Making film stained-glass windows with your own hands. Do-it-yourself film stained-glass window on the window: a master class with a photo

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

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

Having studied 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-sized 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

The 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 fairly simple solution that made the stained glass look different. Instead of 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 over the glass surface, creating additional protection against parts falling out of the frame.

Thanks to the Tiffany technique, stained glass windows have become 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 firing 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 of the glass.

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 kits 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 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 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 a 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. Take advantage of the foliage - 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 to the image 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.

With a dark paint, draw 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, drip a few times with a colored shade - it should spread itself 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 locker door, or a window in a nursery.

For centuries, stained glass has made people admire their indescribable beauty. Despite the fact that the origins of this type of art are hidden in the depths of centuries, it has not lost its relevance and relevance today. This is quite logically explained by the fact that such a decor, with a beautiful and neat design, is able to bring to any room not only coziness and home warmth, but also a special originality of the interior design.

Stained glass on glass with your own hands can be created even by a novice master, provided, of course, if a technique available for execution is chosen, of which there are a lot of stained glass art. Nowadays, specialized stores and art salons can find everything you need to make stained-glass paintings in modern simplified techniques, which are much easier to execute, in contrast to classical technology. This has become possible thanks to modern developments and special materials that are able to very faithfully imitate the "classics".

A variety of stained glass styles and techniques accumulated gradually, taking into account the secrets of the old masters and new established practices. Many are still used today, and they must be considered before deciding which option the best way suitable not only for the drawing, but also for the complexity of the technological process itself.

To make a stained-glass window, you can choose drawings in various styles, both "tinted with noble antiquity" and ultra-modern. Compositions in the Gothic, Ancient Egyptian, Indian styles do not lose their popularity. Abstract, modern, art-deco styles, and others that correspond to different eras and cultures, trends in art find their supporters.

Each of the existing styles is capable of its own plot, forms and color scheme to display the commitment of the owner of an apartment or house to a particular era. All styles of stained-glass windows have their own requirements and canons that should be followed when they are executed.

For a long time, a style with classic drawings, where the choice of subjects and materials was limited, was considered an ideal option. In connection with the development of art and the emergence of new techniques, the possibilities of making stained glass windows have expanded significantly. Therefore, instead of the calm plots of the classics, expressive colors and drawings of modernity and abstraction began to be used more and more actively.

Quite often, masters in their works use several styles and techniques that are able to revive and complement each other, which helps to organically fit stained-glass windows into the overall decor of the house.

Sometimes a stained-glass window for a separate room is chosen as setting the style for the entire interior, while the rest of the room's items are just its addition and frame. Thus, the stained glass picture becomes the center of the interior.

If the plans of the residents of the house include decorating rooms in various styles, then stained glass windows are able to combine them into one composition. Glass paintings, which decorate the windows, are able to create an amazing color-light special atmosphere that will change depending on the intensity of natural light. In addition, false windows with artificial lighting, which are often installed in bathrooms or on stairwells, can also be decorated with stained glass.

However, before choosing a stained glass style, you need to decide on the technique in which it will be executed.

Stained glass techniques

As mentioned above, there are many techniques for making stained glass, but several of them can be called basic:

Classical technique

The classical stained glass technique has been known since the Middle Ages. The paintings made using it consist of glass fragments of different shades and set in metal frames.

In terms of manufacturing, this option can be called the most difficult, and usually it is entrusted to perform it only by experienced professional craftsmen. To make such a picture, you will need a large number of different tools designed for cutting and processing glass, welding or spiders of metal frames, as well as a well-lit, spacious, isolated workplace. All this is worth acquiring and equipping only if it is planned to practice this art professionally, since a special tool is not cheap. And to be honest, work skills are also required of a very high level.

English or film technique

Film or English technique consists in applying on the glass, according to a previously prepared drawing, a special self-adhesive film of various colors.

Stained glass made in film technique

Each of the fragments in such a stained-glass window, after gluing them, is framed with lead tape. If the glass with this stained-glass window is installed in the interior door, then the lead tape is glued on both sides of it. The lead tape does not require soldering, its cut ends are overlapped and rolled.

The advantages of film technology are that all work is carried out on solid glass, which does not require cutting into separate fragments and their complex processing.

In addition, a stained glass window in English technique can be made much faster than a classic one, and even a novice master can make it independently with a careful approach.

"Fusing"

"Fusing" cannot be called new technology the manufacture of stained glass paintings, since it has been used since glass began to be produced, of course, over the past time, having undergone significant improvements.

Very beautiful and original stained-glass windows made using the "fusing" technology

The name of the technique "fusing" comes from the English word "fusion", which translates as mixing or fusion. It is this process that occurs with glass during the production of stained glass using a similar method. At home, it will not work to make stained glass using this technique, since for its manufacture you need special equipment for melting glass, which can only be provided at very high temperatures.

Stained glass made in this way has no seams and does not require the use of metal frames.

The process of creating a stained glass picture is as follows:

• On transparent glass the right size, laid on a prepared sheet with a pattern, a mosaic of pieces of colored glass is laid out on a special glue.
• Further, this blank is sent to a special furnace, where the process of sintering of individual glass fragments takes place among themselves and with the base on which they are laid.

The "fusing" technology consists in the gradual heating of the mosaic and its languishing at a temperature of 800 degrees - this is the level required for melting and sintering of individual pieces of glass together. Melting takes place under strict control, since the moment when the product is ready cannot be missed, otherwise the process of changing the structure of the material will begin - devitrification, in which the glass crystallizes.

• When the structure of the stained-glass window becomes homogeneous, the stained-glass window must be cooled.
• Then another annealing is carried out, that is, heating the glass with subsequent cooling.
• "Fusing" includes not only melting and sintering, but also techniques for processing glass during these processes. In addition, if desired result not reached, then postforming is performed, which consists in another heating and giving the stained-glass window a convex or curvilinear shape.

At the end of the work, a glass picture is obtained, made of glass of different shades, reliably and hermetically welded together. This technique is used for the manufacture of stained-glass windows, performed in various styles, as it gives almost unlimited possibilities in creating paintings of any subject.

Tiffany

The tiffany stained glass technique is carried out in a way that is somewhat similar to the classical one. In order to make a picture using this technique, a life-size template is prepared in two copies, one of which is cut into separate fragments, along which pieces of glass of different colors will be cut.

In many respects repeating the "classics" technique "Tiffany"

The edges of the pieces of glass are processed and sanded to a smooth finish. Then, each of the elements of the stained-glass window is edged with copper tape, the ends of which are soldered together. In the next step, the framed fragments are connected to each other according to the drawing using tin soldering carried out with a powerful soldering iron.

In contrast to the classical one, the tiffany technique uses only copper tape, which is much more flexible and more stable than a lead profile and easier to deform, with subsequent retention of shape, which allows it to frame even small stained glass details. Thanks to this, the tiffany technique is used not only for stained glass windows, but also for the manufacture of many different interior elements, for example, lampshades for table lamps and chandeliers.

Tiffany lamp shade for table lamp

All parts “dressed” in a copper frame, after soldering the ends of the profile, are rolled with a roller before joining into a general composition, during which the tape compresses the glass fragment.

Video: the work of the master on the stained-glass window using the "tiffany" technique

Sandblasting technique

Sandblasted stained-glass windows are made using special equipment that delivers a jet of air with sand under high pressure.

Creation of bendable paintings using this technique is as follows:

• A transparent sheet of glass is prepared, on the surface of which a pattern stencil is applied and fixed.
• Open areas of the stencil are processed with sand, which is supplied with a thin stream under high pressure. The surface from such an effect loses its transparency and becomes matte.
• Upon completion of the work, the stencil is removed from the glass, and an exquisite airy pattern remains on the surface.

This type of stained-glass window does not require the installation of frames and complex figured cutting of glass, as well as gluing a film. But, as already mentioned, a prerequisite is the availability of special equipment. If you wish, of course, you can replace the stream of sand with sandpaper, but in this case you will have to make a stencil of thin metal, since cardboard is a fragile material, it will begin to wear out and will not allow you to reproduce the exact pattern. Besides, handmade will take a lot of time, but the quality, depth of drawing will still be not the same.

Cast technique

This infrequently used stained glass technique can be called one of the most difficult, since each of the mosaic fragments is blown or cast from colored glass by hand. In the process of such piece production, glass fragments are given a special conceived texture, which contributes to certain optical effects, the play of refraction of light rays, which creates an effect of pronounced three-dimensionality. Then the fragments are assembled into a single picture using mortars and metal reinforcement.

Cast glass stained glass

Making a stained glass window using this technique at home is very problematic, since, in addition to equipment, completely specific technological skills in glass processing are needed here. As a rule, such stained-glass windows are author's works of art, and are practically not used in the practice of private housing construction.

Etching technique

The technique of creating a relief pattern on the stele by etching involves the use of hydrofluoric acid, which has the ability to destructively act on the main component of the glass mass - silicon dioxide.

When acid is applied to glass, its layers begin to break down. In order for the substance to melt only those parts of the glass sheet that are needed, a stencil is applied from an acid-resistant material. Stencils allow you to create clear single or multi-layer patterns on a glass surface, with a pronounced relief of various depths. The more layers there are in the relief, the more voluminous it is. In this case, the acid is applied to different parts of the picture as many times as the number of layers the selected drawing suggests. A single-layer stained glass window is performed in one step, and in this case, the application of acid simply cloudy the glass, making it matte and rough.

It is not worth undertaking such work on your own, without having practice. Working with such a strong acid requires extreme caution, as you can easily skin or mucous membranes. All operations are carried out in special protective equipment, in a well-ventilated non-residential area, equipped accordingly.

Painted stained glass

The good thing about the stained glass technique is that it can imitate any other way of making a glass mosaic picture.

One of the most accessible techniques is painting on glass.

The process of working on it includes several stages:

• Making a drawing and preparing glass of the required size.
• The glass is placed on the table on top of the spread pattern of the stained-glass window.
• According to the drawing, the contour is applied to the glass with the paint of the selected shade. Usually black is chosen, as it perfectly distinguishes the elements of the picture. After completing this stage, the paint must be allowed to dry well.
• The outlined fragments of the stained-glass window are painted with stained-glass paints.

How to independently create a stained glass painting using this technique will be shown below in the instruction table. In the meantime, we can say that this is one of the most accessible technologies at home, and it is fashionable to even involve a child in the manufacture of such a painting - it will be very interesting for him. And the costs, in comparison with all other techniques, are minimal.

Contour filling technology

The pouring technique, just like the painted one, can imitate any method of making a stained-glass window, and with it you can make a picture in the most different styles... This technology is also great for beginners who decide to decorate their home with stained glass windows. In order to reproduce any image on glass, it is necessary to prepare a drawing and stained glass paints, which are usually produced in tubes with a special spout - for the convenience of applying and distributing the composition over the surface.

Pattern made using the contour fill technique

The first thing to do is to transfer the outline of the drawing to the glass using the tracing method. Before conducting following works it is necessary to wait until the paint of the contour is completely dry.

After that, the space inside the contour is filled with paint. the desired color... If necessary, distribute it with a brush. The paint is poured in a fairly thick, 1 ÷ 1.5 mm, even layer, and as it dries, it should give a smooth surface without artistic strokes. If, according to the drawing, individual fragments of the stained-glass window need to be given volume with the help of color, then it is necessary to prepare in advance paint of different shades, which is poured onto the glass, according to the sample drawing.

It should be noted that there are other techniques for making stained glass. Many of them include two or even more basic technologies of methods, so they can be safely called combined. For example, to simplify the painting or pouring method, colored film is used instead of paints. That is, at first, according to the drawing, a film is glued onto the glass, between the fragments of which a gap of 3 ÷ 5 mm is left. Then this gap is filled with black stained-glass paint, which creates the edging of individual fragments of the overall mosaic.

Stained glass styles

Stained-glass windows can be made in various styles, but when choosing a drawing according to this criterion, you should, of course, rely on the design of the entire interior in order to create a harmonious combination of all elements.

Styles of stained-glass windows can have many subspecies, and because of this, it is sometimes even difficult to determine the most correct classification of a drawing. In this case, it is recommended to rely on the features of the images, color gamut and canonical characteristics.

Antique style

The antique style is based on the ancient Greek and Roman origins. The uniqueness and harmony of the elements of these trends have not lost their popularity in our time, and, in addition, many details of later styles were borrowed precisely from the antique.

Stained glass windows made in this style usually consist of numerous fragments and can be made using any of the techniques described above. If a decision is made to adhere to a certain direction, then important condition is the observance of the characteristic features inherent in this particular style:

• The drawing should resemble an antique mosaic containing Greek ornamental elements - these are drawings of amphorae, nymphs, columns, landscapes with architectural structures that have details characteristic of buildings of that time - colonnades, porticoes, triangular pediments, etc.
• Quite often, mixed techniques are used in the manufacture of stained-glass windows of this style, using not only glass fragments, but also films, ceramics, metal and mother-of-pearl.
• Antique motifs are used in stained-glass windows installed in the form of false windows in the bathroom, when decorating glass for interior doors, and, of course, for window openings with natural backlighting.

Ancient Egyptian style

This interior and stained glass style has never gone out of style since it was brought into European culture by Napoleon after his trip to Egypt. The stained glass window in the ancient Egyptian style has not undergone any significant changes since that time, retaining the geometry of the pattern and warm colors.

• The colors typical of the ancient Egyptian style are warm ocher, sandy, coral, orange and yellow shades that go well with brown, deep blue ultramarine, cobalt, khaki and grassy green, especially when they have a black frame.
• This style uses traditional ancient Egyptian ornaments, scenes from the life of the pharaohs, images of sacred animals, as well as famous hieroglyphs.
• For stained-glass windows of this direction, jellied, "tiffany", "fusing", film, as well as classical techniques are suitable.

Egyptian style stained glass is commonly used for bathrooms, balconies or kitchens, and rarely enough for living rooms or bedrooms, due to oversaturation of details.

Gothick style

Gothick style originated in Western Europe during the Middle Ages, and actively developed in the XII-15 centuries. Over time, it became more complex, enriched with various elements and shades.

"Cold" Gothic style

• At the initial stage of the emergence of the style, stained-glass windows were mainly depicted with paintings with religious motives, and later figures of symbolic animals, knightly tournaments, and hunting scenes began to appear.
• Gothic stained glass windows have deep rich hues such as dark green, burgundy, ultramarine, magenta, violet and black.
• Fragments of the picture are framed with gold, patina or blackened copper, everything that can emphasize the belonging of this element of the interior to the Gothic motives.
• The most optimal techniques for making stained glass in the Gothic style are aspic, painting, "tiffany", classic, film, and also combined.

I must say that for an ordinary apartment this style of interior decoration will be gloomy and will not bring comfort and warmth to the house, since it can rather be attributed to the cold monumental direction in art. The Gothic style is more suitable for the large reception halls and high ceilings of Catholic churches.

Indian style

The Indian stained glass window originated many centuries ago as a decoration of window openings for wealthy houses in India. Later, like many other styles, it was enriched and somewhat diluted with plots and motives of other countries, but in general it retained its originality.

• The Indian style is distinguished by the brightness of colors that lift the mood - these are orange-red, bright yellow and green, light blue and others, as if illuminated from the outside by the sun shades. A large amount of gilding may be present in stained glass windows.
• Indian stained glass windows include depictions of deities against the backdrop of the water surface and lush vegetation or mountain landscapes. The most popular element of Indian floral ornament is the so-called paisley - "cucumber", which is present in almost any painting of this style.

Classics of ornaments in Indian style - paisley or, in other words, "cucumber"

• For the execution of this stained-glass window the technique "tiffany", classical, painting and filling is used.

Modern style

Art Nouveau became fashionable after an art exhibition held in Paris in 1900, and, probably, has become forever entrenched among the most popular styles, both in art and in architectural design.

The main idea of ​​this style is the primacy of form, that is, the postulate “form is more important than content” is taken as a basis.

• The Art Nouveau style is distinguished by smooth lines, lightness, sophistication and sophistication. It can be a marine or floral theme, as well as a direction of light romance.

Stained-glass windows made in the Art Nouveau style often contain forged lattices entwined with dense green vegetation interspersed with flowers, or flowerpots with bouquets of unusual shapes installed in them.

• Stained-glass windows of this style are made in pastel calm colors, and therefore fit perfectly into any interior solution, becoming its center and creating an atmosphere of warmth and comfort in the room.
• Stained glass can be made using the tiffany technique, filling, film or painting.

Art deco style

Over time, the complex intricate weaving of plants, forged trellises, various scenes from the life of knights and religious themes were replaced by simpler forms modern styles... One of them, which many have liked, is the art deco style.

Art Deco - the predominance of large details and the symmetry of the picture

This direction appeared in the 20s of the last century, and was especially popular until the 60s. Today, the art deco style is also quite often used in design. modern apartments and houses.

• Drawings of this stained glass style are distinguished by symmetry of the arrangement of elements, clear lines and pure colors, perfectly matched to each other, as well as a repetitive pattern.
• The art deco style is performed in any of the above techniques, since the drawing usually consists of large fragments that can be cut out of glass or film, and also etched with a special acid or filled with paint.

Stained glass in abstract style

Abstractionism, as a recognized style, appeared in 1910, after the watercolors of French artists presented at the exhibition. Over time, it entered European fashion, and they began to use it for the manufacture of various elements for interior decoration, including stained glass windows.

The abstract style can be chosen for various interior solutions, since several directions of stained glass art have merged in it.

• Abstractionism is distinguished by a multitude of fragments, correct and incorrect in shape, by brightness and richness of colors, which give expression to the entire room where the art panel is located.
• Abstract stained glass is performed using painting, fusing, film and filling techniques.

Having chosen a technique suitable for execution, a stained glass window of this style can be made on your own - there are simply no limits for imagination here.

Children's stained glass

The most interesting and touching is the children's stained glass style. The variety of themes and motives of children's motives gives a lot of room for the imagination of parents, and it is quite possible to involve children in the process of sketch preparation. Most often, such stained-glass windows depict heroes of your favorite fairy tales and cartoons, as well as stylized animals.

• Children's stained-glass window should have clear shapes so that the child can immediately see what is depicted on it. You need to think over the drawing so that it consists of smooth lines that can make the picture soft and calm, but at the same time bright and eye-catching.
• Stained glass can be placed on a clock or a mirror built into the wardrobe, but you should not do it on the window, especially if the apartment is located above the first floor. The window is an area of ​​increased danger, and the child will even unconsciously reach for a beautiful bright image.

• In addition, for safety reasons, you need to think carefully about the technique of painting. It should not consist of separate glass fragments, even if they are very well bonded to each other. Sharp embossed protrusions must be completely eliminated.

The picture should not be boring and uninteresting. For children's stained-glass windows, film, pouring and painted equipment is well suited, and even better if the picture is applied to safe synthetic glass.

Making a stained glass with your own hands

The simplest of all the techniques for making stained glass at home, which are available for beginners to master, are painted and film. It is these techniques that will be discussed in more detail.

Creating a stained glass window using the glass painting technique

Illustration
	The first step is to take measurements from the glass on which the stained glass will be applied. According to these dimensions, it is necessary to choose the finished drawing you like, or, with sufficient experience, to complete it yourself. If the finished drawing is taken from the Internet, then it is printed on ordinary sheets of A4 format in any graphic editor, using the multi-page printing function (for this, the Publisher application, which is part of the MS Office package, is excellent for this). Then the fragments are joined and glued along the lines with adhesive tape to recreate a single pattern.
	In this case, the drawing is done independently, by hand. At the same time, it is important to ensure that each of its details is well selected, the borders are drawn.
	On the finished sketch, the glass fits perfectly evenly, onto which the entire drawing will be transferred. Glass must be thoroughly degreased with alcohol or ammonia solutions.
	After cleaning the glass surface, the applied compositions are thoroughly wiped off, since the "working platform" not only should not have greasy stains but also be completely dry.
	The next step is to trace all the contours of the picture on the glass according to the template laid under it. These borders are usually applied with black paint, as it highlights all the fragments well and makes the final drawing clearer. For stained glass, as mentioned above, special stained glass paints are used. The applied contour must dry completely, otherwise you can ruin all the work done by accidentally smearing the paint when performing further operations.
	After the borders have dried, they proceed to painting the finished drawing. This process can be compared to a children's coloring book, where each of the elements must take on a different color. This stage of making a stained glass window must be approached creatively, but also with utmost care. Such toning is usually applied with thin brushes - the previously applied and dried borders will prevent the paints from spreading.
	The colors should be as pure as possible, bright, be sure to be in harmony with each other. If it is supposed to give the picture a special picturesqueness, then darker or lighter shades are best applied later, after the main, basic colors have dried. Otherwise, it can get dirty, and all the work will go to waste.
	The finished stained-glass window should look aesthetically pleasing and neat, as well as harmonize well with the interior style. Glass decorated in this way can be neatly inserted into the frame, for example, of an interior door, or used to decorate furniture doors.

Creation of a stained-glass window in film technique

This stained glass technique involves the use of foil and lead tape. Typically, for film technology, stylized drawings are chosen that have clear forms - art deco style. With a careful approach, such a stained glass window is probably even easier to make than using paints.

Illustration	Brief description of the performed operation
	Most often, a drawing for the execution of a stained-glass window using this technique is printed on a printer using the already mentioned graphic applications. So you can get precise and clear lines and shapes of all, even the smallest fragments. If the work is done for the first time, you should not take an overly complex drawing with intricate elements. The lines of the drawing should have a width of about 4 ÷ 4.5 mm.
	Having printed the drawing on sheets, they are carefully glued together. All lines must match perfectly, since the aesthetics of the final result depends on this.
	The next step, prepared to the size of the glass, must be thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt, degreased on the side with which it will be superimposed on the drawing. Then, the glass is wiped dry.
	Dry glass is placed on a prefabricated sheet with a pattern. It is important to immediately achieve the necessary evenness of stacking with respect to the graphic drawing, so that the work does not go skewed relative to the "canvas". It is advisable to ensure reliable fixation of the glass so that there is no accidental shift when performing further operations. It is recommended for this to use small pieces of thin double-sided tape (shown by arrows), placing them in those places where they will not interfere with the pattern of the stained-glass window.
	For work, you need to prepare such special tools as a roller, a squeegee with a felt pad, a narrow knife with removable blades, a clamp, scissors, metal rulers of different lengths. Materials will require a stained-glass self-adhesive film different colors and a special lead-based self-adhesive stained glass tape of a suitable shade.
	The glass laid on the drawing must be degreased again well and with outside, with an alcohol solution, and then wipe dry with a clean microfiber, which is guaranteed not to leave small fibers on the surface.
	Next, work begins with the film. Experts recommend using high-quality film for installation. English production RegaLead, but it is several times more expensive than the products of other companies. Inexpensive films can be unstable to ultraviolet rays, therefore they can burn out very quickly if the stained-glass window is on the sunny side.
	The film is cut for each element separately according to its size. Here of course the best option will be the organization of the desktop backlighting from below. If it is not possible to do this, then you will have to measure each fragment with a ruler and adjust it in place.
	The film is measured and cut out a little larger than the fragment of the picture, and its edges are corrected after gluing.
	Before gluing each piece, the place where it will be applied is thoroughly wiped (degreased) and dried with a microfiber cloth.
	Further, if the fragment is a strip, then the backing is removed from the cut piece of film, from one of its edges. The edge of the part is fixed on the glass, smoothing with a squeegee with a felt nozzle. The other edge of the fragment is stretched, which makes it possible to position it exactly along the lines of the drawing.
	Then, with a clear and quick movement, the film strip is pressed against the glass with a squeegee. This operation must be carried out quickly so that even the slightest dust does not have time to get on the glass surface, otherwise the effect of accuracy may be irretrievably lost. Excess film along the edges of the glass is cut off with a sharp knife. Glue on back side the film seizes almost immediately, but not at full strength, so it is possible to correct irregularities if they are accidentally created.
	This photo shows well two parallel stripes glued to the glass. One of them has already been cut straight, along a ruler, and the second has just been glued, and its edges have not yet been processed.
	The film should be on the black stripe by 1.5 ÷ 2 mm. A long ruler is laid along this line, a sharp knife is drawn along it, and the excess part of the film is carefully removed. Later in the course of work, the black lines of the drawing will be covered with lead tape, which is glued last.
	In the event that a speck of dust gets under the film, then it is necessary to try to remove it. To do this, carefully lift the edge of the fragment, peeling it off the glass, and carefully remove the speck of dust with the tip of a knife so as not to damage the material. It is strictly forbidden to carry out this operation with your fingers, since the prints from them will necessarily remain on the adhesive layer of the film, and will be clearly visible in the light. After removing a speck of dust, the film is pulled again and pressed with a squeegee.
	This illustration well shows two finished fragments of the future stained glass.
	Further, the work continues on the same principle. If the element of the picture has a curved configuration, then its correction is carried out on the spot.
	To do this, a larger piece of film is cut out, and after gluing, excess sections are carefully cut off from it exactly along the black lines of the drawing. Here, of course, the "fullness of the hand" is very important, so that the manipulations of the knife are carefully verified, and the edges are smooth, exactly according to the placed template.
	If several small fragments of different colors are located in the neighborhood on a conceived drawing, then you can act in two ways. In the first case, the entire multi-colored area is covered with a film of the same color, and then excess fragments are cut out. So you can significantly gain in the speed of making a stained-glass window, but lose in the consumption of material.
	You can do it in a different, more professional way, when each fragment of the picture is covered with a separate piece of film and cut out separately. Here material savings are achieved, but the work, especially in the absence of experience, will take longer, and in addition, there is a high probability of making a mistake. Therefore, if the second method of work is chosen, fragments of a film of a slightly larger size are glued to individual elements.
	The cuts are also made along the black lines of the template pattern. In no case should overlaps of films of adjacent fragments remain, since when the temperature rises, the material tends to expand, and in the absence of a gap between the individual elements of the mosaic pattern, deformation may appear on the surface. And over time, the film will begin to peel off from the glass altogether. Therefore, a gap of 1.5 ÷ 2 mm should remain between the fragments.
	The rest of the drawing is cut out and fixed on the glass using the same technique.
	In the illustration, you can clearly see how elements with complex curved shapes are glued.
	When all the color fragments are filled in with the film, proceed to gluing the lead tape. This material for framing can be of different colors - a ribbon is produced for gold, silver, copper with various intermediate shades. Lead tape can be matte or glossy, it is plastic, since it consists of 98 ÷ 99% pure lead, therefore it easily takes any given shape, and it is very comfortable to work with it. The lower part of this stained glass material is also covered with a special adhesive composition, which has excellent adhesion to glass.
	Each fragment of the stained-glass window is framed with tape. When several lines of the tape are joined at one point, the edges must be overlapped, that is, if the cuts extend to the edge of the entire composition, then they are overlapped by a segment framing the entire edge. In the middle of the pattern, the edges of the tape should also overlap. After gluing, the tape is carefully rolled on top with a roller.
	Straight lines of the stained-glass window, framed with lead tape, must be leveled with a ruler and squeegee - this process must be carried out immediately, while the glue is still dry.
	An easy way to align straight lines allows you to make them perfectly straight. To do this, a ruler is applied to the strip of glued tape, set exactly according to the template, and then an angle or squeegee edge is drawn between the ruler and the tape, which will finally set the tape in a given place.
	As mentioned above, each of the edges of the tape should be overlapped by the next glued section. For example, if a round area with fragments is pasted over, then a whole piece is taken for this and, after laying out the circle, one edge of the tape is superimposed on the other, and then rolled with a roller. Cut edges should be covered so that during cleaning they do not accidentally touch or peel off any of them. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully consider in advance which of the fragments, where and when to glue. You need to try to plan the sequence of gluing in such a way that at the end of the work, there is only one open edge of the tape.
	After that, the entire glued tape is rolled with a roller.
	Further, using a special clamp, which is usually included in the set of accessories for creating stained-glass windows, you need to go over all the joints, pressing the strips of tape together. This is done to avoid the formation of cracks with the subsequent ingress of moisture or detergents into them during operation.
	The tape is pressed on both sides of the joint, which, by the way, gives the overall composition the naturalness of a real stained-glass window - the visual effect of a "forged joint" is obtained. Full sealing of joints and overlaps will ensure the longest possible service of the created stained glass window.
	After that, the stained glass window must be carefully treated with a detergent, but it must be applied not to the glass with a ready-made pattern, but to a microfiber napkin. The stained-glass window is wiped very carefully, in the direction only along the lead strips, in order to avoid their shift, since the glue has not yet completely polymerized.
	Further, from under the glass, you can remove the pattern-drawing.
	The finished stained glass window should have straight lines and be very neat. Only in this case it will look spectacular and become a full-fledged decoration of the room, an eye-catching center. design interior.

If one of the following is selected for manufacturing simple techniques, then you can master them quickly enough. However, before you start making the final version of the stained-glass window, you need to practice a little in order to "fill your hand" at least a little. Perhaps this creative process will be able to captivate someone so much that after completing one picture on glass, a novice master will want to do this professionally.

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To achieve originality in the interior, you can use such an idea as the use of stained glass windows. To do this, it is not at all necessary to hire a craftsman or purchase expensive finished products. It is quite possible to create a stained glass window with your own hands at home by making some effort and studying the proposed material.

Methods for making stained glass

First of all, you need to decide which images will get your . To do this, you need to come up with a sketch or find a ready-made one. This will require:

• Paper or cardboard, the same size as the stained glass.
• Drawing with clear contours, elements.
• Designate with numbers the fragments of the drawing for coloring with the appropriate color.
• If typesetting elements are included, you can specify the direction of the fibers.

Outwardly, the blank looks like a numbered children's coloring book.

Drawing skills is optional: just print a suitable basic stencil. The fading marker will be required to transfer the image to the glass.

Using sketches

Requires a sketch that includes small elements. Small drawings are easy enough to print, large images will require drawing by hand, transferring to glass. You can make a photocopy of your drawing for templates. The main stencil is made using the original, transferring it to the glass. You will need to purchase template scissors: they differ from the usual ones by the presence of a third blade. This will cut a 1.76mm wide strip.

A copy of the sketch must be glued to thick cardboard at least 0.5 mm; a box will do. This is necessary for tracing the paths. They have to be tough. You need to glue the paper evenly along the plane, preventing it from getting wet. It is worthwhile to number parts of the sketch in advance.

Phased work

Thinking about how to do it yourself at home , a work plan needs to be developed. You need to start with simple actions, gradually moving on to more complex ones.

It is easiest to do it with your own hands at home, and you should start with it. For this purpose it is necessary to transfer the image onto a glass base. The curbs are imitated. You can use self-adhesive tape. The gluing surface must be well degreased. If bubbles appear on the film, they can be pierced with a sewing needle.

This method is simple and cheap, but upon closer examination, it will be noticeable that the stained glass is not real. From the street side, he has no view. Do-it-yourself film stained-glass windows are most often made for ceilings, since they do not have a back side and are far enough from the eyes. For the ceiling, this type of stained-glass window is also good because it has a low weight and is completely safe in case of collapse. For the ceiling, you can use an acrylic base, glass should be avoided.

Contour jellied stained-glass windows and painting on glass

Imitation lead binding

The original stained-glass windows have a metal binding. The imitation should also repeat it to make it look more realistic. There are several ways to simulate this element:

1. Bonding borders with special tape. You can buy one in the salon for artists. The tape will help shape the contours. The tape is 1/8-inch wide and is designed like a regular duct tape, only in the appropriate color. It is very easy to work with this material.
2. This method illustrates how to make DIY stained glass with imitation of wire binding. You will need aluminum or copper wire and porcelain glue, you need to find dish glue. Superglue is not suitable as it leaves a lot of marks. You can use any wire with a thickness of 0.02 to 2.5 mm, depending on the size of your work: it is carefully glued to the seams, then covered with patina.
3. The plate can be made by yourself. This will require:

• PVA glue for porcelain 50 ml.
• Mascara 30 ml.
• Aluminum powder 40 gr.

All these components must be mixed until smooth. If you want to achieve the color of brass, you need to use bronze powder instead of aluminum. Before painting the product, check what color you get. Please note that the pasta is not suitable for storage, you need to cook it as needed and stir constantly. It is necessary to apply the mass with a brush or a small syringe. It takes skill.

Imitation lead binding

Varieties of stained glass

Making stained glass at home NS allows you to show imagination and use different technologies, not limited to one recipe.

Fusing is a rather complicated technology for making stained glass . It requires the use of solid glass, on which elements of different shades are applied. The fragments have pronounced boundaries; there is no dividing metal strip between them. For the finished fabric, annealing in an oven is required. The outlines of the drawing can be varied depending on the idea of ​​the author. Such a technique is available for production, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to repeat it at home.

- these are also stained-glass windows, but consisting of separate parts, which are fastened together by soldering with metal strips. This style is distinguished by intricate forms. It has a sophisticated design and bright, varied colors. Most often, using this technology, various items are made, for example, lamps, lamps, toy houses.

Such a do-it-yourself stained glass manufacturing technology can have a number of problems:

Film stained-glass windows

It is quite difficult to make on glass with your own hands, therefore, a very affordable technology is gluing a special film on the glass. For this you will need:

• Self-adhesive foil in various colors.
• Lead-based adhesive tape.
• Rubber roller.
• Glass.
• Paper knife.

This technique is safe, a teenager can master it, so you can invite him to make such a stained glass with his own hands.

To create a picture, you will need to transfer the outline of the picture to the prepared glass using a film. First, a template is created. It can be drawn or printed, then it is applied to the glass with a marker, the contours are pasted over with lead tape, the colored film is cut out and glued to the glass. Thereafter, the lead film is applied again. To fix the elements, they pass along them with a rubber roller.

Film stained glass production

Stained glass paints

Paints will help solve the problem of how to make a stained glass window on glass with your own hands, without using complex technology, while achieving realism. The contour of the drawing is applied to ordinary glass using special paints; you can do this work with your children.

It should be borne in mind that the paint dries for a long time. It will take about a day to dry completely.

Stained glass paints and outlines

Sketch development

Do not start making a stained glass window with your own hands right away from windows or doors. It is worth trying on an old piece of glass, decorative vase, glass. The paints offered for this job are different: there are fired and non-fired types. The first ones require heating the product in an oven, which is not very convenient if, for example, you are painting a plastic window.

After firing, the paint will become dull and lose brightness.

Non-fired paints do not lose their brightness, do not require heat treatment, but they are demanding on washing. They are afraid of aggressive detergents. The window decorated with their help will need to be washed very carefully. If you're just trying to create your own stained glass windows , do not skimp on paint. Buy products from quality imported manufacturers. Such materials have optimal density and are often equipped with dispensers. They do not flow, do not smear.

Contours for stained glass can also be purchased separately. They are sold in tubes for easy application. You should not immediately acquire a black outline: it is difficult to work with. For a beginner, silver or white works well. It will not work to achieve the desired width without experience - you need to practice. Excess material must be wiped off with a damp sponge immediately, otherwise it will dry out.

Any glass or mirror can be used for teaching. First you need to clean its surface from dirt, degrease it: you can do this with alcohol or a special solvent. , think about a sketch. If you have created a drawing, it is better to make several photocopies, ready-made version can be printed on a printer. If you started your workout by creating a lamp, fold the sheet, insert it inside the glass and attach it with tape. After that, the drawing can be outlined with a marker already on the glass. It is better to take an erasable marker. After that, you can use the stained glass contour. Apply it gently to the surface and let the paint dry.

Shake the tube of paint gently before use. Shaking it is not required. otherwise, bubbles will appear in the paint. The paint is applied in a thick layer, it is required to paint over each element of the picture. Then let the paint dry completely. In order to protect the colored layer, you can use acrylic varnish or heat the glass in an oven. The second option is used exclusively for heat-resistant glasses.

Thinking of installing stained glass windows? Read in our material and how much it will cost.

Find out what the advantages and disadvantages of classic stained glass windows are, read consumer reviews and find out prices in our article

Don't use glass. It is quite possible to get by with a safe film. Take the file, attach the sheet with the desired image to it. Show your child how to make stained glass. To do this, you need to circle the drawing with a marker, paint it with paints made earlier. After the paint has dried, the film must be cut and glued to the glass. Let your child come up with a drawing on their own. Many children are happy to be creative, paint and make stained-glass windows.

Conclusion: you can create an original interior decoration on your own, while you will get a lot of positive emotions, you will be able to engage in the creative process together with your family.

Stained glass is a welcome decoration for any interior. But professionally made stained glass windows are expensive. Meanwhile, there are different types of stained glass techniques, and some allow you to make stained glass with your own hands. The simplest ones make it possible to make, for example, a ceiling stained-glass window, very similar to the real one, if you do not look closely. And for more complex, but accessible airplane pilots, a work is obtained, which even a specialist without disassembly will not distinguish from "real".

The main secret of technology

The manufacturing technology of any stained-glass window does not require deep knowledge. But you definitely need an accurate eye, a loyal and firm hand and utmost accuracy. The smallest errors, accumulating as they are manufactured, end up giving the product a not quite attractive, if not just sloppy look. So the main conditions for success are skill, ingenuity, training. If, after three trial compositions the size of a large book, you get a good real one, you are a nugget.

About sketches and scissors

The basis of any stained-glass window is an element-by-element sketch. Sketches of stained-glass windows are always made in duplicate. If they are made on a computer and printed, there is no problem: the printouts are absolutely identical.

However, for a large panel, the sketch has to be drawn by hand and then copied on a blueprint machine. Despite such a serious name, the simplest photocopier is just a sheet of glass (which will then fit into the base), laid on two chairs, and a light bulb under it.

To make a stained-glass window without errors, you need to firmly remember: the assembly is carried out according to the PRIMARY, most accurate sketch, and a copy from it will go to the templates. Otherwise, inconsistencies are inevitable, and adjusting the fragments along the way complicates and spoils the work.

Scissors are needed not simple, but special template, with three blades. The third cuts out a 1.76 mm wide strip. Before cutting, the secondary sketch is glued onto a sheet of thin but dense cardboard (ideal case - 0.5 mm electric cardboard) and a paper-cardboard puff is cut. Otherwise, when making fragments, it will be very difficult to trace the contour on soft paper.

When gluing, be careful - paper soaked from any glue stretches when smoothing, but you need to glue it over the entire plane. Each ready-made template is verified according to the initial sketch. By the way, the pieces of both sketches must be uniformly numbered before cutting.

Classic or glass stained-glass window is a window made of a multitude of multi-colored glasses, transparent or milky; dairy in this case means - opaque colored in the mass. The frosted glass is “rough” on one side, and is transparent at the fracture.

Fragments of a stained-glass window are sometimes called stained-glass smalts, so as not to be confused with smalts, from which glass is collected. Stained glass is also derived from mosaics. Sometimes they even say simply "smalta", tk. there are many more stained-glass windows than glass mosaics. Further in the text smalt - stained glass smalt is everywhere.

Each smalt is framed by a U-shaped profile made of lead, tin, copper or brass. Then the smalts are laid directly on the original sketch, and the seams are soldered. It turns out a bound window made of H-shaped profiles. A brass corner frame is immediately placed on it, for strength, and they are already soldered along the contour. The resulting picture is inserted into window frame or in a backlit opening. In this case, smalts are taken matte or milky.

The figure in the previous section is one of the world's greatest stained glass masterpieces, the stained glass window in the south window of St. Vincent in Blois. The picture above shows modern stained glass windows of the classic type. Both there, and there is a combined technique with the use of fusing, see below. Classic stained glass is very difficult to work with, laborious and not particularly durable. They were not placed in the swing windows - they could crumble from the cotton of the open sash.

From simple to complex

Film and ceiling

Film stained glass (the first on the left in the next figure below) refers to false stained glass: on a glass base, transparent, matte or milky, in one way or another, a pattern is applied with imitation of borders between smalts. In this case, it is just a self-adhesive film; we will talk about imitation of contour borders below, it is not at all difficult.

It is no more difficult to make a stained glass window from a film than to simply paste over something with self-adhesive. The main thing is to degrease the glass well with a solution of dishwashing detergent in water 1: 5-1: 20 and then rinse with distilled water. Bubbles on the film are pierced with a needle and fall down without a trace in a day or two.

Modern films are quite durable, but close up it is immediately clear that this is only an imitation. On the other hand, it has no appearance at all. Therefore, film stained-glass windows are most often installed on the ceiling. There they are just in their place - cheap and cheerful.

Previously, ceiling stained-glass windows were not common: the base is heavy, fragile, and extremely traumatic when it collapses. According to the properties of the material, the stained-glass window on the glass should not be hanging at all. Now the best base for ceiling stained glass windows is acrylic.

Try bending or breaking the computer disk. This is the strength of acrylic plastic with a thickness of only about 1 mm. A person throws a sheet of acrylic 3x3 m 2-3 mm thick with his hand, and under his own weight it does not sag for many years. And suddenly it falls out - it quietly plans, swaying. And the film on the acrylic is very strong. True, acrylic is much more expensive than glass.

Filler

The second pos. on the left - stained-glass window with paints, or filler. From the face, it is already very similar to the real one, but from the inside, a fake is still noticeable, even if it is issued at the same time as the face in the mirror image.

We will take a closer look at the technique of the flooded stained-glass window: from skilled hands, such compositions come out very effective from the face, but it is not so easy to get them. To complete the effect, you need a double passage of light rays through the base glass; hence - a smooth or textured reflective surface underneath. Therefore, the most common application of the filling technique is a stained glass window on a mirror.

The fact is that the paint, when properly filled, forms a meniscus, see below. The rays, direct and reflected from the mirror film, pass through its sections with different curvatures, and the stained-glass window plays with colors with might and main. Diffraction at the borders of the border also affects, so it is better to make it dark, but shiny, also see below. The "fill" is especially effective on acrylic mirrors with a reflective tantalum-niobium substrate.

Tiffany

Tiffany stained glass (next from left to right pos.) Is a real, full-fledged stained glass window made of glass smalts. The only difference from the classics is that the binding is not made of cast or forged grooves, but is formed right along the end of the smalt from metal soldered foil (folia), which in the Middle Ages was not yet able to do.

When using brass foil, hard fusible solders (which in the old days were also not available) and semi-active tiffany fluxes, it turns out to be quite durable. It will also go as a stained-glass window on a window, incl. swing or French, and at the door. The tiffany technique allows you to "stained glass" volumetric rectangular and curved structures. For this, the side faces of the smalt are beveled at 45 degrees or at the angle required by the curvature. No industrial equipment is required for this. We will also discuss the tiffany technique further.

Facet

Faceted stained-glass window, penultimate pos. - an indispensable sign of a prestigious interior. Facet - wide, at a low angle, optically precise polished chamfer on a thick glass plate from 6 mm. The angle of the facet must be precisely matched to the optical properties of the glass in order to obtain the so-called. diamond cut with the highest light refraction.

Smalts of faceted stained-glass windows are made transparent, colorless or colored, from special types of glass - potash (light, with a lower refractive index) and lead (heavy, with high refraction). Particularly effective are the beveled stained-glass windows made of skillfully selected combinations of both (crown flint bevels).

Facet smalts are collected in special, piece-made profiles from durable aluminum alloy, due to their high weight. In general, beveled stained glass requires high craftsmanship and industrial conditions for its manufacture. Most often, smalts are ordered in batches at optical-mechanical enterprises, and they are collected already in small / medium-sized production.

Fusion

Fusing stained glass, or stained glass fusion (from the English fuse - to melt, melt; the last position) is made from heated to softening (300-1200 degrees, depending on the type of glass) smalt, laid out on a stencil on a heat-resistant plane. The entire set is rolled, due to which smooth color transitions are obtained, which is unattainable in other stained glass techniques.

Fusion is the aerobatics of stained glass art. Even when manufactured by robots in an industrial environment, due to rolling, each product is unique. Large stained glass fusion costs a lot of money; however, with the development of robotization, prices are steadily falling, here, as they say, two circles, China is ahead of the whole world. The very same fusion technique has been known since ancient times; it is according to her that smalts with faces, etc. were made and are made. for classic stained-glass windows.

Video: stained glass with fusing

Making a simple stained glass window

Imitations

It has already been said about the film stained glass window, and there is nothing complicated about it. But, before moving on to the colorful, let's talk about the imitation of lead binding; it is common in both cases. A decent-looking imitation of a stained-glass window is largely determined by the similarity of an overhead border to a natural metal binding.

Curbs

There are three ways to simulate the binding of a classic stained-glass window for both film and paint:

• Sticking the borders of the fragments with lead tape. Specially sold for stained glass cases;
• Soft wire contouring, see below;
• Guiding the contours with contour paste.

The first way

Lead tape is a real, without quotes, tape: tape about 1/8 inch wide of lead foil, an adhesive layer the same as on regular tape, and a protective film. Unwinding the roll, spread it along the contour, cut it off, remove the protective film, apply it, press down - that's all. For film stained-glass windows - after gluing, for jellied - before pouring.

Second way

The contour is bent out of the wire and glued (film - after; filling - before) PVA. But not simple, but dishware. It is slightly more expensive than "paper", and the label says: "For gluing glass and porcelain." Reactive adhesives are not suitable, especially cyanoacrylate Superglue. In addition to everything, it is unusually liquid, it flows numb wherever it is not needed.

The wire using this technique is traditionally used aluminum and then patinated, as for tiffany, see below. But the author of this article has repeatedly and successfully used a copper winding wire in high-strength enamel insulation (enamel wire). It bends more easily, and in radio stores and radio markets it can be found with insulation of literally all colors of the rainbow, see fig., Round with a diameter of 0.02 to 2.5 mm and flat (tire) from 1 to 16 mm.

The tire is rare and expensive. But everyone is arched out round wire the contour can be leveled and slightly flattened by tightly squeezing in a locksmith's vice between two even flat steel plates with a thickness of 8-12 mm. The insulation of even the almost pre-war PEV does not deteriorate from this.

Copper wire circuits are especially good for pouring stained-glass windows on mirrors; this has already been said. If you need dullness and patina, it is enough to shirk on the finished one with sandpaper, and the exposed copper will soon itself be covered with the most real, not induced patina.

The third way

Cooking a contour paste according to the recipe:

1. Tableware PVA - 50 ml.
2. Natural black ink (the best is Dutch) - 20-30 ml.
3. Aluminum powder (silver) - 30-40 gr.

Add mascara into PVA, stir thoroughly and add silverware in small portions while stirring until a creamy paste is obtained. If you need a binding for brass, we replace the silver with bronze powder. "Leadiness" depends on the ratio of the carcass to the silver; it is checked with a test, completely dried drop.

The pasta is prepared as needed, it is not stored. When using, you need to stir all the time - the silver floats up. It is applied along the contour with an artistic brush, picking up abundantly so that it fits with a sausage of equal thickness, a good skill is needed here. It is more convenient for a beginner - a small pastry syringe-gun, but then, even after rinsing, for use on direct appointment it is unusable.

Video: do-it-yourself English film stained glass

"Zalivnoe"

The filling stained glass window is performed in the following sequence:

• We are preparing an assembly table: an even board covered with white coarse calico, felt, a bike or flannel.
• We put a stencil on it - a numbered primary sketch.
• Degrease the base glass and put it on the stencil. We take the ends with our hands in new textile gloves; you cannot use the suction cup and leave your fingers on your face.
• Bend, flatten and flatten the contours, one at a time from the left (for left-handers - right) upper corner.
• We adjust it as needed and glue it with dishware PVA. We dry for a day.
• Fill with paint (see below). Adjacent cells of the same color are poured alternately as the previous ones dry: suddenly it leaks, the dried drip can be easily removed with a safety razor blade.
• We dry another day after filling the last cell, insert it into a metal frame - ready to install!

For the preparation of paints, see the trail, but for now let's dwell on the filling; this is the most responsible procedure. Pour the paint with a richly soaked brush or syringe from the inside along the contour, but in no case touching the border (see fig.)! The paint should naturally flow into the meniscus! If the color comes out a little watery, after drying, pour it again in the same way.

Pouring / refilling paint in the middle is unacceptable. If you need a thicker stain, you need to outline it and pour more into it. In this case, two fillings into the frame (along the outer and inner contours) are made without delay, one after the other.

The point is that the "blyamba" in the middle will break the refraction. The "boke effect" known to photographers will appear, and a single such element will break the integrity of the perception of the composition. And if there are a lot of them, then the whole stained glass window will turn out to be sloppy.

Paints

Homemade stained glass paints are known in four types:

1. On PVA and aniline - the easiest to prepare and the most unstable;
2. Soviet-rarity - on BF-2 glue and paste for ballpoint pens;
3. Gelatin-aniline - fragile and fade in direct sunlight, but give an ideal meniscus;
4. Nitro-oil - the most expensive, but have all the advantages without disadvantages.

First. PVA-aniline paints are prepared simply: dilute 50-100 ml of glassware PVA twice or three times with distilled water. Then, in hot distillate - aniline dye for fabric according to the instructions for the tablet, and filter it through calico, gas or thin women's tights. We drip a few drops into the PVA emulsion, stir, put a drop on the glass and check the color scheme. Lightened - add a pigment solution; overshadowed - emulsions.

Second. BF-2 is diluted in half with acetone and pen paste is added dropwise to the solution with stirring. Kohler is checked with a test drop, as indicated above. Gives an excellent meniscus, stance, bright, but - alas! - the turnover of pure acetone is limited, because it is used in the artisanal illegal production of drugs. And you cannot replace it with a nitro solvent or alcohol.

Third. 6 gr. edible gelatin is diluted in 200 ml. distillate at 40-50 degrees. A solution of aniline dye, the same as for the first paint, is added dropwise after cooling to the same temperature and the color is also checked. Strength and resistance to fading can be slightly increased by covering it with transparent acrylic varnish after drying. Aniline with PVA - it is impossible, it will float.

Fourth. We are preparing a composition of 60% by volume of transparent furniture nitro-varnish and 40% 647 solvent. We squeeze the artistic oil paint directly from the tube with pea-sized balls, stir, check the color for a drop. Suitable for acrylic coating; at the same time, the strength is acrylic, and the durability is practically unlimited.

Notes:

1. Sometimes the paint is not stirred, but curdled. This means - the manufacturer is a deceiver: it is not prepared with natural hemp oil.
2. Colors can be mixed, as artists do, but observing the rules for mixing mineral oil paints... Otherwise, it may turn out, as with Ozerov's paintings.

Video: master class on filler stained glass

Tiffany

Tiffany stained glass is an order of magnitude or two more difficult in the work of the above, so we will deal with them in stages. There are difficulties and subtleties at all stages, except, perhaps, patination. And neglecting the technique on any of them will ruin the work. In addition, you need to acquire some special tools and materials.

Tool

Glass cutter

The main key to success when working with tiffany is a glass cutter, because you need to cut out small curved pieces of glass, and stained glass is very viscous. Therefore, only a diamond cutter is needed. Advisers are unlikely to be able to do it through the window leaf themselves.

Diamond glass cutters are of two types: with a sharp point (diamond pencils) and with a curved cutting edge. The former are suitable only for straight cuts, and the latter for curved cuts. The type of cutting part and the cutting method are indicated in the certificate for the tool, and in appearance - a glass cutter with a curved edge is necessarily massive, with a backing for tapping / breaking, see Fig. After cutting with a pencil, the cut piece simply breaks off.

It is undesirable to buy from hands - in 90% of cases they sell because the diamond is chipped and does not give a sonorous cut (see below). There are also files for glass - thin steel strips with a diamond coating. They produce quite decent curves of cuts of large parts (glass for cabinets, etc.), but they are unsuitable for smalts - you cannot cut a small radius.

Notes:

1. Diamond, so you know, although the record holder in hardness, is fragile. Ancient myth about slaves who were promised freedom if they smash a diamond with a hammer on an anvil - only a myth. It prickles even if dropped on the stone floor. Therefore, the glass cutter must be stored in a standard case and handled with care.
2. Glass cutters different manufacturers very, very different in cut quality. A sign of goodness - a case made of genuine leather with a felt lining.

Soldering iron

Tiffany soldering is done by capillary method, so an electric / radio-technical soldering iron with a long red copper tip is not suitable. Need a tool with a nickel-plated bronze sting; it serves only for heating, and the solder does not stick to it during the soldering process. You can recognize this by the initially short white shiny tip (see below in the figure with soldering accessories), and they are sold under the Long Life brand. Power - 100 W, no more and no less.

Abrasive

To fine-tune the smalt after cutting, it is advisable to have a glass sander, see fig. But it costs a lot, and in any case, for accurate fine-tuning, three grinding stones number 220-240 and a width of 12-20 mm are needed: square, semicircular and triangular. The latter is also necessary in the presence of a machine for sampling sharp inner corners; in drawings, say, with leaves, it is very difficult to do without them.

Notes:

1. For smalt volumetric stained-glass windows, a grinder is absolutely necessary. It is impossible to accurately maintain the required bevel angles of the side edges with your hands.
2. It is also desirable to have a diamond file of a lenticular section - for finishing the same corners on very small fragments.

Bars should be looked for from natural garnet or corundum, heavy and very strong. The “sand” wonders of powder technologies do not grind glass, but grind against it themselves. But to grind smalts, even on the best bar, is necessary under a layer of water, for which the bar is immersed in a bowl, baking sheet or some other suitable pallet when turning.

Patina shovel

We make a spatula for applying patina ourselves - from a toothpick and a piece of dense foam rubber 5-6 mm wide and 3-4 mm thick. We put it on a toothpick and fix it with a thin soft wire.

Materials (edit)

Glass

Tiffany length smalts can be made from ordinary glass by painting it as for "jellied" glass. But it is better to buy special stained glass. Translucent, opaque or milky. It is expensive in sheets, but the same firms sell battle cheaply (the material is valuable), but we don’t need much.

Notes:

1. It is not necessary to immediately order cutting into smalts according to the sketch. Expensive, and can't be customized later. You need to cut smalts yourself.
2. Since tiffany is assembled on soldering, the temperature of which the paint does not keep, it must first be completely assembled from plain glass, and only then poured. It is possible from both sides in different colors, which will give the picture overflow when viewed from different sides.

Folia

Foil for framing smalt - folia - is sold in art stores especially for stained glass windows along with lead tape. Product unit - 4-7 mm ribbon roll. Cutting a sheet of foil into strips yourself is undesirable: the stained glass window will come out sloppy.

Soldering

Materials for soldering work are shown in the figure, there is also a soldering iron. Pay attention to the inscription: "No rosin". Thread solder with rosin inside (harpyus) is unsuitable for soldering stained-glass windows. Soldering flux (this is a jar in the figure) is needed with a drill or other semi-active, for soldering electronics. Remains of active flux (with phosphoric acid, etc.) cannot be removed from the binding, and it will eventually be corroded.

Usually, POS-61 solder is recommended for tiffany soldering due to its low melting point - 190 degrees. Smalts sometimes crack from ordinary tin-lead solders (240-280 degrees). But POS-61 is fragile, very soft. There is also POS-61M with copper additive, 192 degrees, but it is only slightly stronger.

The best solders for tiffany are with cadmium additives: POSK-50-18 (145 degrees, in the picture) and Avia-1 (200 degrees, strength - like duralumin). POSK-50-18 is weaker, but still much stronger than POS-61 / 61M. It is inexpensive, unlike Avia-1, which is readily available.

Patina

Now in art and building stores they sell various types of blacksmith's patina. It is better to buy liquid, ready-to-use. It will be only slightly cheaper to prepare the composition from the powder yourself, but it is difficult, and the quality of the coating will be worse.

Stages of work

Sketch / stencil

Already when choosing a pattern, it is necessary to take into account the features of the technology and its weak points. S-, N- and deep U-shaped bends of the edges of smalt are unacceptable: due to the difference in TCR of glass and metal, smalt will begin to crawl out and fall out over them over time. Ideal smalt is an area bounded by convex smooth curves. If a non-monotonic bend is needed, it must be collected from pieces, albeit of the same tone, see fig. Suddenly the finished composition, due to the binding, turns out to be flickering / clumsy - nothing can be done, you need to change or refine the drawing.

Note: drawings for stained glass - a separate area of ​​pictorial art. On the Internet there are many ready-made for different techniques, but if you want your own unique one, you need to contact a stained-glass artist or look for creativity in yourself.

Cutting smalt

First you need to make a base, the same as for a stained glass window. With a correct cut, the remainder breaks off from the slightest push, so there is no need to immediately bring it to the overhang: after the cut under the glass, a thin strip is slipped behind the cut, and lightly pressed with a finger on the remainder. Has not broken off - can be tapped on the weight.

Try cutting a piece of regular window glass. If the cut is squeaky, a scratch is visible, but to break it you need to tap it several times, it's too early to take smalts.

With the correct cut, the glass emits a quiet thin ringing, and the crack is not visible at all. To break, light pressure is enough or lightly bump from the bottom. To get such a cut, you need to maintain the angle of inclination of the tool in the direction of the cut (about 45 degrees, or according to the specification for the glass cutter) and keep it strictly perpendicular in the transverse direction.

The second condition is strictly constant pressure. The skill in angle and strength should be worked out to full automatism when cutting lines of any kind. This is called putting your hand.

Note: the exact angle and pressure are individual for each diamond glass cutter. Therefore, glaziers-aces do not use other people's tools and do not offer them for rent.

But that's not all. A curve cut on a curve will never crack by itself, even if you crack. It will leave both the side and, according to Murphy's First Law, exactly where it will harm the most. What to do?

The auxiliary cuts along the tangent are denser, the curved, see fig. As a general rule, the deflection arrow between two adjacent auxiliary cuts should not exceed two glass thicknesses. By the way, this circumstance must also be taken into account when developing a stencil. Therefore, if you order a drawing from an artist, then immediately determine the stencil. However, good masters add a stencil to the drawing without anything.

If there is an angle on the smalt, a tangent to the least convex side is required from its beak. An important conclusion follows from the above: do not try to cut out many monochrome smalts at once from big piece... Almost all expensive material will go to waste. In general, smalts are cut one at a time as the stencil is filled, see below.

This raises the question: how to trace the smalt templates? The glass cutter is not a razor blade or an assembly knife, but rather plump. And that's what stencil scissors are for. The width of the third, middle, blade takes into account the resulting indentation.

Set to composition

Before starting the set of stained-glass windows, the stencil on the assembly board is fixed with even slats on the left (for left-handers - on the right) and at the top. Smalt is laid from the corresponding far upper corner, see on the left in Fig.

The smalts are cut strictly one at a time, otherwise the whole set will creep out before reaching half. Cutting out one, adjust and calibrate it according to the stencil (you need an indent inward from the contour of 0.5-0.7 mm for soldering). Then it is wrapped in a foliage and its edges are rolled up with a round piece of wood or plastic (middle position). After rolling with the same trowel, iron the side edge; for internal sharp corners it is convenient to use a school plastic ruler with a wedge-shaped edge or a plastic knife from a set of disposable tableware, and roll it up.

Now the smalt is put in place already before soldering, tightly pressed against the previous ones or the side, and the template for the next one is checked against the stencil. If necessary, trim the template with curved nail scissors, and only then they return to glass with a glass cutter. On the filled part, there should be no visible gaps between smalts, right pos. in fig.

Note: the best stained-glass windows are obtained by typing on a blueprint machine covered with calico or a bike. The slightest crack is immediately visible.

Crimping and fluxing

After laying all smalts, the composition is neatly squeezed horizontally with slats now on the right (left) and below. If the smalts begin to bulge upward at the same time, they iron and roll the foliage, press down on top. After that, they start fluxing.

The smalt templates used are laid out next to the shield in accordance with the composition and numbering. You don't need much precision, so long as the pieces don't get messed up. Now the fragments are transferred to this intermediate stencil, starting from the corner opposite to the initial one, i.e. in the reverse order of assembly. So it is necessary that the flux at the ends of the smalt does not dry out.

Then the smalts are transferred one by one back to the working stencil in the same way as they were collected. In this case, the folium framing is coated with a thin layer of flux (it has the consistency of petroleum jelly) using a match or a toothpick. Having assembled the composition again in the old place, they are squeezed again, but the right (left) and lower slats are now fixed with carnations. You can start soldering.

Soldering

The main condition for soldering is not to do a lot at once. Due to the difference in TCR of glass and metal, when overheated, the entire composition can swell and collapse. At a time, you need to solder the area into one or two men's palms, then let it cool, and continue soldering. Soldering is carried out in the order of laying.

Tiffany is soldered by capillary method. First, along the contour of the next smalt, pieces of a solder thread in the width of the soldering iron tip are dripped onto the seam with a step of 1-1.5 cm. The operation is carried out by weight, without touching the thread of solder and the sting of the foliage. This is painstaking, exhausting and demanding work, so take your time and take breaks for rest.

Then the seams are soldered. Each drop or sausage of solder on the seam is heated until it all at once goes into the seam and spreads over it inside. If the flux evaporates and burns out earlier, this may not happen, so flux sparingly, but without dirt. The missing flux during the soldering process can be added, then only after the soldered area cools down. You do not need to sprinkle the set, the flux can be applied on top and slightly warmed up so that it flows into the seam.

Video: tiffany stained glass technique (eng)

Framing

The composition is also soldered into the frame. It is not necessary to glue on epoxy or acrylic: due to the difference in TCR, the stained glass window will not last more than 5-7 years. The frame is made of brass or bronze corner.

The frame must be solid; one soldered connection is permissible in a patch at the junction of the contour. Therefore, the U-shaped profile is not suitable: how can you put a stained-glass window into it, one-piece? It is possible, however, to slip in pieces under the stained-glass window, but then in the corners you need kerchiefs on soldering, which will be visible on finished product... However, again - a matter of taste. You can immediately match the pattern with the kerchiefs.

The frame is cleaned from the inside with a school eraser to a shine (the semi-active flux does not dissolve the oxide film on brass) and thoroughly washed with a cotton swab abundantly moistened with alcohol. Then wipe with a new, unused microfiber eyeglass cloth.

Now the frame from the inside, and the edge of the stained-glass window from the face and from the side, is coated with flux, the frame is applied to the composition, and soldered, like smalts, piece by piece. After cooling, the stained-glass window is carefully turned over, flux is applied to the seamy gap between the edge of the composition and the frame, heated until it spreads, and the gap is soldered. It remains to rinse from the remains of the flux and seal.

Flushing

It is no longer necessary to waste liters of alcohol to remove flux residues: they are perfectly coped with detergents for dishes. A particularly gratifying circumstance for a non-drinker: from "him, my dear" during alcohol washing such a dukhan ...

They wash the stained-glass window (already stained-glass window) in the bathroom under the shower with a foam rubber sponge soaked in detergent. Particularly stuck flux residues are removed with a toothbrush. They do not give in right away, so a simple operation turns out to be painstaking: you cannot press hard or cut off. Quite often the stained-glass window has to be soaked in a bathtub for 24 hours, into which a whole bottle of "Fairy" is poured, until the flux coke becomes limp and disappears under the sponge.

Patination

The final stage is the patina of the binding. The operation is simple: we cast it into a shallow supply container, put it on a spatula and apply it to the binding. After drying, the excess is washed off with the same dishwashing sponge under the shower without any difficulties.

There is only one nuance in patinating: it is caustic and harmful, this is a ready-to-use blacksmith patina. Therefore, you need to work in a ventilated area, wearing protective gloves, goggles, and, preferably, a petal respirator.

After rinsing from the remnants of patina and drying, the stained-glass window is ready - you can insert it into the frame and admire it.

About matting

Film and filler stained-glass windows, used with backlighting, look good if the back of the base is matte. Home-builders are sometimes offered recipes for chemical matting, but these recommenders, it seems, have not smelled this chemistry themselves, since they are alive: when chemical matting, deadly volatile components are used - hydrofluoric (hydrofluoric) acid and its compounds. Matting with silicic acid is no better: you need concentrated sulfuric acid, and poisonous volatile products are also formed.

The easiest way to self-matte the wrong side of the base is to take, and put plastic tracing paper from the inside. Lasts more than 10 years. If the matte base is visible from both sides, then there is a laborious, but completely harmless way:

• We buy 10-50 g, depending on the area, of corundum powder of the smallest fraction (0.05 mm).
• Scatter in small piles over the area of ​​the glass.
• We drip linseed, rapeseed, palm oil or spindle into each pile until a gruel is obtained; the list is in order of preference.
• Rub with light pressure with a burner made of whole, not double, rawhide; a piece of an old, rough, wide waist belt will work well.
• The three front (smooth) side was polished, alternating longitudinal-transverse and circular movements. With some skill, even frosted glasses for photographic equipment can be obtained in this way.
• The rest of the abrasive is washed off with water, dishwashing detergent and a sponge.

Note: you need to flush into the pan, not the bath, otherwise the plumbing will die.

Video: program on making tiffany stained glass

Finally - about aluminum

Someone, after reading the article, will remember: wait, but the glazing of furniture? Isn't it a stained glass window? In standard duralumin profiles, cheap, beautiful, shiny. And you can bend them.

No, there is not a stained glass window. Stained glass is a separate transportable product in a solid frame, brazed or cast. Okay, let's solder it. Aluminum is soldered, and even without argon - there are special "scraping" solders (CSP, for example) and not particularly caustic fluxes based on oleic or palmitic acid.

Yes, but the temperature needs 350-400 degrees, glass does not keep this in close contact with metal. If you very slowly heat the entire set on a fire-resistant shield, it swells and disintegrates from the difference in TCR. Give allowances for thermal expansion - it disintegrates and falls apart when it cools.

So, "true", not on glue and resins, stained-glass windows in aluminum binding have not yet been obtained. If someone comes up with how to make them, it will certainly be a revolution in the art of stained glass: aluminum alloys are light, and in terms of strength they are comparable to steel.

(1 estimates, average: 5,00 out of 5)

Making real stained glass requires painstaking work and professional skills. Such stained-glass windows are very expensive, and it is not always possible to make them at home. According to the classical technology, figuratively carved multi-colored pieces of glass are placed in an openwork frame made of brass or lead. Using the Tiffany method - each mosaic element is edged along the contour with copper foil and soldered into a monolithic canvas.

There are several ways to create stained glass windows with your own hands with minimal material costs and do not require special skill from you. The casting method will require aluminum wire and stained glass paints. It is even easier to make stained glass by gluing a translucent self-adhesive film.

The stained-glass windows on the south-facing windows look especially impressive. Sunlight favorably manifests the compositional color scheme of stained glass.

Sketch and preparatory work for creating stained glass

1. To create a sketch of a stained-glass window, a photo can be found on the Internet, you will need a sheet of graph paper or tracing paper. An ornamental drawing of the future stained glass is applied on paper with a thin pencil.
2. Choose a stained glass pattern that suits your taste and harmoniously fits into the interior. It can be a geometric pattern, flowers, bird or insect ornament. The scope for imagination is unlimited. Remember to mark the colors on the paper template.
3. The ornamental lattice can be made of aluminum wire at least 1.6 mm thick or a special lead tape on a self-adhesive base. This tape is available in various thicknesses and is tinted to match the color of copper, brass or gray lead.

Get a special palette of stained glass or aniline paints. For the second option, a set of multi-colored self-adhesive film is purchased.

Making a contour openwork lattice of a stained-glass window

For the contour, aluminum wire, lead tape on a sticky base or embossed paint for stained glass are used.

1. The processed glass sheet is placed on a horizontal surface and degreased with acetone. The dividing contours are bent according to the pattern of the ornament with the help of round-nose pliers made of aluminum wire. The bent wire is beaten a little with a hammer to give it a greater plane and secure adhesion to the glass surface.
2. A life-size sketch of the stained-glass window is placed under the glass sheet. The wire is abundantly lubricated with PVA glue, adjusted along the contours of the pattern and pressed down with a load. Before gluing, the wire can be painted with gold, bronze or, in the color of copper, acrylic paint.
3. The lead tape on a self-adhesive base is bent and pressed against the glass in place, focusing on the contours of the sketch of the stained-glass window under the glass. The tape is then rolled with a rubber roller.
4. You can also use a special relief paint for the contour. Tubes with such paint are equipped with nozzles of various diameters; when applied, it does not creep and freezes with an even side.

The process of making stained glass by the bulk method

This method is good in cases where the processed glass sheet can be positioned strictly horizontally.

1. Prepare aniline paints for work. Dry paints are diluted with distilled water, stirred and carefully filtered through cheesecloth. Then they are mixed with PVA emulsion to the consistency of cream. In this form, the paints are well superimposed on the glass sheet and adhere well to it.
2. To check the saturation of the tone, a layer of paint is applied to a piece of glass and left to dry. The tone is lightened by adding an emulsion, and saturated with a pigment dye diluted in distilled water.
3. A solution of paints is applied from the edge of the contour to the middle of the fragment. When adding new strokes of paint with a brush, keep an eye on the thickness of the layer. The saturation of the stained-glass picture depends on this. After applying the first layer, time is given for complete polymerization, then the next layers are applied until the desired saturation is achieved.
4. Covered with one color desired sites stained glass, the brush is thoroughly washed, degreased and wiped dry. The next color is poured after the adjacent areas have dried to prevent sagging and mixing of paints of different colors.
5. Completely dried stained glass is covered with transparent varnish. The varnish will additionally adhere the scattered stained-glass elements and give the canvas a shine. A rubber seal is glued around the perimeter of the window or door opening. When installing stained glass in an opening, a rubber seal will smooth out irregularities and ensure a tight fit to the frame.

Applique stained glass technique from self-adhesive film

The self-leveling method is not suitable for installed windows. Make a stained glass window plastic window you can use the application method. This is the most easy way make a stained glass window with your own hands.

To work with film you will need:

• assembly knife and scissors;
• rubber roller;
• marker and pencil;
• degreasing agent;
• set of colored self-adhesive film.

The process of stained glass film application:

1. Window glass is thoroughly washed and degreased. You can degrease with acetone or alcohol solution. Stained glass details are cut out of multi-colored film according to a life-size sketch.
2. A sketch of the stained-glass pattern is attached to the back of the glass on double tape. A lead tape is glued along the outline of the contour lines and rolled with a rubber roller.
3. The space between the contours is neatly filled with colored parts made of adhesive foil cut according to a template and smoothed out with a rubber roller. The parts are glued carefully, simultaneously smoothing and expelling air bubbles. Small air bubbles formed under the film are eliminated by puncturing them with a needle and smoothing them with a roller. Parts are made with a small contour tolerance and trimmed in place with a knife.
4. A similar procedure can be performed on the back of the glass. In this case, the throughput Sveta. It is recommended to install double-sided stained-glass windows on the south side of the room.