DIY stained glass

Recommendation points

• Types of technologies for the manufacture of stained glass
• Production of flooded stained-glass windows
• Tiffany stained glass technology
• The simplest film stained-glass windows
• Conclusion

Real stained glass is expensive and is made by experienced craftsmen. There are several simple techniques for making stained glass at home. A window opening or a door with stained glass will add an authentic touch to the room. Stained glass looks expensive and, finally, it’s just beautiful.

There are some easy tricks for making stained glass at home. They will not require any unusual skill or large expenditures from you. A pencil sketch of the stained glass you like is applied to a drawing paper or tracing paper. This may be: animal silhouettes, geometric patterns, exotic birds or floral designs. Fragments of the sketch are marked with the desired color tone.

Types of technologies for the manufacture of stained glass

Stained glass can be used in the decoration of a wide variety of interior items. Glasses can be inserted into window frames, doors, ceilings, used as a partition screen or an apron in the kitchen. Sometimes decorated with a stained-glass mirror frame.

To create a stained glass window, you will need a palette of translucent and volumetric paints, markers for marking and sketches of the drawing on tracing paper. After the completion of the work, the bulk stained-glass window can be fixed with transparent varnish. After heat treatment, the stained glass window is made moisture resistant.

Tiffany stained glass is a little more difficult to make. From the materials you will need a set of colored glass and stained glass foil. If you have the skill in cutting glass and working with a soldering iron, then making a Tiffany stained glass window will not be difficult.

Film stained glass is the easiest to make. A multi-colored translucent self-adhesive film is cut out according to sketches and glued to glass. Work can be performed even on a vertical plane without dismantling the glass. The choice of colored self-adhesive films in hardware stores is very large.

Work on the manufacture of any type of stained glass does not tolerate haste, requires attention and scrupulousness.

Production of flooded stained-glass windows

A sketch of a stained-glass drawing on a scale of 1: 1 is placed on a horizontally installed table. On top of the sketch, glass is cleaned from dirt and degreased. Relief paint is applied along the contour lines of the drawing. Tubes of such paint are equipped with nozzles of different diameters, and the color range contains tones similar to those of metals. Relief paint is applied along the contour with even rollers, and after drying it forms a side 3-4 mm high.

Contour edging can be made from a special stained glass tape. This is a lead strip on a self-adhesive base in metallized colors. The tape is available in natural lead color or imitating copper, bronze, gilding, etc. The width of the tape has different sizes.

Sometimes the edging is made of aluminum wire from 2 mm thick. The wire is flattened with a hammer, bent along the outline drawing of the sketch, coated with thick PVA glue and pressed tightly against the glass.

Paints for stained glass drawing are used acrylic, diluted with water, or a colored varnish is prepared. For colored varnish, a little transparent nitro varnish is collected in clean plastic jars and diluted with a solvent to a liquid consistency. Add some oil art paint and stir. Colored varnish is poured into the free openings of the stained glass pattern according to the marked markings and left to dry in a horizontal position. The tone and thickness of the colored varnish layer is selected depending on the required light transmission of the stained glass.

Aniline or acrylic paints are diluted with water with the addition of PVA emulsion. The paint is applied with strokes, from the outline of the fragment to the middle. After the first layer has dried and the color saturation is corrected, the final filling of the stained glass fragments is performed.

The stained-glass window is covered with transparent varnish, and when installed in the frame, a rubber seal is used.

Tiffany stained glass technology

Two sketches of the stained glass drawing are being prepared. Fragments on them are numbered and color-coded. One of the sketches is cut along the contour lines into fragments. The cut out elements will serve as a template for cutting colored glass.

Tiffany stained glass sets are sold in hardware stores or art stores. They have different thickness, texture and color density. It is advisable to purchase glass of uniform quality and always of the same thickness. There is also purchased edging copper foil – folia. Folia – a strip of copper foil with a one-sided adhesive surface. Depending on the type of patina chosen, black or copper foliage is acquired.

Fragments of a sketch of a stained-glass window cut out of paper are glued to colored glass. Elements of the pattern are cut out on them with a glass cutter. Using a grinder, the part is adjusted to size and chamfered. Glass elements are degreased and blotted dry with a napkin. Each piece turns into a folly.

On a sheet of thick plywood, put the second whole sketch of the stained glass window. Stained glass elements are laid on it, starting from the corner. Along the outer perimeter, the stained-glass window is fixed with slats or baguette slats. The laid out several elements are nailed and soldered.

The seams are treated with flux, and the tin solder is evenly distributed over them with a hot soldering iron. Wooden slats around the perimeter are removed and the stained glass window is edged with a U-shaped frame profile. The contact points of the profile and seams are seized by soldering for strength.

The fully soldered Tiffany stained glass window reveals a patina at the seams. The patina solution is applied with a sponge. Stained glass is cleaned with glass cleaner and installed in the frame.

The simplest film stained-glass windows

To make stained glass from self-adhesive film you will need:

• a set of translucent multi-colored adhesive film;
• lead stained glass tape;
• scissors;
• stationery knife;
• sketch;
• marker.

Works can be performed even in vertical position of the glass. Dirt is removed from the glass and wiped with a degreasing solvent. Fragments of the stained-glass window are cut out of the film of different colors in accordance with the pattern. A sketch drawing of a stained-glass window is glued to the opposite side of the glass on a double-sided tape.

Along the lines visible through the glass, an embossed edge made of lead flexible tape is glued. The joints of the contour board can be soldered. Colored pieces of film are glued into free openings. The film is applied in the central part of the fragment and smoothed over the edges of the contour. The excess film is trimmed with a sharp clerical knife. The air sinuses formed during the application of the film are punctured with a needle and smoothed with your fingers.

Conclusion

Home-made stained glass is difficult to distinguish from factory glass. Be patient and attentive when working. It is advisable to place stained glass windows for windows on the south side of the house. In this case, they look more beautiful in the light and “steal” little sunlight.