Making stained glass crafts at home is simple. With a few basic materials you can create a stained glass piece that is safe for kids, fun for adults and enjoyable to all. In this article you will read about a simple technique that you can use to make stained glass crafts at home from materials that you already have in your coloring box and with a few things that you may need to pick up from the fabric or crafts store.
To begin this stained glass craft, take a colored pencil and sketch your “stained glass” project on paper. You can search the Internet for stained glass pattern ideas. You could even research a famous stained glass piece of art and try to replicate that, or a simplified version of it, onto your paper. If you use erasable pencils, you have the option of being able to change your design or make mistakes.
The next thing that you will need to do is to cut out an acetate sheet slightly larger than your drawing. If you do not have an acetate sheet, you can use wax paper a clear piece of sanded glass (so as not to cut yourself) or any other clear surface that you can pick up and move later. Place clear sheet on top of your drawing. Hold it in place with tape. At this point, the drawing is serving as more of a template than the actual craft itself. You needed to draw the outline of your drawing first so that you would know exactly where to apply the paint that is part of the next step.
This step can get messy, so it is recommended that you cover your table or work area with newspaper so that you can catch any spills that may occur. You can either use puff paints or special markers that squeeze out paint or a thicker ink (Crayola makes a marker like this). If you do not have access to paint pens or puff paint, you can simply use markers. If you have colored cellophane that would also work very well but the process of cutting the cellophane to fit specific shapes may be a bit tedious. Fill in the areas of your picture with the appropriate color of paint or ink (or whatever other transparent item you choose to use). Allow for the glue or paint that you use to dry for at least one hour.
Variations that you could try include using tooth picks or coffee stirrers to combine two or more colors by running your sticks through those colors in a spiral motion (too much mixing and you will end up with a murky brown color). You can also choose to fill various sections of your stained glass design with shapes rather than one straight color. You can use dots, stripes, swirls; the options are limited only by your imagination.
Once your art is dry you can punch holes in the corners of the page and attach ribbon to them for hanging. You can also adhere the drawing to suction cups so that they can be placed on and removed from a window with ease. Displaying your stained glass on a window is particularly important if you want to receive the full effect. When the light shines through your stained glass piece, each color is captured beautifully and the whole piece will seem to glow. Parents, be sure to supervise children if you will be working with paints or other materials that could be harmful if ingested. Also, supervise younger children when scissors or sharp pencils are used in order to minimize the risk of accident.
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