DIY Stained Glass Decorations For Christmas

DIY Stained Glass Decorations For Christmas

If you’re looking for a great ‘snowed in’ project – this is it! It’s a simple way to create DIY stained glass decorations for Christmas (or for any other time of year!). And the good news is, with adult supervision, this craft project can be kept kid-friendly.

What You Need:

• ·         Picture Frame With Glass
• ·         Pattern in the same size as the frame/glass you have (you can create this yourself or use a page from a coloring book) [Simple patterns are easier to work with]
• ·         Bottle of White Glue
• ·         Small Rod for Stirring
• ·         Bottle of Clear Glue
• ·         Black Sharpie Pen
• ·         Black Acrylic Paint
• ·         Muffin Pan or Small Containers
• ·         Acrylic Paints in Various Colors
• ·         Super Glue
• ·         Craft Blade
• ·         Acrylic Spray Sealant
• ·         Paintbrushes
• ·         Toothpicks

The Process:

Take the frame a part and lay the glass over your pattern. You will be using the white glue to create the black ‘leaded’ outlines in the pattern. With that in mind it is a good idea to dump out a small amount of the glue to make room for a little black acrylic paint. The goal is to turn the white glue into a solid black – it won’t take much – start with about a teaspoon – stir with a small rod.

Use a steady hand and follow the pattern outlines to create the pattern on the glass with the black glue. Make the lines thick. After you are satisfied with your pattern you should allow the glass to dry overnight.

The next day you can use the craft blade to ‘clean up’ any places that stand out as obvious mistakes on your pattern.

Now you are ready to fill in the colors of the pattern. For this you should mix small amounts of clear glue to the acrylic paints. This will help give your project the lustrous look stained glass is recognized for. You can play with the mixture but for starters, try about a tablespoon of glue mixed with 2 drops of paint. A muffin pan works great for mixing the glue and paint.

When painting the pattern be sure to completely fill in the spaces – that is, go all the way up to the black lines and don’t be afraid to add a thick coat of paint. You can experiment with colors and with transitioning from darker colors into lighter ones.

Toothpicks can be used to pop any air bubbles that develop. When you are happy with the look of your stained glass project you should again, allow it to dry overnight.

The next day you can use the Black Sharpie Pen to do any necessary ‘touch up’ work on the ‘lead piping’. The frame can be painted to accent the stained glass. When that has completely dried the glass should be Super Glued back into the frame. Finish the project off with a coat of clear acrylic spray sealant - that will help protect your stained glass.

Debbie Allen is a team member at Package From Santa. She likes sharing information about holiday traditions and ideas.