surface (not a towel!) as this helps to prevent smudging.
Can You Paint on Glass?
Yes. There’s a range of different techniques and products you can use to paint on glass. Stained glass is only one example.
Have you ever seen a car with marker-writing on the back window (“Class of 2019!”, “Go Chiefs!”, etc)?
Well, that type of paint is actually made from chalk. This is a water-soluble material, so it’s very easy to remove. Window markers are cheap, too (You can buy them for a few dollars each on Amazon.com).
Chalk paint is also sold in traditional bucket form. That way, you can apply it to glass using a brush. There are a number of different paint brands that make beautiful chalk paints in gorgeous colors.
Check out the chalk paint selection on Amazon.com
One of the most popular uses of chalk paint is for wine glasses. Over the past few years, chalk-painted wine glasses have become a popular trend. They’re particularly popular at weddings, baby showers, and other pastel-themed events.
Oftentimes, people like to paint their own glasses for their party. It’s a fun thing to do and it looks easy.
But, it’s not always as easy as it seems. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you might leave streaks or cracks in the paint.
So, if you’ve been trying to paint glasses but keep leaving streaks, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Tip #1: Clean the glass with isopropyl alcohol. Apply it to the glass and allow it to dry for an hour or two. This removes all of the dirt and dust from the surface.
Tip #2: Use a fine-tipped brush. Don’t try to paint the glass with a huge brush. It takes longer but allows you to fill in the streaky spaces as you go.
Tip #3: Wait 30 minutes in between layers. Typically, glasses require 2-3 layers. If the paint doesn’t dry before the next coat, you’ll drag it and cause streaking.
More Articles About Stained Glass Paint
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