Customize your decor by adding personal touches to glass surfaces.
Glass surfaces abound within the home. From kitchen dishes to holiday ornaments to the various vases and bowls you use around your living spaces, it seems glass is everywhere. Whether opaque or clear, you can make your glass surfaces reflect more of your personal style by painting them. Painting on glass is not any more difficult than painting on paper or other surfaces, but you will need to make use of specialized materials and need to consider the end use before you begin.
Instructions
1. Decide whether the glassware you are about to paint will be used for eating or drinking and whether it will need to withstand microwave heat, refrigerator cold or dishwasher action. This will determine what kind of paints you need to purchase. You can use regular acrylic paints mixed with glass medium on any glassware, but acrylic paints specifically formulated for glass will be more likely to withstand the rigors of regular use.
2. Clean the glass and determine where you are going to put your design. Use rubbing alcohol and cotton or microfiber cloth to clean away any soap scum, grease or other residue that might be clinging to the glass. In deciding where to place your design, do not include paint at any point directly used for food or consumption, such as the lip of a glass. If you are using a stencil, follow the manufacturer's instructions to attach it to the glass. You can opt to paint the design area with glass conditioner first, which acts like a primer. The conditioner may leave a haze on the glass as you paint it on, but the haze will disappear as the conditioner dries.
3. Paint your design on the glass. Acrylic paints dry to the touch very quickly, so have an idea of create your pattern before touching brush to glass. The glass will not absorb the paint like paper would, so be sparing in its application until you are more familiar with how it reacts. Prevent dripping by painting at a horizontal angle. Try cushioning your glass in a covered soft pillow or folded towel to keep it steady. You can blend paints on the brush and can adjust mistakes with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. If you have been using a stencil, remove the stencil before the paint is fully dry.
4. Allow the full recommended time for drying; think of it as a two-stage process. Although acrylic paints dry on the surface very quickly, it takes a while longer for the underlying layers to become set. Factors that affect drying time include humidity, temperature and air flow around the object painted. Most manufacturers recommend allowing your creation to dry for at least 24 hours before washing. You will get the best results if you follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
