The art of making stained glass has been known since ancient times. This pleasure is very expensive. Those stained glass windows, photos of which can be found on the Internet, make experienced craftsmen using unique technologies and materials. But, do-it-yourself stained-glass windows or their imitation can be done at home.

Glass stained-glass window on a window or door creates an image color of the authentic design of the room. To create a stained glass picture, choose a sketch that suits your taste and the available technology. Stained glass pattern can be anything: geometric pattern, flowers, ornament, birds or animals.

Types and choice of stained glass technology

  1. Filled stained-glass windows are performed by applying paints to the glass. For contour lines, special paint is used in tubes with a tip adapted for drawing lines. It can be purchased at any art salon. After the contour lines have dried, the free gaps are filled with multi-colored glass dyes of a more liquid consistency.
  2. Film stained glass is the simplest and most inexpensive way of stained glass on glass. Semi-transparent self-adhesive multi-colored film is cut out according to templates and glued to glass. It turns out a kind of application. To imitate a full-fledged stained-glass window, the seams are decorated with self-adhesive lead or bronze flexible tape.
  3. Stained glass, according to Tiffany's technique, is the closest to a real stained glass. It is made from pieces of colored and transparent glass. You need some skills in working with a glass cutter and the ability to solder.

Jellied stained glass production

  1. A sketch of the drawing is done with a pencil and is pointed with a marker on a sheet of paper corresponding to the size of the glass being processed. Choose the colors for the filled sectors and designate them. Degrease and dry the glass to be processed. Place the sketch on the table, and glass on top of it.
  2. Contour lines are easiest to apply with embossed thick paint. Tubes of special paint are equipped with attachments for lines of different thickness. They are available in different colors, including imitating metals. Let the paint dry.
  3. Wired aluminum stained glass can be made. To do this, take an aluminum wire with a diameter of 1.6 mm, bend it along the contour lines and lubricate it with PVA emulsion. Place on glass and press down with weight. Drying time is an hour and a half.
  4. Prepare aniline color. Dilute it with distilled water and filter through cheesecloth. The consistency of the paints should be like thick sour cream. Apply paints progressively with a clean brush. If the saturation of the area is weak, let it dry and paint over again.
  5. After the paints dry, turn the glass over to the other side and decorate the places where the aluminum wire is glued with self-adhesive metallized tape. Open the front side with transparent varnish for reliability and aesthetic appearance.

Technique for making film stained glass

  1. You will need lots of scraps of translucent colored or multi-colored self-adhesive tape. A sketch of a stained-glass window can be made on paper and then transferred to glass. After placing the sketch under the glass, transfer the contour lines to it with a marker or watercolors.
  2. Carefully stick the parts of the drawing cut out according to the templates on the degreased surface. Gently smooth out air bubbles to the edges with your fingers or a roller. Pierce small bubbles that cannot be removed with a thin needle and squeeze thoroughly with your fingers until the swelling is completely eliminated.
  3. Self-adhesive lead tape is used to create the embossed outline. Places of joints and joints are processed with a soldering iron.

Tiffany stained glass manufacturing technology

  1. For such stained-glass windows, you will need a set of multi-colored glasses, preferably of the same thickness. The ability to cut glass in a curved pattern and solder tin will also come in handy. When sketching a drawing for a Tiffany stained-glass window, keep in mind that the abundance of "T" -shaped intersections of the contour seams contributes to the strength of the stained-glass structure.
  2. On thick paper, sketch a stained glass window. Use scissors to cut it into separate template pieces. The table is covered with a soft cloth, a template is placed on it, and colored glass on top. Glass cutter, it is better to use bulk. Smoothly, with light pressure, make the risk along the contour and tap with a glass cutter until a crack appears on the glass. Use pliers to remove excess glass pieces. Internal arcs can be done in stages. Deviation from the contour line, permissible within 4 mm. The edge should be processed with a sander and fine-grained file - chamfer around the edges.
  3. Each fragment of the stained-glass panel is wrapped in foliage. Folia is a thin copper foil. A foliage is applied from the end part with a small but even launch on the plane on both sides. Stained glass details begin to lay out on a plywood sheet from the top corner to the sides and down. Parts of the stained-glass panel are fixed with small carnations.
  4. The space between the seams is treated with flux, degreased and prepared for soldering. The flux removes oxides from the copper foliage and promotes pliable tin brazing. The surface can be treated with soldering grease or mixed with soldering acid. For the manufacture of Tiffany stained-glass windows, tin solder POS - 61 is suitable.
  5. The tip of the tin wire is applied to the groove between the glass pieces and is filled with molten tin solder using a heated soldering iron. Adjust the seam height yourself, but try not to overheat or stain the glass. Soldering is done on both sides.
  6. Sections close to the perimeter do not need to be soldered, leave room for the frame. Choose a U-shaped tin profile corresponding to the thickness of the glass, cut frame strips from it with corners at the edges at 45 °. Taking the stained-glass panel into the frame, connecting at the corners, carefully solder with a thin seam.

Stained glass is cleaned of visible defects, the seams are corrected with fine sandpaper, and washed with soapy water. After drying, it can be installed on a door or window.

Stained glass on glass is a great way to decorate the interior, to give windows and interior door inserts nobility and sophistication. And if earlier it was a very laborious and expensive process, accessible only to single craftsmen, today it is really possible to do it with your own hands. Stained glass do different ways, but it makes no sense to master the most laborious methods, which were used several centuries ago to decorate cathedrals and palaces. A similar effect is easy to achieve thanks to the use of stickers or the technique of painting on glass with special paints.

The use of stained glass in the interior

Many centuries have passed since the invented glass for stained glass, and mankind still admires narrow and long windows temples and cathedrals, palaces and houses of the wealthy nobility of the Late Middle Ages. In those days, any glass was an expensive luxury, especially stained glass. They were made on the basis of a cellular metal pattern, into which pieces of smalt and colored Murano glass were inserted exactly corresponding to the pattern.

The word "stained glass" is of Latin origin, where vitrum means "glass", but now it is used to refer to colored drawings on glass. Until now, numerous pilgrims and sightseers of historical monuments are impressed by the images of saints on glass, passing light through colored cells. It was considered sacrilege to break a stained glass with biblical subjects in an Orthodox church or a Catholic cathedral, especially since they were created for decades.

Stained glass painting has long gone beyond the framework of religious buildings. Today, stained glass on glass is again in vogue, with a wide variety of subjects used. Artists specializing in stained glass painting offer more and more new techniques that reduce the cost of creating glass inserts shining with paints.

This special highly artistic decor can make the interior of an apartment more expensive and respectable. And today, stained glass is widely used wherever appropriate:

  • window glass;
  • large plafonds of ceiling lamps;
  • false windows with illumination;
  • interior doors;
  • glass partitions for zoning large areas;
  • graceful tabletops of small tables in the living room;
  • frameless interior glazing;
  • translucent screens between 2 adjacent rooms;
  • multilevel and false ceilings;
  • sliding cabinet doors;
  • fireplace screens;
  • table, floor and wall lamps;
  • * transparent inserts in the ceilings;
  • inserts on wall niches;
  • art objects and souvenirs.

You can choose from transparent or impenetrable stained glass, depending on the overall task. If it is important that the light partially penetrates the room, but it is not visible in detail what is happening behind the partition, choose opaque glass for the stained-glass window:

  • stained glass screen in the bathroom (in the shower);
  • glass partition between kitchen and bathroom;
  • impervious interior doors with an insert in the bedroom;
  • partition between toilet and bathroom.

Attention: It should be borne in mind that a colored impenetrable stained glass window only partially transmits light, therefore it is inappropriate in an apartment where there is already insufficient lighting. But on the south side, a self-made stained glass window will become an appropriate light filter, for example, stained glass windows, photo:

Advantages and disadvantages of stained glass inserts

To master the art of stained glass painting is within the power of anyone who wants to make stained glass on glass with his own hands. It is useful to master the technology of painting on glass to decorate your personal space, and then you can use it as additional income. And while beautiful stained glass is a real art, you don't have to be an artist, many craftsmen use ready-made sketches for intricate drawings with clear boundaries on the glass.

Self-production of stained glass is a fascinating process, reminiscent of children's "decorations", where, within the finished contours, each cell of the drawing is filled with a certain color. And it also reminds of a children's kaleidoscope with colored glass between the mirrors, where it is so exciting to observe delightful patterns.

An important advantage is that each stained glass window is unique, even if you used a ready-made sketch. Any image is obtained as a result of the choice of a particular technique, method of application and selection of dyes and cell boundaries.

Obtaining the selected picture of stained glass on glass is an interesting activity that even a schoolchild can master. It is interesting to make it for all families, being careful when working with glass, the edge of which can be temporarily pasted over with masking tape. If you work with acrylic paints, you don't need any special fixtures. The traditional technique of making stained glass windows from glass and metal requires a separate workshop. And some methods of glass etching involve the use of chemicals.

Drawing on glass, with proper organization of work and with a ready-made sketch, can be completed quite quickly. And if you have artistic skills and a delicate taste, then making stencils and stained-glass windows on glass with your own hands is an excellent hobby or a way of creative self-realization. In this case, you can try which stained glass windows will be the most interesting:

  • drawn;
  • cut;
  • glued;
  • brazed.

The simplest drawing methods have their drawbacks - the drawing may turn out to be unstable. The simplest unfixed image has to be made between 2 glasses in a frame, keeping it as a souvenir so that it does not wash off. But this is more related to children's creativity. And if it is decided to decorate the apartment with real works of art, using special paints on glass, the stained-glass window should be elegant and attractive. It is unlikely that "something" special will come out the first time, you will have to practice several times to practice to master the technique.

Attention: Remember that any glass can break, including stained glass. Therefore, it is advisable to first consider whether there is a chance the inserts will be broken. In some cases, it is better to use a ready-made bend film that will prevent debris from scattering, for example, if you do not carefully slam the glass door.

Varieties of techniques for performing stained glass painting

Stained glass on glass used to be the most laborious method, when they made a metal pattern consisting of cells. Then a piece of glass of a certain color, cut exactly to the shape of each cell, was inserted into each free space. The most difficult thing was to make symmetrical images - the metal patterned mesh could not coincide in outline, and each fragment was cut separately. The glass had to be fixed, and even so that there were no cracks allowing air and water to pass through.

The classic brazed method is still used today, but less expensive, labor-intensive and inexpensive stained glass painting techniques are applicable in domestic conditions. The most popular techniques today are:

  • frosted stained glass;
  • Tiffany;
  • in the casting technique;
  • in the "fusing" technique;
  • in the Plastic Lead technique;
  • frosted stained-glass windows;
  • film stained-glass windows SGO;
  • facet technique;
  • etching technique;
  • bending technique;
  • laser engraving;
  • painting with acrylic paints;
  • combined stained-glass windows.

How to make a stained glass window on glass with your own hands using the most accessible methods, you should understand in more detail.

1. Fold the pieces of cut out colored glass, which form a mosaic canvas. Each fragment of the composition is inserted into a metal stencil frame made of tin or sheet copper. The metal parts will have to be soldered, but this has to be done without glass, so it is important to think about how to fix the glass in these cells. The finished drawing will resemble a real expensive stained glass.

2. Sections of colored translucent film are laid out on the glass, like an applique, with a well-thought-out pattern - along the contours drawn with a special disappearing marker. Further along the borders, a special paint is applied with a tube in the form of a dark border, or any resinous solution, which quickly sets. The finished image is covered with another glass of exactly the same format and carefully glued along the edges. Internal patterned double glass is quite practical and is inserted into a frame or wood window frame.

A similar method - inserts made of thin colored glass (transparent, frosted or sandblasted) are also inserted between two glasses. Such double or triple colored glasses for stained-glass windows are the heaviest, therefore they are not recommended for furniture doors.

3. On sale you can find ready-made colored smalt, which in the form of cut and polished along the edges of the fragments are simply glued to the glass. Plastic crystals or artificial "stones" for embroidery with a flat back, as well as small gems or flat beads are also suitable. They can be planted on glass " liquid nails", For example, in the form of a vine. In this way, it is easy to decorate vases, glassware and souvenirs. The method is suitable for those inserts that do not need to be cleaned partly - pebbles and smalt can be accidentally scraped off. Nevertheless, such sparkling Hand-made crystals on glass looks luxurious, especially when illuminated.

4. Drawing on smooth or sandblasted glass is applied with special paints that require heat treatment. After firing in the oven, a durable stained glass pattern is obtained that is not afraid of cleaning.

A similar method is an imitation of stained glass painting, where acrylic paints are used without processing in the oven. The drawing will be durable, but you should not wash such glasses. Such stained-glass windows are successfully used in double-framed windows with a pattern to the inside, where the glass is not washed often, as outside.

Where to get stained glass stencils?

The beauty of the initial sketch determines the final result. And if you try to draw "something there" yourself, such a stained-glass window is unlikely to be highly artistic. Even if you take advantageous plots - roses, peacocks or fish, it is important to respect the proportions of the picture, color balance and general composition.

The choice of the plot must be justified by the functionality of the room. Fantasy flowers, angels, beautiful half-naked virgins, amazons, leopards are suitable for the bedroom. An elegant abstraction, symmetrical ornaments that are in harmony with the general theme of the room will suit the living room. If you are looking for stained-glass windows suitable for the bathroom, stencils are selected with aquarium fish, something on a marine theme.

Any abstract image or neutral theme, for example, a firebird, is suitable for the partition of a walk-through corridor. The image for a certain style of interiors is selected in accordance with the characteristic theme for such a design:

  • sakura branch - for Japanese style;
  • curls "rocalia" - for rococo;
  • the stroke of the whip is typical of Art Nouveau;
  • intricate abstraction - Art Deco, etc.

It is best to use ready-made stencils that can be purchased:

  • in art stores;
  • from artists who own this technique;
  • print popular "pictures" from the Internet (the uniqueness of your stained-glass windows will suffer).

For those who know how to draw, it is best to take the illustrations you like as a basis, choose a suitable plot and develop your own sketch.

Note: It is important to consider scaling images, because when transferring a small sketch to a large glass, you will get distorted proportions and a lot of empty space. Therefore, a small sketch is pre-drawn into squares - for a better increase in the picture.

Sometimes, at the stage of completion, you have to add elements to fill the voids. Ready-made stencils for full-size stained-glass windows do not require modification. Traditionally, stained-glass paintings look beautiful, where a thin graphic frame and floral ornament are combined.

Tip: Do not rush to fill the stencil drawing with paints. If you have a choice, experiment with color in your drafts. Sometimes replacing the background or central elements not only changes the overall impression of the drawing, but also forms an aura in a room with stained glass windows. For example, cold blue or purple flowers should be changed to warm shades for the living room or cold ones for the bathroom.

What paints to use for stained glass?

1. Solution based on nitro lacquer NTs-2141 (or similar, other markings). You will need art oil paints and thinner. In a separate container, dilute nitrolacquer with the addition of a solvent (less than half). The size of a pea of \u200b\u200bartistic paint or a drop of pigment is added to the finished emulsion for construction works... We check the intensity of the paint on the glass, if it's not enough, add more. The glass must first be degreased by wiping with a solvent such as acetone. A high-quality bend varnish should be transparent, well-spreading, not curling on the glass with bald spots.

2. A solution based on BF-2 glue. The emulsion is diluted with a solvent and any dye, soluble in alcohol. For example, they use a paste made from ballpoint pen refills - blue, purple, green and red. The glue and solvent are mixed in a glass jar, where the dye is added dropwise to the required saturation. We try it with a brush on the control glass.

3. On a gelatin base and fabric dyes. Gelatin (5-6 gr.) In the form of a paste is brewed with hot water, where diluted liquid paint is gradually introduced. You can first apply the image, then outline the borders, but it is better to make a "paint" mesh first. Such a pattern requires fixing - after the bend has dried, the glass is covered with colorless nitro lacquer.

Stained glass painting with silicate paints is used by artists for heat treatment. Special chemical components create a mirror or matte surface on the stained-glass windows. Some techniques are not available for home painting, for example, engraved stained glass, which is created on special equipment.

The simplest method is to use ready-made stained glass or mirror self-adhesive.

Many people think that decorating a room with their own hands, with stained glass paints, is difficult. In fact, the lesson can be an exciting game for both an adult and a child. The main thing is not to be afraid to fantasize and not give up, making the first mistakes. If you are used to doing everything with your own hands, then stained glass glazing will not give you much trouble.

Types of stained glass

Before we start creating stained glass with our own hands, let's look at the main types of stained glass art and technique.

Fusing

One of the most difficult techniques for creating stained glass is fusing. Stained glass is made of solid glass with colored elements applied to it. There is no metal thread between the fragments, and the finished fabric is calcined in a red-hot oven for several hours.

Details of these stained-glass windows can have clear boundaries, they can merge and lay on top of each other, or they can take textured outlines. It all depends on the idea of \u200b\u200bthe master and on the temperature of the melting furnace. Stained-glass windows are created in production, it is difficult to repeat the technique at home.

Small fish. Glass. Fusing. Master Elena Yaroshenko

Of course, it will be difficult to repeat the fusing technique with a small child, but with an older child, you can sign up for a master class on making stained glass. Impressions from a non-standard lesson will remain for many years.

Master Lilia Gorbach

Tiffany

In stained-glass windows created using the Tiffany technology, working with glass involves fastening individual parts with a metal strip and soldering. Whimsical shapes, intricate plots and bright colors are the main components of any product using the “tiffany” technique. From the lamp, and the lampshade by the table lamp, to the dollhouse - all this can be decorated with the stained glass technique "Tiffany".

Making stained-glass windows using the Tiffany technique with your own hands can cause the following difficulties:

  • glass will have to be cut into small parts and sand the edges;
  • metal thread does not always lend itself to soldering the first time;
  • it is categorically not recommended to master this technique with a child.

Vera Yurieva, St. Petersburg

"Fairy", Stained glass in Tiffany technique. Master Olga Lisitsyna, Voronezh region

Lamp made of colored glass and glass drops using Tiffany technique.
Craftsman Nadia Bezrukova, Samara

Film stained-glass windows

Especially popular are stained-glass windows made in the English technique, which involves assembling a picture on glass from parts of a self-adhesive film. For this do-it-yourself stained glass window you will need:

  • self-adhesive stained glass film of different colors;
  • self-adhesive lead tape;
  • rubber roller;
  • painting knife;
  • glass.

This technique can be mastered with older children, having previously instructed in working with materials.

The essence of the English method is to transfer the contour of the picture to the glass. The blank can be printed from templates posted on the Internet, or you can create it yourself. First, we apply a contour to the glass with a black marker, then glue it along the contour with lead self-adhesive and turn the glass over. We glue the colored stained glass film and apply the second contour of the lead tape. It remains to secure the lead circuit with a rubber roller.

Film stained-glass window on the cabinet door. Workshop "Miracle of glass"

Stained glass films are monochromatic and multi-colored, smooth and with relief effects, interspersed with particles of various shapes and shades.

Painting on glass with stained glass paints

The most affordable way to create stained glass with your own hands is stained glass paints. This version of the stained glass window will appeal to both adults and children. It is based on applying the contour and drawing of the future stained-glass window with special paints.

A painting created with stained glass paints must dry completely after production, therefore, after applying a contour or a picture, the product will have to be left alone for at least 24 hours.

But you can paint with stained glass paints with your child. different ages... The younger ones can copy the contours through the film - the base, the older ones transfer the drawing directly onto the glass.

Interior plate with stained glass painting in African style.
3dogsdesign workshop, St. Petersburg

Flashlight with stained glass painting.
Decorator Maria Nett, Chelyabinsk

Painting with stained glass paints on glass.
Maria Kirillova, Nizhny Novgorod

Technique for creating stained-glass windows according to your sketch

If you are seriously thinking about creating a stained glass window with your own hands, stained glass paints, do not rush to master windows and glazed doors. First, you should try to draw a stained glass window on a small area. For example, decorate a night light or a vase, glass plate or a mug.

Stained glass paints

To create stained-glass windows with your own hands, you need to decide which paints you prefer to use. All stained glass paints can be divided into fired and non-fired. Fired ones allow you to calcine the finished product in the oven, that is, extend the life of the finished stained glass window.

But, despite the obvious plus of fired materials, such stained glass paints have disadvantages. Firstly, after firing the product, the paint becomes dull, losing its former brightness. Secondly, some shades may change their color after annealing. Turbidity may appear.

Non-fired paints do not have such features. The finished product has bright, rich colors, smooth, glossy structure. The only "but" is that you will have to wash this product manually using mild detergents.

Paints and outlines for glass without firing Idea

Contours for stained glass paints are sold in special tubes. Very often, beginners buy a black outline. It is not right. Working with a black outline is more difficult than it seems at first glance. Lines can be unreasonably wide, and the outline can be conspicuous. Overshadowing the whole drawing.

For a beginner in stained glass decoration and decor, it is better to use the outlines of silver or white colors. Do not be afraid, at first the line will be larger than you planned, but with experience you will understand how to extrude the contour paint of the desired width.

To prevent the tip of the nozzle from drying out and becoming overgrown with paint residues, always put a damp sponge next to the product to wipe off all excess.

Stages of work

Before working with glass, you need to get rid of dirt and excess fat. To do this, rinse the base under running water and detergent.

Now about the sketch. If you do not want to repeat replicated pictures and dream of creating something unusual, then the picture can be done using special programs or in simple Paint, which is on every computer.

Having created and printed a sketch, we proceed to transfer it to a glass product. If this is a night light for decoration, then we carefully set the sheet with the drawing inside the glass lampshade, fix it with adhesive tape.

Now we take a black marker for working on glass (its contour is very easy to erase), and draw the outline of the drawing on our lampshade. The next step: we apply the stained glass contour and leave the product to dry.

In creating stained glass with your own hands, it is important to work correctly with stained glass paints. Before use, each tube must be shaken, but not shaken, so as not to raise a bunch of bubbles.

Stained glass paints are applied in a thick layer to every detail of the drawing. Each side must be allowed to dry completely. The finished product can be opened with acrylic varnish to fix the parts, or it can be calcined in an oven. In the second case, pay attention to the heat resistance of the base glass.

Stained glass paints as a kid's fun

In order not to splurge on expensive stained glass paints, you can invent fun for your baby yourself. To do this, take a tube of PVA glue and several bags of food coloring. Mix the dye and glue until you get a smooth, thick mass.
Empty gouache tubes or baby food jars can be used under the containers. Such material is ideal for work, even for a small child.

The next step is to apply the pattern to the film. Do-it-yourself stained glass paints are applied to a sheet of the file, which contains the desired picture. A child over three years old will cope with contouring and drawing a pattern under the film. The kid needs to be given room for creativity.

After complete drying, the painted film is separated from the template and glued to the glass.

My daughter loves to draw the sun and flowers, houses and little people. If earlier her art made me wash off paint from windows for hours, now acrylic pictures are easily attached to glass. They're also easy to remove, which is great!

That's how interesting, friendly and creative we create stained-glass windows with our own hands with stained-glass paints, which is what we wish you!

The oldest example of stained glass art that has survived to this day dates back to the 7th century BC. As strange as it may sound, the process of creating colored glass is so simple that even children can learn how to create stained glass with their own hands.

Stained glass styles

For a long time the existence of this type of creativity, the technology of creating glass drawings with your own hands has improved significantly. New types and technological features have appeared.

After learning all the techniques, you can choose the one you need, each time planning new interesting stained glass windows.

The classic way

The classical technology of creating stained glass with your own hands has survived to this day. The master draws sketches on the main glass, cuts them out, and according to these blanks prepares the details of the future composition of colored glass. The particles are inserted into a previously prepared forged frame.

After the completion of the setting of colored glasses, the iron partition is sealed for greater strength. The finished product is a beautiful picture of large geometric elements with a well-defined metallic outline.

In ancient times, wide openings of buildings were decorated in this way. Especially often stained-glass windows were used to decorate windows in Christian and Muslim churches - the ideas of the drawings were taken from biblical and Koranic motives.

The beauty of the classic method is that it allows you to connect large parts with your own hands. Unfortunately, the structure turns out to be quite voluminous and heavy, so it is not recommended to use it to decorate the ceiling. In addition, coarse metal makes it impossible to draw a pattern from small curved parts.

Tiffany stained glass

Advanced technology was developed by the founder of the Tiffany jewelry company, Louis Tiffany, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

He proposed a rather simple solution that made the stained glass look different. Instead of the lead rods, Louis began to wrap the glass parts in thin copper strips with his own hands. As a rule, the strip protrudes slightly above the plane of the part.

After drawing up the drawing, the parts are treated with flux to avoid rust and are soldered to each other. The protruding edge of the copper tape is leveled above the glass surface, creating additional protection against parts falling out of the frame.

Thanks to the Tiffany technique, stained glass windows have turned into real works of art! Fine filigree patterns made up of small particles allow for smoother color transitions and natural images.

Tiffany stained glass can be used to create almost any product due to its lightness and beauty.

Fusing glass

The amazing fusing technique allows you to create a variety of products - from glass inserts in doors and furniture to painted tableware. But this method is too laborious to make large stained glass windows with your own hands.

The peculiarity of the technique is that colored elements are laid out on top of the main transparent glass. The workpiece is sent to the furnace, where, under the influence of high temperature, the parts are fused into each other. Thus, you get colored glass without an iron partition.

The disadvantage of fusing is that it is difficult to find a kiln for fusing in which large items can be placed.

Pseudo stained glass

Modern technologies have given people the opportunity to create stained glass windows with their own hands without learning the laborious process of forging, metal processing and glass cutting.

All you need is a piece of clear glass of a certain size and a special film with colored patterns that allows light to pass through. There are several types of film:

  • self-adhesive - a sticky layer is applied to one side of the material;
  • a film that must be attached to the glass with a special colorless glue.

Film stained-glass windows help to save on interior decoration, while maintaining an interesting appearance glasses.

In addition to the film method, the use of special stained glass paints is also widely used. Transparent gel-like mixtures are applied to the workpiece in the form of a specific pattern. After they have solidified, the glass looks like a transparent stained glass product.

This technology is so simple that recently, children's art sets have begun to appear, allowing you to create painted stained glass windows with your own hands.

Tiffany stained glass: master class

Tiffany stained glass is very easy to create even at home. Prepare colored glass shards, a glass cutter, thin copper foil - folia, soldering iron, grinder, flux, soldering tin.

  • Create a blank sketch - the more T-shaped connecting lines in the drawing, the stronger the curtain parts will hold.

  • Print 2 life-size copies of your sketch. Number the parts in each sketch and cut one of them along the seam lines.
  • The second whole sketch is pasted over with tape and inserted into a wooden working frame.

After working on the sketch, you can start stocking the parts.

  • Attach the cut out parts of the first sketch to the fragments of a certain color.
  • Take a glass cutter and start cutting out the colored piece by holding the tool at a 45 degree angle to the surface. Try to cut the part in one continuous line, while maintaining constant pressure, otherwise you may get chips and cracks.

  • After the glass cutter, microcracks formed in the glass. By barely tapping on it, you can separate your part.
  • Use a sander to trim and roughen the edges of the glass before proceeding.

  • Now wrap the piece with copper wire. Use a foil, a special thin, long copper material with one adhesive side.

  • Fold and smooth the raised edges of the foliage on the garment.

  • Install the finished element in the general picture with the help of nails driven around.

  • When all the parts are in place, remove the nails and flux the gaps between them.

The preparatory stage is complete - you can start soldering!

  • Place the tip of the tin wire at the joint and heat it on top with a soldering iron. Thus, gradually process all the seams with your own hands. Do not keep the soldering iron in one place for a long time - you can overheat the foil and glass, as well as melt too much tin.

  • After completing the soldering of the pattern, remove the wooden frame and bring the iron blanks to the sides of the painting.
  • Using tin, solder them with the image in the places where they touch the seams.

Leave the product to cool in a dry ventilated area for an hour or two. When it reaches room temperature, rinse the painting well with a sponge, water and degreasing detergents.

Now your creation can be hung on the wall or placed on a shelf.

Filled stained glass: master class

Try to make stained glass windows with your child - the kid will surely enjoy the process of non-standard drawing. The main thing is to follow the safety rules: after all, your main material - glass - can lead to injuries and cuts.

Prepare stained glass paints - easily found in large stationery stores - and a small square piece of glass. Pre-insert it into a frame with rounded corners to protect your child from sharp edges.

Use a dark color to paint the thin lines of the sketch on the glass with your own hands. The most commonly used color is black. You have delineated hollow areas. Near the black color, but not on it, drop several times with a colored shade - it should spread independently over the cell.

You can create beautiful do-it-yourself stained-glass windows for candlestick decor by watching the following video.

This technique can be used to decorate a glass photo frame, a cabinet door or a nursery window.

Today we will talk about creating stained glass: how to choose a pattern for a stained glass window, ways to transfer a drawing to stained glass, materials and tools for making a stained glass window yourself, two ways to create a painted stained glass window, making stained glass paint yourself, how to get a matte glass surface.

Among the many different ways of decorating rooms, stained glass windows stand out for their special brightness and non-standard appearance. A game sun rays or special lighting will add a special charm to the room where the stained glass products are installed. By the way, if a classic stained glass window is an ornament made of colored glass through which natural light is passed, then the modern concept of stained glass is much broader. Artistic stained glass can be placed in any room - even in one where natural light is completely absent.

Traditionally, stained glass compositions were created from fragments of colored glass, fastened with lead gaskets (lead is quite soft). When creating stained-glass windows from colorless glass, painting on it was carried out with paints on a silicate basis.

Modern stained-glass windows are connected by lead and brass profiles (brass with a steel insert); they can be installed both in window openings and as shades for indoor lamps in a building, for installing suspended ceilings, forming internal partitions, creating display compositions and panels. Decorative items such as Tiffany stained glass are independent decorative elements.

Artistic stained glass - creation technology

- is created using the classic stained glass technique, with the only difference that the edges of some (or all) stained glass elements are cut (facet is removed). Thanks to this operation, a large play of sunlight is achieved in the created edges, which increases the beauty of the stained glass composition.

- is created by fusing colored glass in high-temperature ovens. In this case, the colored elements of the stained-glass window are carefully cut and polished, after which they are placed on a sheet of glass (substrate), forming a complete composition. Further - processing in an oven, after which the substrate and colored elements are soldered into one whole. Another distinctive feature of fusing stained glass is their wavy surface.

There is another technology for creating fusing stained-glass windows - gluing the elements of the stained-glass pattern onto a tempered glass substrate using transparent adhesives, having previously subjected the colored glass to high-temperature processing. The point is to use a tempered glass backing, which is necessary when creating all-glass doors and glazing window openings large area, it is impossible to create a fusing stained-glass window - it will become fragile during heat treatment. Gluing the elements will allow you to get a strong, highly artistic stained-glass composition, and it can even be installed on the ceiling - if, for some reason, such a stained-glass window breaks, it will not cut anyone, since there will be no fragments.

- a drawing is applied to the glass with silicate paints, then the glass is heat treated in an oven. The hand-drawn composition is done with a brush or airbrush.

- a stained glass composition is performed according to one of the above technologies, then a thin layer of titanium nitride is applied to its back side. In this case, the degree of reflection can be increased, decreased, or a one-sided transparent mirror can be obtained.

Engraved stained glass - the drawing is created only by hand, using engraving equipment or hand tool... Colored glass - the basis for such stained-glass windows - is created by mixing glasses of different colors, which are heated to a liquid state, then several liquid glasses of different colors are poured onto the table and rolled out. The glass obtained by this method has a unique color and pattern - it is impossible to obtain two sheets of such stained glass with an identical pattern and color.

- a technique that is especially popular today. To obtain a matte stained glass window, sandblasting technology is used: high pressure a jet of sand scratches the surface of the transparent glass, knocking out microparticles and turning one side of the glass into a matte finish. To create a drawing using this technology, you need a stencil - it is fixed on the glass and placed in a sandblasting chamber. After processing, the areas covered with a stencil remain transparent, everything else becomes matte.

Of particular interest is the technique of creating stained-glass windows using the deep working method - obtaining volumetric patterns on glass. For this, a sandblasting machine and a more complex, multi-layer stencil are used. The creation technology is as follows: all layers of the stencil are laid on sheet glass and subjected to sandblasting (a layer of glass of about 1 mm is removed), then one stencil layer is removed and a new sandblasting is carried out (a layer of 1.5 mm is removed), etc. until the desired composition is obtained. It is possible to create stained-glass windows in this way only on glass with a thickness of 6 mm or more, and the process itself is quite painstaking and time-consuming.

- outwardly similar to the classic one, although it is created in a simpler way. Pattern elements for batch stained glass are cut on a machine driven computer program... Lead gaskets, which fastened the fragments of the classic stained-glass window, have been replaced here by modern materials that look like lead ones. After the formation of the finished stained-glass composition, it is glued with the help of a special transparent glue on a sheet of glass - the finished stained-glass window made using this technology is lighter and stronger than the classic one. Often, such a stained glass window is clamped between two sheets of transparent glass.

- the most cheap way creating a stained-glass composition. On the market, a large assortment of films of different colors is presented, elements of a stained-glass pattern are cut out of it manually or using a plotter and glued to sheet glass. The stained glass obtained in this way will be short-lived, but it is easy to replace it.

Drawings for stained glass

An important point in choosing a sketch theme for a stained glass composition will be the purpose of the room. If some kind of abstraction is supposed, then it is better to execute it in a single colors with a room. You should attach importance to the meaning of the stained glass composition - this way it will look better in the overall design.

It is important to take into account that stained glass drawings should not leave too much empty space on the glass, as well as overloading it. In the first case, you can make a stained glass window from a small central pattern (pattern), complementing the picture with decorative elements at the corners of the glass, covering the rest free space varnish.

Please note that it is much easier to fix the voids in the finished stained glass composition than to correct an overly filled stained glass pattern after its completion (this desire often arises when there are a large number of small elements).

Thoroughly think over the sketch drawing of the stained glass, experiment with the dimensions individual elements compositions. It is best to add new details to the drawing gradually. The color palette of the stained-glass drawing is equally important - try several color options.

How to make a stained glass window with your own hands

At home, the creation of stained glass windows using industrial methods is impossible. For example, fusing stained glass requires a special glass oven and a temperature of 900 ° C.

What types of stained glass windows can you make at home? This is a Tiffany stained glass window, a painted stained glass window (firing was replaced by varnishing) and a film stained glass window. Let's consider each of them separately.

We make a stained glass Tiffany yourself

You will need a separate room for work (rather painstaking).

From materials: colored glass, special copper foil (sold in rolls, its width is 4.7 mm), transparent glue (non-silicate), soldering acid, solder for soldering stained glass elements (tin / lead content 50/50 or 60/40), any product dishwashing, patina.

From tools: diamond glass cutter (preferably a diamond one), pliers, small nippers, small glass edging machine or sharpening bar, thin soldering iron.

We create a sketch of the future stained glass window - first on plain paper (preferably in a cage), then we transfer the final version to thicker paper (cardboard or Whatman paper). You need to cut the sketch into elements, put them on colored glass of a suitable color and draw a marker along the contour.

Using a glass cutter, we cut out the elements of the future tiffany stained glass from glass. Gently break off the glass along the cut line, the resulting irregularities must be broken off with small nippers: for this we take a cardboard box of a suitable size, hold the glass element (without pinching it hard!) With pliers, take the small nippers in the other hand and break it off (without the box, pieces of glass will scatter throughout the room ).

The next step is edge turning. If there is a special machine, we work on it, but if not, we need to collect water in a bowl (preferably a metal one), put a whetstone there (it must be drowned in water) and grind sharp protrusions on the glass about it. We check the quality on a general sketch, if all the glass elements fit perfectly together, then you can proceed to the next stage - wrapping the edge with copper foil.

We use a special copper foil tape with one adhesive side. We wrap the edge with it: placing the middle of the copper tape in the center of the edge, bend it on both sides. It is important that the fold edges are the same on both sides of the Tiffany stained glass element. Carefully smooth the foil to the glass using a wooden spatula (not metal - it will scratch). When all the glass fragments of the stained-glass window are wrapped in foil, fold them into a composition - check the fit again.

Next, you need to process the edge covered with copper foil with soldering acid - it will act as a flux when soldering. Use a cotton swab attached to a stick to apply solder acid. Soldering queue: we warm up the soldering iron, collect drops of tin on it and solder the tiffany stained glass elements along the edges, connecting them together. The tin seam should be continuous and resemble a small roller - it will be beautiful and neat. The tin must completely cover the entire visible portion of the copper foil, both between the stained glass elements and along their outer edges. You are unlikely to succeed right away, so practice. If the tiffany stained glass window you are making is supposed to be hung, then solder a wire loop to it.

At the end of the soldering, it is the turn to wash the welded stained-glass window - if you skip this operation, the residues of soldering acid will cause formations similar to moss to appear on the tin seam. To clean Tiffany stained glass windows, regular dish detergent and a sponge are fine.

Let the stained-glass window dry, then cover the tin seams with a patina (black or copper color - to your taste). The patina should be applied with a cotton swab: dab a little patina on the swab, then rub it firmly into the surface of the tin joint. After completing this operation, you need to wash the stained glass window again. That's it, the job is done!

Painted stained glass is one of the oldest techniques. We offer you two ways to create a painted stained-glass window: in the first of them, the drawing is formed by applying it with a brush and paints, in the second, the paint is poured onto the drawing.

The first step is to choose a drawing for the stained-glass window, prepare its sketch, proportionally enlarging the image (if necessary).

After that, prepare the stained glass for drawing - wipe it thoroughly with a cotton swab or a clean cloth, moistened with alcohol. This simple operation will have a big impact on the durability of future stained glass painting.

The line for transferring the contours of the drawing to the glass. By the way, you need to paint on glass when it is horizontal - the paint will not flow. The easiest way is to transfer a sketch of a drawing by sticking it with tape on the back of the glass and redrawing its outline with thin lines - first with a marker, then - with a special stained glass paint applied to a thin brush (see below for methods of making it).

Start coloring the picture, first you need to paint the fragments that are separated from each other (i.e. not adjacent), in this case it will be possible to correct the outflow of paint outside the contour and it will not mix with paint of a different color from the adjacent fragment of the picture.

There is another way to stain stained glass fragments. To execute it, you will need to cut out on a paper sketch only the fragment that you intend to paint this time. Align it along the contour with a similar area on the glass and paint over with a brush or spray. After the paint has dried, prepare a new fragment - and so on, until the stained glass drawing is completely finished.

It will take three days for the colored fragments to dry completely. After that, apply the paint to the remaining areas and let it dry. Then apply a contour over the painted areas of the drawing, using a thin squirrel brush and stained glass paint - so you can give the image clarity, hide small gaps and streaks. Be careful and unhurried!

After three days, you need to complete the final operation - apply a layer of varnish on the stained glass using a wide brush or paint spray. Varnish the entire stained-glass window, including those areas of the glass that are not painted. This time the drying time is a week. Place the stained glass in a clean, dry and well-ventilated area during the entire drying period, do not touch it, exclude the possibility of access by children and pets. After seven days, the stained glass window is ready, it can be inserted into the frame or, for example, into the interior door.

Hand-drawn stained glass by pouring paint

The beginning of work on the creation of such a stained-glass window is in choosing a stained-glass pattern and transferring its outline to the glass. Next, you need to make the contour convex (volumetric) to create boundaries that prevent the paint from spilling out of the area assigned to it.

Here you need to make a special contour paint, for this you need:

  • 50 ml PVA glue, suitable for bonding porcelain and glass;
  • black ink - 20-30 ml;
  • silver (aluminum powder) - about 30-40 g.

The contour paint is created like this - take a small glass jar, pour PVA glue into it, add black ink, mix and add some silverware while stirring. In consistency, the paint obtained in this way should resemble lead-colored liquid sour cream.

Immediately, we note that if during the process of applying the volumetric contour to the glass, the paint in the can thickens, then by adding a certain amount of warm water and a little black ink (for the desired color) to it, it will return to the state you need.

The contour formed by such homemade paint, will stick steadily on the glass, outwardly it will look like lead gaskets connecting the elements of a classic stained glass window. And you can improvise with the width of the contour when applying it - this will give your stained-glass window originality. So, we arm ourselves with a squirrel or kolinsky brush and proceed to drawing the contour - it should turn out to be voluminous (convex) to a sufficient extent, so do not save much on paint, but it must be applied carefully and carefully. In the process of creating a volumetric contour, it is necessary to periodically stir the paint, since the lighter particles of silver will begin to accumulate on its surface. Do not delay with contouring - the longer the paint you have prepared will stand, the more its color will change, which means that the uniformity of the contour lines will be lost.

After drawing the contour of the stained glass drawing - we wait 3 hours for the paint to dry completely.

How to make stained glass paints

The continuation of the material on creating a stained glass drawing using the paint filling method will be below, but for now it's time to give here several ways to create stained glass paint at home.

First way. You will need nitro varnish NTs-218 (you can use 222 or 2141), 647th solvent and oil paints for artwork. Pour about a third of the nitro varnish into a jar, add the solvent (up to about 40% of the amount of nitro varnish), mix until a composition similar to water is obtained. Then we introduce a drop (the size of a pea) of artistic paint, mix, add more paints if the color is not bright enough (paints will need up to 10% of the amount of nitro varnish). As a result, we get a well-flowing colored varnish, which is perfect for filling a stained glass pattern.

Second way. You will need light glue BF-2, acetone, alcohol-soluble paint (you can use paste from ballpoint pens). Pour glue into a glass jar, dilute it with acetone in a 1: 1 ratio, mix and add paint until the color of the desired saturation is obtained.

Third way. You will need gelatin, warm water, dry dyes for cotton, woolen or silk fabrics. About 6 g of gelatin should be diluted in 200 g of warm water, mixed. Dilute dry paints separately in warm water. Pour a little solution of water with gelatin into a new glass jar, add there required amount paint solution, mix. After applying this paint to the stained glass window and drying it, you will need to cover the drawing on top with colorless nitro varnish.

Important: all the formulations of stained glass paints listed below must be mixed exclusively in glassware (glass jars for baby food are ideal).

We continue to create a stained glass window using the paint flood method

So - the contour paint on the stained-glass window has dried, and the paint for filling is ready. Before you start painting the stained-glass window, make sure that the glass sheet is in a strictly horizontal position - any, even a slight skew will cause the paint layer to drip and thicken at the lowest point of the painted fragment.

We arm ourselves with a large round brush (squirrel or kolinsky), collect a large amount of paint on it and apply it to the specified fragments of the stained-glass window. In this case, the main thing is not to cross the border of the contour and completely fill each of the fragments with paint of a certain color. If you get paint on the contour itself, it's okay, on the contrary, it's even good, since it will completely exclude any unpainted areas near the contour. Fight the appearance of air bubbles - watch for them and quickly remove them with a brush movement. After completing the painting, we pause for 3-4 hours - let the paint dry completely.

The next step is to redraw the outline. Try to repeat the previous contour lines, apply paint as liberally as when you first draw the contour. Now you can be sure of the complete elimination of any irregularities and imperfections. The next stage of work is 2-3 hours after the drying of the applied contour.

At the end of the work on the stained-glass window, you need to apply 3-4 layers of transparent nitro-lacquer on it, covering the entire glass surface with a thin layer. This measure will protect the drawing from scratches and moisture, prolong its service life. It is best to apply nitrolacquer not with a brush, but with a spray, holding it for at least 10 minutes before each new layer to dry the previous layer.

The work on creating the stained glass window is complete - you just need to insert it into the frame. Such a painted stained glass window will serve you for at least 10 years.

Additional stained glass work

We consider it unnecessary to give a detailed method for creating a stained-glass film here - the work here is the simplest, you need to prepare a sketch, apply it on glass and on tint film, cut out the necessary fragments and attach to the glass. The film will stick to the glass itself.

In some cases, it is required that the stained glass in the doors be opaque, especially if these doors lead to the bathroom or bedroom. To solve this issue, it is necessary to give the side of the glass opposite to the stained-glass pattern, a matte finish, or stick a tint film on it. There are two ways to create a matte surface: using formulations based on water glass or using formulations based on hydrofluoric acid.

Compositions based on liquid glass:

  1. It is necessary to slightly dilute the liquid glass with distilled water, then add a small amount of tooth powder to it and mix thoroughly.
  2. Mix 10 parts of water glass with 15 parts of distilled water, add 8 parts of barium sulfate and 1 part of silicic acid to this solution. The last ingredient can be obtained by mixing liquid glass with a significant amount of sulfuric or hydrochloric acid - silicic acid will precipitate, it must be isolated, dried and ground into powder.

Before applying any of these compounds, the glass must be thoroughly washed with soapy water and dried. For application, use an even roller - it is dipped into the composition, rolled and carefully covered with a solution of the entire glass surface. After drying, the glass should be rinsed under water.

It must be borne in mind that when working with solutions based on liquid glass, the coating must be applied as accurately as possible - the matte surface created by this composition will show all defects.

Hydrofluoric acid based formulations:

  1. 12 parts of hydrofluoric acid, 10 parts of barium sulfate and 10 parts of ammonium fluoride are mixed together, then poured into a thin layer on the glass surface. After drying, the treated surface must be washed with a solution of soda (5%), then with water.
  2. 50% hydrofluoric acid is applied in a thin layer on pre-prepared glass. The preparation is as follows - the glass is placed in a wooden frame, on the reverse side, tightened with two layers of pvc film, along the edge of the glass (along wooden frame) a side is made of plasticine. A layer of hydrofluoric acid is kept on the glass surface for 10 s, the temperature of the acid solution should be 30-40 ° C. After the aging period, rinse the treated surface with a solution of baking soda 5%, then with water.

Unlike compositions on liquid glass, the use of hydrofluoric acid gives a smoother matte surface, regardless of the mistakes made during application.


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