How to make stained glass. Frozen glass mosaic: we make stained-glass windows with our own hands. Stained glass windows with their own hands. Create your stained glass window at home

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A colorful stained-glass window can decorate a hall, a bedroom, and a corridor. Ordering such products is too expensive, but you can make a similar decor for your home yourself. A stained-glass window of any complexity is created with your own hands without any problems: the performer needs high-quality glass, paints, sealant. The step-by-step instructions below will tell you in detail about the rules for making stained glass.

Materials for creating a stained glass window with illumination

The basis of the work is glass, but its choice must be approached very carefully. The surface of the material must be perfectly flat, the presence of air bubbles or waves is unacceptable. The selection of other components for work should be approached no less responsibly: the result depends on their quality. In order to make a stained glass window on glass, you will need the following tools and materials:

• whatman paper (should correspond to the size of the decor being made);
• glass;
• stained glass paints;
• black silicone for aquariums (can be replaced with rubber sealant);
• wooden blocks (for the frame);
• corners;
• LED cord, mounts and power cord with adapter.

After purchasing all the elements, you can safely proceed to the manufacture of bright home decor.

How to make a stained glass window?

You should not do many elements, especially if such a task is performed for the first time. After receiving a beautiful sketch, the following work is carried out:

1. A pencil drawing is outlined with a thick marker for ease of subsequent transfer of the image.

2. Glass is laid on top of the paper, the drawing paper is fixed on the glass with adhesive tape.

3. Sealant is prepared: the sharp nose is cut off, as shown in the attached video tip. This will help to draw lines more accurately and more conveniently.

4. The pattern is transferred to the glass.

5. According to the prepared contours, the image is painted using stained glass paints.

To obtain the most beautiful and “live” stained-glass window, it is recommended to use additives when applying paints, dilute one color with another, and lighten areas. All these techniques are demonstrated in the master class on making stained glass at home. On the finished decor, you can see how original and bright the overflows and transitions of shades look.

Preparing a frame and decorating a room with a stained glass window

The dimensions of the frame are determined according to the dimensions of the glass itself: it will be glued directly to the wooden frame. For the reliability of the connection of the beam, you need to saw it in the corners in order to get a reliable lock between adjacent elements. Next, drill holes at the joints and hammer dowels into them.

After assembling the frame, it is polished and painted.

It is fastened along the inner side with the help of plastic fasteners duralight.

Upon completion of fixing, it is connected to a power cord with an adapter. Gluing to the glass frame is carried out, the glass is additionally fixed with metal corners in front, metal fasteners for dowels are installed on the frame at the back. At this stage, the stained-glass window will be completely ready for installation.

Stained glass is a welcome addition to 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 windows with your own hands. The simplest ones make it possible to make, for example, a stained-glass ceiling window, very similar to a real one, if you do not look closely. And according to more complex, but accessible to the DIYer, a work is obtained that even a specialist without disassembly cannot distinguish from a “real-life” one.

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 faithful and firm hand and the utmost accuracy. The smallest errors, accumulating as they are made, eventually give the product a not quite attractive, or even just a 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 two copies. If they are made on a computer and printed out, 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 blueprinting machine. Despite such a serious name, the simplest blueprinting machine is just a sheet of glass (which will then fit on 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 fitting fragments along the way complicates and spoils the work.

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

When gluing, be careful - paper soaked from any glue stretches when smoothed, and you need to glue it over the entire plane. Each finished template is verified according to the primary sketch. By the way, the pieces of both sketches must be uniformly numbered even before cutting.

A classic or glass stained-glass window is a window made of many multi-colored glasses, transparent or milky; dairy in this case means - opaque dyed in mass. Frosted glass is “roughened” on one side, and is transparent at the break.

Fragments of a stained-glass window are sometimes called stained-glass smalts, so as not to be confused with smalts, from which glass is typed. The stained-glass window originated from the mosaic. Sometimes they even say just “smalta”, because. There are many more stained-glass windows than glass mosaics. Further in the text, smalt is stained glass smalt everywhere.

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

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

From simple to complex

Film and ceiling

A film stained-glass window (the first on the left in the next figure below) refers to false stained-glass windows: 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's just a self-adhesive film; we will talk about imitation of contour borders below, it is not at all difficult.

Making a stained-glass window from a film is no more difficult than just pasting something with self-adhesive tape. 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 disappear without a trace in a day or two.

Modern films are quite durable, but close up you can immediately see that this is only an imitation. On the other hand, it doesn't look like it 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 very common: the base is heavy, fragile, and extremely traumatic in case of collapse. According to the properties of the material, the stained-glass window on the glass should not be hanging at all. Now the best basis for ceiling stained-glass windows is acrylic.

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

Jellied

Second pos. on the left - a stained-glass window with paints, or a jellied one. 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 arranged along with the face in a mirror image.

We will consider the stained-glass window technique in more detail below: from skillful hands, such compositions come out very spectacular 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 the smooth or textured reflective surface underneath. Therefore, the most common application of pouring technique is a stained-glass window on a mirror.

The fact is that the paint, when filled correctly, forms a meniscus, see below. The rays, direct and reflected from the mirror film, pass through its sections with different curvature, and the stained glass 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. Particularly impressive is the “filler” on acrylic mirrors with a reflective tantalum-niobium substrate.

Tiffany

Tiffany stained glass (next left to right pos.) is already 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 on the end of the smalt from soldered metal foil (folia), which in the Middle Ages was not yet known how to make.

When using brass foil, hard low-melting solders (which did not exist in the old days either) and semi-active tiffany fluxes, it turns out to be quite strong. It will also go as a stained-glass window on the window, incl. hinged or French, and at the door. The tiffany technique allows you to "stained glass" three-dimensional rectangular and curvilinear structures. To do this, the side faces of the smalt are made beveled at 45 degrees or at the angle required for curvature. Industrial equipment is not required for this. We will also analyze the Tiffany technique further.

facet

Faceted stained-glass window, penultimate pos. - an indispensable sign of a prestigious interior. Facet - a wide, at a small angle, optically accurate polished bevel on a thick, from 6 mm, glass plate. The angle of the facet must be exactly matched to the optical properties of the glass to obtain the so-called. diamond facet, giving the greatest 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 a high refraction). Facet stained-glass windows made of skillfully selected combinations of both (kronflint facets) are especially effective.

Faceted smalts are assembled in special, piece-made profiles made of durable aluminum alloy, due to the large weight. In general, faceted stained glass requires high skill and industrial conditions for manufacturing. Most often, smalts are ordered in batches at optical-mechanical enterprises, and are already assembled in small / medium-sized production.

Fusion

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

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

Video: stained glass using fusing

Making a simple stained glass window

imitations

It has already been said about the film stained-glass window, and there is nothing complicated in it. But, before moving on to 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 the overlay border to a natural metal cover.

borders

There are three ways to imitate 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;
• By forming contours from soft wire, see below;
• Guiding contours with contour paste.

First way

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

Second way

The contour is bent out of the wire and glued (film - after; pouring - before) PVA. But not simple, but dishware. It is a little more expensive than "paper", and the label says: "For gluing glass and porcelain." Reactive adhesives are not suitable, especially cyanoacrylate "Superglue". It is also unusually liquid, it flows everywhere where it is not needed.

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

The tire is rare and expensive. But each contour curved from a round wire can be leveled and slightly flattened by strongly squeezing it in a bench vise between two even flat steel plates 8-12 mm thick. The insulation of even almost pre-war PEV does not deteriorate from this.

Especially good are copper-wire contours for stained-glass stained-glass windows on mirrors; this has already been discussed. If you need dullness and patina, it is enough to swipe over the finished one with sandpaper, and the exposed copper will soon be covered with the most real, not induced patina.

Third way

We prepare the contour paste according to the recipe:

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

We introduce mascara into PVA, mix thoroughly and add silver in small portions while stirring until a creamy paste is obtained. If you need a brass-like binding, we replace the silver with bronze powder. The "lead content" depends on the ratio of carcass with silver; it is checked with a test, completely dried drop.

Pasta is prepared as needed, it is not stored. When using, you need to stir all the time - the silverfish floats to the top. Apply along the contour with an artistic brush, picking up abundantly so that it lays down with a sausage of equal thickness, a good skill is needed here. More convenient for a beginner is a small confectionery syringe gun, but then, even after washing, it is unsuitable for its intended use.

Video: do-it-yourself English film stained glass window

"Jellied"

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

• We are preparing the assembly table: a flat shield covered with white calico, felt, flannel or flannel.
• We put a stencil on it - a numbered primary sketch.
• We degrease the glass - the base and put it on the stencil. We take the ends with our hands in new textile gloves; Do not use a suction cup and leave your fingers on your face.
• We bend, level and flatten the contours, one by one from the left (for left-handers - right) upper corner.
• We customize as needed and glue with PVA utensils. Dry for days.
• Fill with paint (see below). Adjacent cells of one color scheme are filled in turn as the previous ones dry out: suddenly it leaks, the dried drip can be easily removed with a safety razor blade.
• We dry for another day after pouring the last cell, insert it into a metal frame - ready for installation!

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

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

The fact is that the "blamba" in the middle will break the light refraction. There will be a “bokeh effect” known to photographers, and a single such element will violate 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-rare - on BF-2 glue and ballpoint pen paste;
3. Gelatin-aniline - fragile and burn out in direct sunlight, but give an ideal meniscus;
4. Nitrooil - the most expensive, but have all the advantages without the disadvantages.

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

Second. BF-2 is diluted twice with acetone and hand paste is added dropwise to the solution with stirring. The color is checked with a test drop as above. Gives an excellent meniscus, stance, bright, but - alas! – the turnover of pure acetone is limited, because it is used in artisanal illegal drug production. And you can not replace the nitro solvent or alcohol.

Third. 6 gr. food gelatin is diluted in 200 ml. distillate at 40-50 degrees. An aniline dye solution, 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 coating with a 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-lacquer and 40% 647 solvent. Squeeze 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 does not stir, but curdles. This means - the manufacturer is a deceiver: it is not prepared with natural hemp oil.
2. Colors can be mixed as artists do, but following the rules for mixing mineral oil paints. Otherwise, it may turn out, as with Ozerov's paintings.

Video: stained-glass window master class

Tiffany

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

Tool

glass cutter

The main key to success when working on tiffany is a glass cutter, because you need to cut small curvilinear pieces of glass, and stained glass is very viscous. Therefore, only a diamond glass cutter is needed. Advisers are unlikely to manage with roller-coasters themselves through the window.

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

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

Notes:

1. Diamond, so you know, although the champion in hardness, it is fragile. The ancient myth of slaves who were promised freedom if they broke a diamond with a hammer on an anvil is just a myth. It pricks, even dropped on a stone floor. Therefore, the glass cutter must be stored in a regular case and handled with care.
2. Glass cutters from different manufacturers are very, very different in cut quality. A sign of good is a case made of genuine leather with a felt lining.

soldering iron

Tiffany soldering is done by the capillary method, so an electric / radio soldering iron with a long red-copper tip is unsuitable. You need a tool with a bronze nickel-plated sting; it serves only for heating, and the solder does not stick to it during the soldering process. You can recognize this one by the initially short white shiny sting (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 finish the smalt after cutting, it is desirable to have a glass grinder, see fig. But it costs a lot, and in any case, for fine-tuning, you need three grinding bars numbered 220-240 and 12-20 mm wide: square, semicircular and triangular. The latter is also necessary if there is a machine for sampling sharp internal corners; in drawings, say, with leaves, it is very difficult to do without them.

Notes:

1. For smalt voluminous stained-glass windows, a grinder is absolutely necessary. It is impossible to accurately maintain the required bevel angles of the side faces with hands.
2. It is also desirable to have a diamond file with 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" miracles of powder technologies do not sharpen glass, but grind it themselves. But turning smalts even on the best bar is necessary under a layer of water, for which, when turning, the bar is immersed in a bowl, baking sheet or some other suitable tray.

Spatula for patina

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

Glass

Tiffany length smalts can be made from ordinary glass by painting it, as for “filler”. But it is better to buy a special stained glass. Translucent, matte or milky. In sheets, it is expensive, but the same firms sell cheap battle (the material is valuable), but we don’t need much.

Notes:

1. It is not necessary to order immediately cutting into smalts according to the sketch. Expensive, and you will not adjust later. You need to cut the smalts yourself.
2. Since Tiffany is assembled on soldering, the temperature of which the paint does not hold, it must first be completely assembled from plain glass, and only then poured. It is possible on both sides with a different color scheme, which will give the overflow of the picture when viewed from different sides.

Folia

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

Soldering

Materials for soldering are shown in the figure, there is also a soldering iron. Pay attention to the inscription: "Without rosin." Thread-like solder with rosin inside (harpius) is unsuitable for soldering stained-glass windows. Soldering flux (this is a jar in the figure) is needed with borax or other semi-active, for soldering electronics. Residues of active flux (with phosphoric acid, etc.) cannot be removed from the binding, and it will eventually corrode.

Usually, POS-61 solder is recommended for soldering Tiffany due to its fusibility - 190 degrees. From ordinary tin-lead solders (240-280 degrees), smalts sometimes crack. But POS-61 is fragile, very soft. There is also POS-61M with a copper additive, 192 degrees, but it is only a little stronger.

The best solders for tiffany are with cadmium additives: POSK-50-18 (145 degrees, in the figure) 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, it is easily accessible.

Patina

Now in art and construction stores they sell blacksmith's patina of various types. Buy better fluid, ready to use. It will be only slightly cheaper to prepare the powder composition yourself, but 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 weaknesses. S-, N- and deep U-shaped bends of the edges of the smalts are unacceptable: due to the difference in the TC of glass and metal, the smalts will eventually crawl out and fall out along them. An ideal smalt is an area bounded by convex smooth curves. If a non-monotonic bend is needed, it must be collected from pieces, even if of the same tone, see fig. Suddenly, the finished composition turns out to be flickering / clumsy due to the binding - nothing can be done, you need to change or refine the drawing.

Note: drawings for stained-glass windows are a separate area of ​​pictorial art. There are many on the Internet ready for different techniques, but if you want your own unique one, you need to turn to a stained glass artist or look for creative abilities in yourself.

Smalt cutting

First you need to make a base, the same as for stained glass. With the right cut, the residue breaks off from the slightest push, so you don’t need to immediately bring it to the overhang: after making an incision under the glass, a thin rail is slipped behind the cut, and lightly press your finger on the residue. It didn’t break off - you can tap on weight.

Try cutting a piece of regular window glass. If the cut is creaky, a scratch is visible, and for a break you need to tap several times, it’s too early to take on smalts.

With the right cut, the glass makes a quiet, thin ringing, and the crack is not visible at all. For a break, light pressure is enough or lightly poking from below. To obtain such a cut, you need to maintain the angle 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 a strictly constant pressing force. The skill in angle and strength must be worked out to full automatism when cutting lines of any kind. It's called putting your hand up.

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

But that's not all. A curved cut by itself will never crack, even though you crack. It will leave the side and, according to Murphy's First Law, just where it will hurt the most. What to do?

Auxiliary cuts on a tangent, the thicker, the more curved, see fig. The general rule is that the deflection 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 attach a stencil to the drawing without any.

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 foregoing: do not try to cut out a lot of one-color smalts at once from a large 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.

Here the question arises: how to trace smalt templates? The glass cutter is not a razor blade or a utility knife, it is rather plump. And for this, stencil scissors are needed. The width of the third, middle, blade just takes into account the resulting indent.

Set to composition

Before starting to set the stained-glass window, the stencil on the assembly board is fixed with even rails on the left (for left-handers - on the right) and at the top. From the corresponding far upper corner, they are laying the smalt, see on the left in fig.

Smalts are cut out strictly one at a time, otherwise the whole set will spread before reaching half. Having cut out one, they bring it up and align it according to the stencil (you need an indent inward from the contour of 0.5-0.7 mm for soldering). Then they wrap it with foil and roll its edges with a round piece of wood or plastic (middle pos.) After rolling with the same trowel, iron the side face; 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 add it.

Now the smalt is put in place 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, cut the template with curved nail scissors, and only then return to the glass with a glass cutter. There should be no visible gaps between smalts on the filled part, right pos. in fig.

Note: The best stained-glass windows are obtained by typing on a blueprinting machine, covered with calico or baize. The smallest crack is immediately visible.

Crimping and fluxing

After laying all the smalts, the composition is carefully crimped horizontally with slats, now on the right (left) and bottom. If the smalts at the same time begin to stick out at an upward angle, they iron and finish the foil, press it down from above. After that, they start fluxing.

The used smalt templates are laid out next to the shield according to the composition and numbering. Special accuracy is not needed, as long as the pieces are not mixed up. Now fragments are transferred to this intermediate stencil, starting from the corner opposite the initial one, i.e. in reverse order of assembly. So it is necessary that the flux on the ends of the smalt does not dry out.

Next, the smalts are transferred one by one back to the working stencil in the same way as they were collected. At the same time, the foil frame is smeared 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 again crimped, but the right (left) and lower rails are now fixed with cloves. You can start soldering.

Soldering

The main condition for soldering is not to do a lot at once. Due to the difference in the TCR of glass and metal, when overheated, the entire composition can swell and fall apart. At a time, you need to solder the area in one or two male palms, then let it cool, and solder further. Conduct soldering in the order of laying.

Tiffany is soldered by capillary method. First, along the contour of the next smalt, pieces of a solder thread as wide as a soldering iron tip are dripped onto the seam with a step of 1-1.5 cm. The operation is carried out on weight, without touching the thread of the solder and the sting of the foil. This is painstaking, exhausting and responsible work, so take your time, 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 generously, but without dirt. The missing flux during the soldering process can be added, then only after the soldered area cools down. It is not necessary to scatter the set, the flux can be applied on top and warmed up a little to flow 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 TKR, the stained-glass window will not last more than 5-7 years. Make a frame from a brass or bronze corner.

The frame must be solid; one solder joint is allowed in the overlay at the junction of the contour. Therefore, a U-shaped profile is not suitable: how can you put a stained-glass window into it? You can, however, slip it in pieces under the stained-glass window, but then you need soldered scarves in the corners, which will be visible on the finished product. However, again, it's a matter of taste. You can immediately coordinate the pattern with scarves.

The frame is cleaned from the inside with a school eraser to a shine (semi-active flux does not dissolve the oxide film on brass) and thoroughly washed with a cotton swab, richly 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, are smeared with flux, the frame is applied to the composition, and soldered, like smalts, piece by piece. Upon cooling, the stained-glass window is carefully turned over, a flux is applied to the wrong side 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 remnants of the flux and patinate.

flushing

It is no longer necessary to waste liters of alcohol to remove flux residues: dish detergents do an excellent job of removing them. A particularly gratifying circumstance for a non-drinker: from “him, darling” during alcohol washing, such a dukhan ...

Wash the stained-glass window (already a stained-glass window) in the bathroom under the shower with a foam sponge soaked in detergent. Particularly sticky flux residues are removed with a toothbrush. They do not lend themselves immediately, so a simple operation turns out to be painstaking: you cannot press hard or cut off. Often a stained-glass window has to be soaked for a day in a bath, in which a whole bottle of Fairy is thumped, until the flux deposits become limp and come off under the sponge.

Patination

The final stage is patination of the binding. The operation is simple: pour into a small consumable container, collect on a spatula and apply to the binding. Drying excess is washed off with the same dishwashing sponge under the shower without any difficulties.

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

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

About matting

Film and flooded stained-glass windows, used with backlighting, look good if the underside of the base is matte. Do-it-yourselfers are sometimes offered recipes for chemical matting, but these recommenders, it seems, did not smell this chemistry themselves, since they are alive: deadly volatile components are used in chemical matting - hydrofluoric (hydrofluoric) acid and its compounds. Matting with silicic acid is no better: concentrated sulfuric acid is needed, and poisonous volatile products are also formed.

The easiest way to self-matte the inside of the base is to take and apply plastic tracing paper from the inside. Lasts over 10 years. If the matte base is visible from two 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 ​​\u200b\u200bglass.
• We drip linseed, rapeseed, palm oil or a spindle into each pile until a slurry is obtained; The list is in order of preference.
• We rub with light pressure with a polisher made of whole, not double, rawhide; a piece of old coarse wide waist belt will work well.
• The three front (smooth) side of the polished, alternating longitudinal-transverse and circular movements. With some skill, in this way it is even possible to obtain frosted glasses for photographic equipment.
• The remains of the abrasive are washed off with water with dishwashing detergent and a sponge.

Note: you need to flush it into the pan, not the bath, otherwise the plumbing died.

Video: Tiffany stained glass show

Finally, aluminum

Someone, after reading the article, will remember: wait, but the glazing of furniture? Why not stained glass? In standard duralumin profiles, cheap, beautiful, shiny. And you can bend them.

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

Yes, but the temperature is needed 350-400 degrees, the glass does not hold this in close contact with the metal. If, however, the entire set is heated very slowly on a refractory shield, it swells and disintegrates from the difference in TCR. Give allowances for thermal expansion - it loosens and falls apart when cooled.

So "real", not on glue and resins, stained-glass windows in aluminum binding are not yet obtained. If someone figures out how to make them, it will certainly be a revolution in stained glass art: aluminum alloys are light, and comparable in strength to steel.

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Stained-glass windows are a special type of decor that allows you to enrich and effectively highlight any interior. But this is not only the merit of stained glass art, but the entire process of reproduction. Making a stained glass window is a very painstaking work that will take a lot of time and effort. Without skill, it is unlikely that you will be able to create any kind of masterpiece, so masters of their craft are valued very dearly. But today's trend is such that people are trying to create a beautiful decoration for their premises on their own, so they are interested in a completely reasonable question, is it possible to learn this art, and how to make a stained glass window with your own hands?

If a person is talented in something, then he is talented in everything. If you have a great desire to learn this skill and you have all the data for this, then nothing is impossible. First, let's figure out what types of stained glass windows are.

Several techniques fall under the definition of stained glass, the execution of which is very different from each other. We list the most popular options, many of which will enchant you with their beauty and originality.

So, what kind of stained-glass windows are very popular:

• Film stained glass . This is the most budget design option, but also the most modern. Only in this technique it is possible to create pseudo-stained-glass windows, the principle of which rests on the tinting of the glass surface with special films. Among the advantages of this method is the use of solid glass in the work. In addition to convenience during work, it is also safe, so craftsmen often resort to this technology. The stained-glass window in this design weighs very little, and its surface is perfectly flat. Despite this, it is very difficult to attribute this technology to stained glass, since it is rather an application, only a special lavsan film is used instead of paper.
• glass mosaic . Stained glass windows in this technique look very impressive, while the work itself is simple. First you need to prepare colored fragments of tempered glass, and lay them down, forming the intended pattern. This image is very voluminous, so it is customary to use it for decorating ceilings and windows.
  
• Stained glass windows in fusing style. Making such a decor requires special conditions, since you will have to use ovens. First you need to draw up a sketch of the picture, then lay out, according to it, colored fragments of glass, and send the entire composition to a special oven for baking.
  
• Tiffany stained glass windows . This decor is called classic. To understand how this is done, you need to look at the master classes of craftswomen. First, they form small glass fragments of the desired shape and color, fastening all parts of the composition with copper foil.
  
• Etched stained glass. The decor of this class can only be made by a specialist who has not only materials for this, but also the appropriate experience and knowledge. With the help of an aggressive acid, it is necessary to apply the contours of the pattern on the glass. This will draw the boundaries of future creation. And then it's a matter of technology.
  
• Pseudo-stained glass or painted decor. It is considered the easiest to perform. All you need to work is to purchase special paints for glass painting, which can be found in every store. There you can also see stencils that will help create a masterpiece.
  
• Faceted stained glass windows . These decorative elements are used by masters if it is extremely important to emphasize the architectural features of the interior, playing on the refraction of artificial and natural light. This technology helps to create the illusion of glass decoration with precious stones, which emphasizes the style and wealth of the homeowner.
  
• flooded stained glass windows . The technology of this decor is based on a manual reproduction method. Of course, it is very difficult to do this without artistic talent, so many turn to specialists. Initially, you need to create a polymer circuit that will look like a metal broach. After it dries, the drawing can be filled with paint or stained glass varnish.
  

Advantages and disadvantages

Like other decorative elements, stained glass windows can have advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of stained glass decor include:

• Perfect harmony with any style of interior, be it hi-tech or baroque.
• Refraction of light, which allows you to make them softer and more enveloping. Thanks to this quality, an atmosphere of comfort and warmth is achieved in the interior.
• Does not depend on the size of the room. What stained glass windows are good for is that they can be used for all rooms, regardless of their area.
• Stained glass decor is already an excellent interior decoration, so there is no need to clutter up the room with unnecessary items.

Stained-glass windows do not have a negative side, well, at least designers never name these shortcomings. But from a financial point of view, a real work of art is very expensive, so not everyone can afford it. Therefore, this, of course, is a minus.

Practicality or expediency?

Most people who decide to decorate their interior with stained glass elements ask the same question of how practical this product is and whether it is advisable to install it at home. This question can be answered by listening to several designers whose advice concerns the use of stained glass in the home:

• firstly, you should not use stained glass art to decorate the floor, but this applies more to spacious rooms, because you can decorate the bath in this way;
• secondly, household interior items, such as lamps or countertops, will acquire additional functions and will not lose their relevance, so this is a big plus;
• thirdly, if stained-glass windows are used to decorate the ceiling or niches, then you will effectively transform your room, giving it a touch of sophistication and pretentiousness.

The sophistication of your room can suffer if you overload it with elements of this decor, so designers recommend using them as accents in the room.

Making stained glass windows with your own hands - the beginning of the beginning

For this work, it is not enough to have theoretical knowledge, at least you also need a great desire to learn a new business. If you are interested in this activity, the first thing you need to do is to develop a sketch of the future drawing. To do this, several requirements must be met:

• All drawings and sketches must be drawn in full growth. To do this, take a sheet of paper and cardboard of the appropriate size;
• draw the contours of the future drawing on paper so that the division of the image into separate zones can be seen;
• on a sheet of cardboard, indicate the color and material that will be used in the work;
• if this is a stacked stained-glass window, then you will also have to indicate the direction of the glass fibers and number the details.

Theoretically, this may look very complicated. But with a little practice, you will gain enough experience and be able to create a truly bewitching pattern on your mirror or window.

Outwardly, the drawing on paper looks like a coloring book for kids, only in each zone there is a number indicating a certain color or texture of the material. In addition to numbers, there may be arrows or other symbols that should help to assemble the picture and make your workflow as easy as possible for you. Over time, your drawings will become more and more difficult, which will speak of your skill and acquired skills, only then you can say with confidence that this is your favorite pastime.

Modern technologies can significantly save time on the development of sketches and drawings. You can purchase a stencil or download it from the Internet. Your only concern will be transferring the pattern to the glass.

Manufacturing technology

In order to make a stained-glass window with your own hands, you need to decide on its technology. But first, find a place for its location, where it will be used: on a window, ceiling, lamp or glass picture. Each specific case will have its own implementation nuances, so it is very important to decide on this at the initial stage.

Outside the workshops, at home, you can make three types of stained-glass windows that are undemanding to special conditions. This decor includes:

• stained glass Tiffany;
• film stained glass;
• flood stained glass.

Unlike fusing, you do not need sophisticated equipment and furnaces, and the workshop can be replaced with an ordinary apartment, because you will not dilute chemicals and abrasives there. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, first let's look at how to make a Tiffany stained glass window. Experts say that Tiffany has combined several design methods that are an imitation of all classical techniques.

We make stained glass Tiffany

For such a decor, it is necessary to create a sketch, according to which templates of the necessary parts from cardboard should be prepared. Their contours must be transferred to the glass and cut out with a glass cutter. This is followed by a grinding step so that the edges of the parts do not have jagged edges. Copper foil must be applied around the perimeter of each element, fixing it. After that, you can begin to connect the whole picture, closely matching each individual element, collecting a kind of mosaic. The extreme elements must be fixed with small nails, and the foil joints should be treated with flux, soldered on one and the other side of the product, and installed in a prepared frame made of a metal profile. Solder is used to fix the stained glass to the frame.

Each stage of manufacturing such a stained glass window has its own nuances:

• when developing sketches, avoid acute-angled and S-shaped figures, it is better if they are smooth lines with beautiful gentle curves;
• as the main material, experienced experts recommend purchasing not solid glass, but broken glass, at least until you gain sufficient experience in making stained-glass windows and cutting glass;
• for cutting, take a diamond glass cutter, and practice on cheaper material to handle them, this will save you from large expenses;
• the production of stained glass elements and the formation of a pattern must be carried out simultaneously, performing the work step by step. Only in this way can you accurately select all the details and move them as close as possible to each other;

If you use a backlit surface to assemble the drawing, then it will be much easier for you to do this work.

• for soldering parts, you need to take a 100-watt soldering iron, the tip of which will be nickel-plated. And as a solder, fusible tin without rosin should be used;
• when soldering glass elements, avoid large gripping areas to prevent cracking of the glass, then you will have to make the same element again.

You can see this in more detail in the video below:

Film stained glass manufacturing

To make a film stained glass window, you will need less effort, since the technology itself is very simple:

• First you need to clean the glass and place a pre-drawn sketch under it. Contours should be laid with lead tape, and its ends should be fixed with subsequent segments. When the entire pattern is applied, it must be rolled with a roller.
• Now you need to flip the glass. Wipe and prepare the film elements along the outlined contours by gluing them on the reverse side. After that, you should take a special roller for the film, and roll the surface again.
• The joints of the film must be glued with lead tape, exactly repeating the contours on the other side and rolled again with a roller.
• Ready stained glass should be wiped with any detergent.

If it seems to you that such a stained-glass window has an unfinished look, it can be decorated with various glass elements by putting them on glue.

Making a jellied decor

For flood stained glass, you need to prepare a polymer contour, acrylic varnish or a special paint for stained glass.

The work consists of several stages:

• First you need to prepare a sketch, which should then be placed under the glass. Alternatively, you can transfer the drawing with a disappearing marker, there are no strict instructions on this matter.
• The working surface of the glass should be cleaned and degreased.
• According to the applied drawing, apply the boundaries of the sketch with a polymer contour, forming closed areas.
• When the contour dries, you can begin to fill in these areas by filling them with paint or varnish.

You can see this in more detail in the video:

The application of paint or varnish must be carried out very carefully so as not to touch the outline of the pattern. It is impossible to smear the paint on the glass, it must itself spread over its surface in order to create a stained glass window that plays with light.

In conclusion, we can say that stained-glass windows, undeservedly forgotten a few years ago, are becoming in demand in our time. They not only decorate and revive our interiors, but also make them more comfortable and spectacular. The great advantage of this decor can be considered the possibility of using several techniques at home, without resorting to sophisticated equipment, which allows a person to enjoy a corner of luxury at home.

A self-made stained-glass window will give your room originality and unusualness. Things for the interior, made independently, have a significant advantage over serial production. This article will discuss 4 ways to make stained glass windows with your own hands.

The first way to make stained glass windows

Do-it-yourself stained-glass windows require stained glass. Glass cut to size is thoroughly washed and degreased. The selected drawing is performed on a sheet of paper in full size. The contours of the drawing are transferred to the glass with black oil paint using a thin brush. For these purposes, you can adapt a rubber can with a tip from a medical needle. The paint in this case is diluted to the required viscosity. It should be remembered that, transferring the contours of the pattern, you should not touch the degreased surface with your hands.

You can separate fragments of a stained-glass window using narrow slats or halves of twigs that are glued to the glass.

Another way to apply the contour of the pattern to the stained glass window is with epoxy resin, to which aluminum or bronze powder is added. This composition is conveniently applied to the contour lines using an old tube of toothpaste.

Now you can start coloring the image. Paints for stained glass at home are prepared on the basis of:

• food gelatin;
• glue BF-2 (or other similar adhesive compositions);
• colorless furniture nitro varnish.

To obtain paint for stained glass based on gelatin, gouache or aniline dye is added to its solution, which is used to dye fabric. The pattern is painted with the resulting compositions. Contour lines do not allow different shades to mix, so you do not have to wait for the previously painted adjacent area to dry. Gelatin-based paints are not flammable, practically non-toxic, they can be used even indoors.

Paints for stained-glass windows based on BF-2 are made from light grades of glue, diluting it with acetone by half. Alcohol-soluble paint, ink or ballpoint pen paste is added to the resulting solution. Such paint thickens very quickly, so it must be used in a short time.

Paints based on furniture nitrolac are prepared as follows. The varnish is diluted with a special solvent twice. Artistic oil paints of the desired color are added to the resulting composition. It should be remembered that the proportion of paint should not exceed 10% of the prepared composition. Work with solvents must be carried out in a well-ventilated area and comply with fire safety regulations.

After the paints have dried, the surface of the stained-glass window is covered with a colorless varnish so that the glass can be washed with water.

With the help of thin slats, beer and Epsom salts, the glass door can be painted antique. The wood is painted under bog oak and the slats are positioned so that an imitation of fine-grained devitrification is obtained. For glass processing, a solution of the following composition is prepared: a glass of beer and a pack of Epsom salts. For better dissolution, the beer can be slightly warmed up. The solution is applied with a sponge on the horizontal surface of the stained glass window. Of course, the glass must first be well washed and degreased. When dry, Epsom salts form decorative patterns of yellow-brown color. After drying, the glass is covered with a protective layer of varnish.

The second way to make stained glass

After developing a sketch of a stained-glass window, cover it with glass on which the stained-glass window will be made. It must be clean and fat free.

The first method of making stained glass is based on the use of soluble colored fabrics such as acetate silk, which dissolves easily with acetone and nitro varnishes. Cut out pieces of thin fabric of the required configuration and color according to the pattern of the future stained glass window. Cover the glass with a thin layer of transparent nitro varnish and dry. Then the same nitro-lacquer is applied to separate zones, and patches of the workpiece are glued to them. Gluing must be done as accurately as possible, since the fabric begins to dissolve almost immediately, and it will be impossible to move it. After gluing the flap to the place allotted for it, coat it with nitro-lacquer on top and proceed to the next one.

After filling all the glass with stained glass elements, apply another layer of nitro-lacquer, and on top of a couple of layers of parquet. The next step in making a stained-glass window with your own hands is the manufacture of a pseudo-frame. To do this, epoxy resin is mixed with a hardener in a ratio of 1: 8~10. The resulting mass is mixed with talc and aluminum or bronze powder until the mixture acquires a metallic sheen and does not spread over the glass. Then the resulting mass is filled into a confectionery syringe or a used toothpaste tube and squeezed out with an even roller along the outlines of the stained-glass window. In this case, it is important to avoid intersections between the lines, since the rollers should not run into each other.

We recommend that you perform all actions with nitro-varnish in a well-ventilated area or in the open air, and with epoxy resin you need to work with rubber gloves. The solvent for epoxy is gasoline.

The third way to make stained glass windows

You can make a stained glass window from broken glass and silicate glue. First you need to develop a full-size stained glass drawing on a piece of paper. The image must be in color. When developing a sketch, a drawing from a postcard, poster or magazine illustration is taken as the basis. It should be borne in mind that a dark outline plays an important role in the drawing, so its drawing should be expressive, but simple and constructive. The completed sketch must be pasted on the reverse side of the glass on which the stained-glass window will be made, with the front side to the glass. Then, with a thin brush and quick-drying paint in black, dark brown or dark blue, the contours of the image should be applied to the glass. Now you need to pick up colored glass. Useless car lights, used filters, glassware, etc. will do. Glasses must be broken into fragments of the required size. The stained glass is performed as follows. Glass with a sketch pasted on it should be laid on a horizontal base, for example, on a table, face up.

Then its surface must be degreased with ammonia, a layer of silicate glue (liquid glass) is applied to it and a mosaic of colored glass fragments is laid out based on the pattern. The stained glass ornament can be laid out in sections that are limited by contours. After 4-6 hours, it is necessary to fill the surface of the finished stained-glass window with glue so that it covers all the protruding fragments. To prevent the glue from running off the glass, you can lay out a restriction of wooden slats around the stained-glass window, attaching them with plasticine.

A continuous layer of silicate glue smooths out the roughness of the stained-glass window, as a result of which its surface becomes wavy and shiny and transmits light well. In order to obtain a continuous colored layer during the manufacture of a stained-glass window, you need to prepare a slurry by mixing silicate glue with crushed glass, and lay it evenly on the surface of the glass with the end of the brush. Epoxy glue or polyester resin can be used instead of silicate glue

Alexander Poltavets, head of the art stained glass studio, says about stained glass:

Sometimes it is very difficult to find glass of the right color. However, from any hopeless situation, you can always find two ways out. Colorless glass can be painted with zapon varnish. Aniline paints are also used as a dye: yellow - auramine, rivanol; blue - methylene blue; green - brilliant green (can be purchased at a pharmacy); red - rhodamine. In order for the coating to be uniform, the surface of the glass is doused with varnish, allowing the excess to drain. If the glass is exposed to strong sunlight, it is better to use glyphthal lacquer to paint the glass. It is a solution of artificial resin (glyphthal) and aniline paint of one color or another in wine alcohol. If there is no zapon or glyptal varnish, you can prepare an alcohol colored varnish of the following composition:

• 500 ml of ethyl (wine) alcohol,
• 1 g aniline paint,
• 1 g shellac.

The fourth way to make stained glass

It is possible to make a stained-glass window from whole colored glass using the following technology. We prepare a sketch of the stained-glass window and fix it on the back of the transparent glass, as in previous cases. We cut out sections of the pattern of the required configuration from whole colored glasses. We make a "dry" set of stained glass on a transparent base glass. The space between the pieces of colored glass is filled with a solution of the following composition: cement - 1 part, sand - 3 parts, glue (PVA type) - 1 part. For convenience, during this operation, you can even take a plastic container from under the shampoo, into the cork of which a glass or plastic tube with a diameter of 4-5 mm is inserted. Before pouring, the edges of colored glass at the junction with silicate glass are carefully smeared with a solution using a wooden stick. After drying, the main filling is performed. With this treatment, the solution does not leak under the colored glass, and the stained-glass window turns out to be neat.

Stained glass is undergoing a renaissance. Colored glass paintings are increasingly being used by designers to decorate interiors in a variety of styles. Such a picture is able to decorate the room, become its accent, set the tone for the entire interior. But in the past, making stained-glass windows was a time-consuming and expensive task, while modern techniques allow you to create masterpieces on glass yourself.

Styles and techniques

There are many styles of stained-glass windows, because the stained-glass window itself appeared in the Middle Ages. Over time, it changed, reflecting the cultures of different countries and eras, the emergence of new techniques made it possible to diversify the materials used. Now, several styles are used to decorate the premises.

1. Classical. Assumes a symmetrical pattern, floral motifs or a geometric pattern. Made in warm, pastel colors. Appropriate in a classic interior with clear lines, solid, heavy furniture.
2. Gothic. This is the style of the Catholic churches of medieval Europe. Twilight, upward aspiration of narrow lancet windows and high towers with spiers, dark red, scarlet, gold, green, blue, purple colors. It uses religious motifs or scenes from the life of medieval knights, castles, exploits, dragons, unicorns. Gothic stained glass will give the space a touch of mystery, fabulousness. It was during the Middle Ages that the most famous stained-glass windows were created, recognized as masterpieces.

   Stained glass in the Gothic style - a fairy tale and a mystery in your home

3. Modern. Perhaps a universal style for any interior. The main motives of this style are marine, the idea is the priority of form over content. This style is characterized by smooth bizarre lines, one way or another repeating the shape of the sea wave, grace, sophistication. Pale, muted colors, halftones, blue-green colors. Modern goes well with modern technology and gets along well with high-tech interiors.

   Stained glass in Art Nouveau style is appropriate in any interior

4. Abstract. Assumes a geometric pattern and bright, joyful colors. It does not conflict with almost any interior, with the exception of the most orthodox. Brings a special emotionality to the space. In an abstract stained-glass window, it is important to strike a balance between form and color, and then it will never get bored, charging you with optimism and encouraging creativity.

   Stained glass in an abstract style is suitable for any interior and will never get bored

5. Egyptian. Soft paintings in sandy-brown tones. The drawing reproduces Egyptian hieroglyphs, gods, pharaohs and scenes from their lives.
6. Antique. The paintings resemble antique mosaics with ancient Greek scenes. Characterized by the presence of many small details. Suitable for rooms in a minimalist style.

   Stained glass in antique style is often a finished work

7. Byzantine. Distinguished by the use of not only colored, but also transparent glass, which makes the image seem to be hanging in the air. Such stained-glass windows resemble painting on glass, suitable for rooms filled with light.

   The use of transparent glass in the Byzantine style creates the illusion of the pattern floating in the air.

8. Vanguard. The plot of the picture can be anything. But thanks to modern performance techniques, it is given a sense of volume. The image is multi-layered, with three-dimensional details, on transparent or frosted glass, glossy, shining. This stained glass window sets the tone for the entire room and makes it trendy.

   Stained glass in an avant-garde style can contain voluminous details

Stained glass in the interior creates a powerful accent, so it is important not to make a mistake when choosing a style. It should be in harmony with the overall style of the room or set it. Then the rest of the interior will complement and beat it without creating dissonance.

You can decorate with a stained glass window any glass or mirror surface. This will give the interior originality, originality and a sense of luxury. It is appropriate to place a stained-glass window in any room.

Where to place a stained-glass window in an apartment

1. Window. The stained-glass window will give the bedroom a feeling of comfort, and the nursery - fabulousness. The stained-glass window in the window can be used as protection from the sun, hide the bathroom from prying eyes, add festivity and comfort in the kitchen.

   Floral pattern on the balcony window will create the illusion of a country house

2. Doors. You can decorate both full glass doors and glass inserts. The drawing is best done in the same style on all doors.

   Drawing on all doors is best kept in the same style

3. Fake windows. Such a glass picture is supplied with lighting and is often installed in bathrooms or on landings.

   A stained glass window will help to avoid the feeling of a closed space and additionally decorate the room.

4. Ceiling lamps. Large glass shades or acrylic inserts in the ceiling will add originality to the interior.

   Gothic interior will decorate the stained-glass ceiling

5. Glass partitions. They can be transparent and matte. Such partitions are often installed between the kitchen and the bathroom or the toilet and the bathroom. The stained glass window allows light to pass through, but does not allow you to see what is happening behind it.

   Stained glass is a good solution for zoning a room

6. Furniture facades, glass tabletops. Decorating furniture with stained glass is a good way to give it personality. Even old furniture, decorated with stained glass, looks expensive and luxurious.

   Stained glass inserts are appropriate for both furniture in the living room and for the kitchen

1. As already mentioned, the plot of the drawing should correspond to the general style and atmosphere of the room.
2. Dark colors and horizontal lines are suitable for spacious rooms with high ceilings, they visually reduce the space.

   The dark tones of the stained glass create an atmosphere of mystery, but visually reduce the space.

3. Stained glass on a mirror is a good choice for small spaces. It will create a perspective of space and visually enlarge the room.

   Stained glass on the mirror will create a sense of perspective and expand a small room

4. The abundance of bright colors and variegated images can eventually tire. Keep this in mind when choosing an ornament.
5. For the bedroom and nursery, it is better to choose calm, light colors that are conducive to relaxation.

   For the bedroom it is better to prefer calm colors.

6. It is appropriate to decorate the kitchen with a landscape or still life, the bathroom - with a marine plot.

   Fish plots are suitable for the bathroom

But not every stained glass can be done independently. There are several types of performance techniques.

Types of equipment

1. Classic or set. The most complex and ancient technique. Colored glass fragments are inserted into metal frames assembled into a pattern and soldered. The technique requires special tools and skills. It is used for large structures and only by professionals.

   Stained glass in classical technique is indispensable for large areas

2. English or film. The pattern is formed on glass from stained glass self-adhesive film. Each fragment is cut out separately and glued to the place determined by the stencil. The pasted fragments are framed with lead tape. With certain skills, such a stained glass window can be made independently.
3. Fusing. The stained-glass window is made without a metal frame by sintering multi-colored fragments into a monolithic pattern. It is impossible to make such a stained-glass window at home; a special oven with a high temperature is required.

   Fusing stained glass strikes with the brightness of colors and the integrity of the composition

4. Tiffany. This technique is similar to the classical one. Fragments of the pattern are cut out of colored glass, bordered with copper tape. Finished elements are assembled into a pattern and soldered together. For beginners, this technique is difficult, but it is quite possible to master and use it at home.

   Stained glass in the Tiffany technique successfully replaces the classical technique

5. Sandblasting. It consists in processing glass on a stencil with sand supplied under high pressure. The treated areas become dull, and the pattern becomes airy. Not applicable at home, requires special equipment.
6. Cast. Each element is cast or blown from glass separately. After that, the fragments are assembled into a picture using reinforcement or mortar. Does not apply at home.
7. Etching. Hydrofluoric acid etching of glass creates deep relief patterns. Using this strong acid at home is dangerous to health.
8. Painted stained glass. The pattern is copied onto the glass and outlined. After drying, the contour of the void is painted with stained glass paints.

   In the painted technique, you can create real paintings

9. Contour filling. As with the painted technique, the outline of the drawing is first prepared. After it dries, the voids are filled with thick layers of paint. If necessary, the paint is leveled with a brush or wooden stick.

   Filling technique most successfully imitates classical styles

Video: making an English film stained glass window with your own hands

The most accessible for self-production are painted stained-glass windows and contour pouring techniques. They do not require special knowledge, materials and tools, and can imitate almost any other technique. For the manufacture of such stained-glass windows, only special paints, accuracy and patience are needed.

Video: do-it-yourself Tiffany stained glass window

What you need to make stained glass

Before you get started, prepare everything you need. For painted and flooded stained glass, you will need paints.

Paints

Special stained glass or acrylic paints on glass are used. All of them have their own characteristics.

Acrylic paints

The composition includes three main components: pigment, water and acrylic polymer emulsion. Sold in tubes or jars.

Acrylic paints are sold in jars and tubes.

Acrylic paints dry quickly, after which they become resistant and elastic. After drying, they are resistant to changes in temperature and humidity. It is very difficult to scrape off the dried coating, as well as to remove it with sandpaper.

Acrylic paints dry quickly and are easy to work with at home.

The color of the finished coating is matte, bright. It is not subject to fading and does not fade over time. Paints of different colors can be mixed with each other. The brush is washed immediately after use with water, for a dried one you will have to use a solvent.

There are two types: fired and non-fired. Fired after application, they heat up in the oven, harden and become resistant to external influences. The firing temperature is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

Stained glass paints can be fired and unfired

If the paints are not fired, after a week they will dry and harden in the same way as when they were fired, but until then there is a risk of smearing them. The paints are water-based, which is why they are diluted with it. Brushes are also washed with water.

Unfired paints dry from 1 to 3 days depending on the manufacturer. The drawing requires fixing by applying a layer of nitro-lacquer.

These colors are more vibrant. They are thicker due to the synthetic solvent included in their composition. They fit well, they are more convenient to work on vertical surfaces.

Homemade paints

Some masters prefer to use paints of their own production. They are easy to make yourself from what is sold in hardware stores.

1. Based on nitro lacquer. NTs-2141 or another similar one is used. Nitrolak is diluted with solvent 647, in a ratio of 1 to 0.4. It is tinted with artistic oil paint or building color. The dye is added little by little until the desired color intensity is achieved.
2. Based on BF-2 glue. The glue is diluted twice with acetone, tinted with any alcohol-based dye. It can be ballpoint pen paste or other paint. The emulsion is stirred in a glass dish, tested on glass. If necessary, paint is added until the required intensity is reached.
3. Gelatin based. 5-6 g of gelatin is brewed with 200 ml of hot water to the consistency of a paste and a fabric dye is added. Drawing from such paint requires fixing with nitro-lacquer.

In addition to paints, you will need a contour for work. This is a special thick paste for outlining the borders of the pattern. It imitates metal frames for pieces of smalt in painted and stained-glass windows.

Circuit

Contours-reliefs are made on a water basis, sold in tubes. With their help, the drawing is outlined, which is then filled with paints. It can also be used to create a three-dimensional drawing.

Stained glass contours can be used to create a three-dimensional pattern

At home, contour paste can be prepared on the basis of PVA glue. To do this, you need 50 ml of dishware PVA, 20-30 ml of natural black ink (the best is Dutch), 30-40 g of silver or bronze powder.

Ink is introduced into the glue with constant stirring, and then powder, until a creamy consistency is obtained. Such a paste is prepared as needed, it is not stored. Stir each time before use. Masters apply it with a brush, forming a roller, it is more convenient for beginners to use a confectionery syringe.

Required Tools

For the manufacture of stained-glass windows using different techniques, a special tool is required. In drawing and pouring technique, it will need a minimum:

• ruler;
• pencil;
• glass marker;
• brushes;
• wooden sticks or toothpicks.

And of course, making a stained glass window is impossible without a pattern stencil. How to do it, consider in more detail.

Stencil for stained glass

A suitable stencil can be purchased from a specialized store or stained glass artist. But it is much more interesting to make a stencil on your own, choosing a suitable sketch.

Do not choose a sketch with many details and voids; such a pattern will look sloppy on a finished stained glass window.

The image can be downloaded from the Internet and simply printed at the desired scale, taking into account the size of the future stained glass window. Or take your favorite picture, postcard and enlarge it to the required size.

Photo gallery: stencil samples for self-creation of stained glass

Floral motifs never go out of style and are suitable for any room. The details of the stencil are numbered for the convenience of coloring the stained glass window. The lattice complements the flower and gives the picture a finished look. Birds - another timeless story for stained glass

Number the details of the picture of the same color. This will help you not to make mistakes when coloring.

How to enlarge a drawing

1. Draw the pattern into cells with a side of no more than 1 cm.
2. Number the resulting grid vertically and horizontally.
3. Measure stained glass.
4. Transfer the dimensions to paper.
5. Mark the sheet according to the number of cells in the figure.
6. Draw a grid on the sheet in accordance with the markup.
7. Cell by cell, transfer the image from the postcard to paper on an enlarged scale.
8. The finished drawing can be corrected, colors can be changed.

If you have drawing skills, you can create a pattern yourself. To do this, transfer the dimensions of the future stained-glass window to a sheet of paper and mark the contours of the pattern. Draw with a simple pencil so that you can correct inaccuracies.

When choosing an image, keep in mind that its proportions may suffer when enlarged. If necessary, draw the picture not with squares, but with rectangles.

Draw the details, you should get a whole picture. Circle the finished drawing along the contour with a ballpoint pen or a thin marker.

Application

Having prepared everything you need, you can start making stained glass. Make sure that the work surface is level, and remember that if handled carelessly, the glass may break.

Making a stained glass window: step by step instructions

1. Lay the glass on the prepared stencil so that their edges match.
2. Thoroughly degrease the glass with alcohol, acetone or vinegar. Dry the surface with a dry, lint-free cloth.
3. Transfer the outlines of the pattern from the stencil onto the glass with a special disappearing marker. If you have experience in drawing, the lines can be applied directly with a contour or contour paste.

   Drawing a contour requires accuracy and an accurate eye

4. Let the outline dry, otherwise the drawing will be smeared.
5. Now it remains only to fill the voids of the drawing with paints. This is done with a thin brush or directly from the tube. Tubes of ready-made paints are equipped with a convenient spout.

   Paints on stained glass are applied with a brush or with a nozzle on a tube

6. Paint is applied from the edges to the center. It's not scary if paint gets on the contour during work - correct it with a wooden stick or a toothpick. After drying, special paints become transparent and the outline will show through them.
7. If the pattern provides for color transitions, lighter or darker tones are applied after the base ones. They can be mixed or blended with the main ones with a toothpick.
8. Bubbles formed during operation are also removed with a toothpick.
9. Let the finished painting dry completely. Some paints need to be additionally covered with nitro-lacquer, pay attention to this. Such information is indicated on the packaging.
10. It remains only to insert the stained glass into the frame.

    Stained glass window can be framed

To protect yourself from cuts, the edges of the glass can be pre-pasted with masking tape before work.

Video: a master class for making a stained-glass window with a flood technique

Having mastered the painting and pouring techniques, you can try yourself in the English film or fusion technique. This will require large expenses, materials and skills, but it's worth it.

Photo gallery: a few ideas for placing stained glass windows in the interior

Abstract pattern suitable for high-tech style Floral ornament will decorate the windows of the living room A stained-glass window on the bathroom window will give a special atmosphere and protect from prying eyes. The geometric pattern for the living room is easy to make with stained glass film Stained glass windows of the landing are made in the same style Bay windows are well suited for stained glass Ceiling insert can be decorated with film stained glass

Creating stained glass windows is a creative and exciting activity. The simplest stained-glass windows can be made even by children. And let your work not be like the masterpieces of world art, but they will bring originality and a particle of your individuality to your home.