Professional stained glass is very expensive. You can save a lot of money by decorating the glass yourself. There are many techniques for applying color to glass, and some of them are easy to repeat. A homemade stained glass window will be very similar to a real one, if you do not look closely at it. The HouseChief editors will tell you about the secrets of creating stained glass using film or filling, as well as about the features of the Tiffany technique.
Read in the article
- 1 Film stained glass and features of its application
- 2 Imitation of a stained-glass window using a fill
- 3 Tiffany stained glass
- 4 Facet stained glass
- 5 Fusion
- 6 DIY metal binding of stained glass
- 7 Conclusion
Film stained glass and features of its application
Film imitation stained glass is a false stained glass, and it is he who is the easiest to apply. The main advantage is that the pattern fits perfectly both on a smooth transparent surface and on milky or frosted glass.
The reverse side of the "stained-glass window" will remain without a pattern.
To make the self-adhesive lay flat, pre-treat the surface with a special degreasing agent. You can dilute dish detergent in water and wipe the glass with the resulting mixture. If bubbles form after gluing the film, pierce them with a thin needle - after 1-2 days there will be no trace of it.
When applying the film, remember that you are applying a kind of application. To make the picture more voluminous, use additional tin tape, which will frame the picture.
Imitation of a stained-glass window using a fill
If you want to get a better and sharper image on the front side of the stained glass, use the fill method. From the seamy side, the product will look like an ordinary craft, but from the front side, a spectacular beautiful pattern will open.
Take your time to apply paint to glass, work on other surfaces and see how it lays down.
If filled correctly, a meniscus will appear. The stained-glass window acquires new bright colors due to the rays falling on it. However, make sure that the border turns out to be even, without creases and curved sections. First of all, lay out the form on the glass, which will be filled with paint in the future. The best choice for painting stained glass is a special paint in tubes, for example, Gallery Glass.
For work you will need:
- cardboard or a sheet of paper the same size as the glass;
- well-defined drawing printed on paper;
- dye.
At first glance, the blank may look like an ordinary children's coloring book - you place numbers on different elements of the picture in order to paint them in the correct color in the future.
Even if you do not know how to draw, you will be able to cope with decorating a mirror using the vintage technique. All that is required is to transfer the drawing from the sheet to the mirror and paint over.
Despite the fact that the stained glass window is just an imitation, with due diligence, you can get a truly beautiful pattern on the glass, which will look very dignified and will decorate the interior.
The process of pouring a stained-glass window is quite long. Follow one step after another to avoid making mistakes. First, develop a sketch and outline the outlines, then transfer the image to the base. Using special stained glass varnishes and paints, you can make the picture more voluminous and beautiful.
Be sure to wait until the glass is completely dry before further use.
Tiffany stained glass
If the option with imitation of stained glass does not suit you, then you can use the Tiffany technique - this is a full-fledged process of creating an image on glass using glass smalts. However, there is still a difference from the classic version. The task is simplified due to the fact that the binding is formed from metal foil, rather than cast grooves. In the Middle Ages, they did not know how to make such foil, but today it is available to everyone, and most importantly, with its help it is much easier to get the desired picture.
To get started, you need:
- glass edge processing equipment;
- roller glass cutter;
- durable cutting pliers;
- soldering iron;
- backlit table;
- black thin felt-tip pen;
- glasses to protect the eyes from glass filings.
In the first step, cut the edges of the glass with a glass cutter. Pay attention to the corners and make sure that there are no uneven cuts. Only after the workpiece will fully fit the size of the window frame, start creating the picture.
Facet stained glass
This type of stained glass is most often used by experienced craftsmen when creating expensive items, so it is a sign of great wealth and a prestigious interior. It is extremely difficult to make it yourself, so be sure to practice on other pieces of glass before starting work.
Most likely, you will not be able to repeat someone's work 100%, since this requires not only skill, but also special tools. You can only choose a convenient way of copying this technique.
A facet is a wide, insulated bevel on a glass plate. In order to obtain a beautiful diamond facet, it is necessary to adjust the bevel angle as accurately as possible, taking into account all the optical features of the glass.
You can create a high-quality imitation of beveled stained glass using a UV lamp. To get a beautiful stained glass composition, make several parts separately using special paints, and then hand-cut them. The glass will look very voluminous and bright.
Fusion
Since fusing stained glass, like faceted, is made under certain conditions (in particular, when working with temperatures up to +3000 ° C), it is impossible to repeat it at home. You can only copy the drawing technique and create a beautiful high-quality imitation.
The first step in creating such a stained glass window is to think over the concept of the drawing. This should be a central composition and a beautiful frame.
You can buy a ready-made film with a pattern you like at a hardware store or apply a pattern to glass yourself. Since it is impossible to get colored glasses of the required size, you can only paint them with special paints.
To make the imitation look good, use foil borders that are glued around the edges of the picture to give it volume. This technique will not work for window decoration, since the drawing will be one-sided, but you can place the glass in a frame or use it to decorate interior doors.
DIY metal binding of stained glass
Each original stained glass window has a beautiful metal binding. If you want your DIY stained glass imitation to look more like the original, make a binding from scrap materials.
Binding imitation options:
- lining of "seams" with copper wire, set on porcelain glue. First, apply the base for the future drawing, and only then proceed to create a general composition;
- use a special tape for artists - it holds its shape well and allows you to form sides of a small height;
- You can also make your own plate by mixing 50 ml of porcelain glue, 40 ml of aluminum powder and 30 ml of black ink. Lay out the binding immediately, without waiting for the mass to dry.
The main task is not to create a new work of art, but to copy a beautiful stained glass window as accurately as possible using the materials that are available.
Conclusion
If you are doing needlework, then use the materials that you already have: metal wire, paints, pieces of painted glass. For beginners, the easiest option is to purchase everything you need in creative stores. Take a little time to familiarize yourself with the chosen technique of creating a stained-glass window, and only when you get your hands on it, start creating the main composition.
What technique did you like the most? Do you know simple methods to simulate Tiffany or beveled stained glass?