Wow! I can't believe that I totally forgot today was Monday! So sorry this post is late ;( Denise sent me an excellent post on how to use Gallery Glass to make what looks like high-end stained glass! I might just be trying this when we finally get moved into our house! You should definitely check out Denise's blog, Let's Shop Together! In addition to some great reviews and giveaways, she's also got plenty of wonderful advice for all the Moms out there! Thanks so much for sharing this with us today, Denise!
Ever since we built our first house about 8 years ago we have been renovating and decorating. Unless you can build a custom house, even brand new houses require a lot of work to make them personal and give them a non-builder's grade look. Hiring someone else to do the work is rarely ever an option in our house. DIY is the obvious way to save tons of money. There are so many simple projects that people don't even realize they are capable of doing. This is one of them. In our first house our front door had 2 side panels that were clear glass. We wanted to add some privacy but didn't want to completely cover them with paper shades or blinds. Replacing them with pricey decorative windows was not an option. So, I had to get creative. I decided to try a do it yourself project that would create the look of stained glass without the price tag.
I found a product called gallery glass at the local craft store. It comes in every color imaginable. They also had liquid leading which allows you to create lead-like lines and adhere to any glass surface. They even have books of patterns that you can tape on the outside of the glass which can give you that extra high-end and professional effect.
I used the liquid leading to create the lead strips. After they dried, I applied them on the window in the pattern I wanted. After drying, I applied the colors I chose in the pattern. You simply hold the tube upside down and gently squeeze while moving the bottle back and forth. To remove any air bubbles, rub a toothpick back and forth over the bubble. After all colors are applied it takes about 3 days to fully cure. It stands up to humidity and different weather conditions without a problem.
Everyone that came in our house was amazed that I did it myself. It looked like it was all one piece and very high end.
I applied this same treatment to our 2 large master bathroom windows. I wanted to create a spa-like bathroom so I used a lot of natural elements instead of store bought items. For instance, instead of curtain rods i used thick bamboo sticks and draped a long scarf window treatment around it. I used only the clear gallery glass for this project (it goes on white but dries clear) and no lead. I simply started at one corner and in straight wide strokes applied the gallery glass to the window until the entire window was covered. It gave it a textured rain look. Paired with the other elements in the room and allowing the natural light to come in, it was just gorgeous. It allowed me to achieve total privacy in that room without having to apply any window coverings.
We are on our second newly built home and the decorating and renovating continues. We had a boring transform window above our front door. Not only was it completely standard builder grade look (just like everyone else's on the block) but the sun was brutal when it shined through there.
I applied the same technique that I used in our previous master bath. It looks fantastic above the decorative front door and matches the crackled glass look nicely. It was inexpensive, not time consuming and it totally looks like we replaced the whole window. It softened the harsh white lines in the window too.
For anyone afraid of creating the lead lines themselves, it is now easier than ever to get this look. Gallery Glass now has designs that you can simply peel and stick directly on the window. You can also use their Redi-Lead strips.
There are a million ways to use the gallery glass products to create a stained glass look other than windows. Check out their website for other ideas… http://www.plaidonline.com/projectSearchResults.asp
2 comments:
What a wonderful idea!!! So glad I read this.
Thanks for joining in on Mingle Monday! Have a great week.
Robyn
Thank you for the opportunity to share. I only wish I was able to come across more pictures of my last house. That was pre-digital cameras and I haven't had time to dig through photos and scan them. lol.
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