A Guide to Creating Stained Glass Decorations

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From church windows to colorful designs hanging in your window, stained glass is a beautiful way to add color to your home. You can make your very own stained glass decorations at school or at home with a few simple tools and some easy instructions. Think of the many things you can create to look like stained glass: You could make animals, sailboats, planets, or just pretty patterns.

Things You Will Need

To make a pretty art project that looks like stained glass, you'll need to start by getting together a few materials. First, you will need some colored permanent markers with a pointed tip. Make sure you also have at least one black marker. You will also need small paper plates that are about 7 inches in diameter and any patterns that you want to create to use for this project. You'll also need aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and tape. Once you're done, you may want to include a ribbon to hang your project and construction paper to cover the back.

Preparations

  • Find a pattern you like online and print it out.
  • Tape your pattern to a table at each of the four corners.
  • Cover your pattern with a piece of plastic wrap. The size should be at least 11 inches square, but bigger is better.
  • Tape the plastic wrap to the table directly over your pattern. Make sure the pattern is centered under the plastic wrap, and stretch the plastic tightly so it looks and feels smooth.

Coloring Your Design

Now, it's time to color your design onto the plastic wrap. Keep in mind that you are using permanent markers and they can stain clothes and furniture, so you'll need to be careful. When you're coloring, start by doing all of the colored parts first: If you start with the black, you might accidentally color over it when it's not completely dry, getting your colored marker all dirty and messing up the color. Also, make sure to press gently with the markers when you're coloring, so you don't accidentally tear the plastic wrap.

Final Steps

After you've colored in your design and made your black outlines, it's time to cover the paper plate with foil. Crumple your foil, and then, smooth it out. Cover the bottom of your plate with the foil, making sure that the shiny side shows. Wrap any extra foil around the plate. Now, carefully remove your plastic wrap from the table. Turn your design over so the colored side of the plastic wrap is facing down. Lay it on top of the foil-covered side of your plate and center it neatly. Then, wrap the extra plastic wrap around to the back and tape it in place. The result is a lovely decoration you can hang near a window so it shines when the light hits it.

Additional Options

Once you've created your new stained glass masterpiece, you'll probably want to show it off by hanging it up. To do this, add a piece of string of ribbon to the back of the plate, attaching it in two places to form a loop. You can also add construction paper to the back of your plate to cover up where you taped down the foil and plastic. Simply trace the shape of a plate onto construction paper and cut a circle that is slightly smaller than the one you traced. Attach the paper to the back of the plate with glue to give it a colorful touch. Making your own unique stained glass design is easy and fun, and this craft can also make a wonderful gift for your friends or parents.

Want to learn more about stained glass and try some different crafts that look like it? Check out these pages: