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Faux Stained Glass with Mod Podge (Easy!)

You can whip up a piece of DIY art in less than 30 minutes using this simple faux stained glass technique! It’s so easy, even a kid can do it. Learn how to make it here.

Skills Required: None. You don’t need any prior crafting experience to make this project. That’s what makes it so fun!

How to Make Faux Stained Glass

While real stained glass is beautiful and unique, it’s not necessarily easy for the average person to make.

That’s where Mod Podge comes in! With a little tinted Mod Podge and acrylic paint, you can turn a piece of regular glass into faux stained glass.

DIY Stained Glass

I was able to whip up this simple piece of art in less than 30 minutes, and there’s no reason you can’t follow this tutorial for larger, more involved pieces of art as well. I think this would be a fun craft for kids, craft for teens, or project for adults.

Not only can you do smaller pieces like this project, you can also do larger projects like an entire faux stained glass window. That looks like real stained glass! And you don’t have to wear gloves to make it.

What kind of paint do you use for faux stained glass?

For this project, you’ll use acrylic paint! Just craft paint from the craft store. You can also use glass paint if you have some. You can use a combination of the two as well. I encourage you to experiment.

To truly achieve this DIY stained glass appearance, you’ll only use a little bit of paint so that you can still see through the glass stain once painted.

Tip: you can also use food coloring! Having said that, it doesn’t come in as many colors – and you might have some paint you want to use up.

Easy Fake Stained Glass Supplies

You can either freehand simple designs to fill in with color, or you can stencil them by placing the glass over a print or pre-drawn piece of paper.

Your artwork doesn’t have to stand alone, either! A design like this one can be placed inside of a frame, over a photo, for unique photo art. Feel free to get creative.

This glass tutorial is completed in four easy steps. You’re going to mix the black paint “leading” and then apply it to the glass. Then you’re going to mix your glass colors, and apply those too.

Once it dries, you can display! Here’s how it’s done.

Gather These Supplies

Before you begin, clean the glass. You can use mild soap and water; rinse and let dry.

Mix the Faux Leading

Step 1: Combine about ½ cup of Mod Podge and several drops of black paint in the bowl and mix well with a paintbrush.

Mixing black acrylic paint and Mod Podge together with a paintbrush

Note, the amount of Mod Podge and paint you need will depend on the size of the surface you are drawing on. You will have to estimate . . . and if you make extra, you can save it in squeeze bottles.

Move the tinted Mod Podge to the squeeze bottle.

Apply to Glass

Step 2: Place the glass on a flat surface (over a design you want to stencil, if desired) and gently squeeze the bottle to draw an outline of the pattern. Go slow so that lines appear as even as possible.

Hand holding a squeeze bottle filled with paint and Mod Podge over glass

Note, if needed, set the glass aside to dry in sections to avoid smudging as you draw. Simply cap the squeeze bottle so that it does not dry out.

Black paint mixed iwth Mod Podge applied to glass

Once the outline of the design is complete, set aside to dry completely.

Mix the Faux Stain

Step 3: Now you’re going to make your faux glass stain! You’re going to do this the same way that you mixed the faux leading in step 1. You will add 1/2 cup Mod Podge to a bowl and then a few drops of paint. Mix with the paintbrush.

You’re going to want to test your “glass paint” on a piece of paper first. Mix it with a bit of Mod Podge to make it more transparent. Mix until you get your desired transparency level (keep testing on paper until you are happy with the results).

Paint in Areas

Step 4: Use the glass paint and small brushes to fill in the desired areas of your design with color and let dry. If one coat is not enough to achieve your desired color, paint a second coat.

Painting in leaf areas on the DIY stained glass

The nice thing about the Mod Podge? The more you add to the glass paint – the more transparent it makes your design – and the more easily you’ll be able to scrape it off of the glass if you change your mind!

The design can be somewhat permanent, as long as it is not disturbed. However if you get tired of the design, you can soak it in water and remove it and make a new DIY stained glass design.

DIY faux stained glass

Display your DIY stained glass art, and be prepared to impress everyone you know because they’ll never guess you made it with Mod Podge!

Yield: 1 panel

Faux Stained Glass

DIY faux stained glass

Learn how to make DIY stained glass using this simple recipe of paint and Mod Podge! It's so easy, even a kid can do it.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Active Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $3

Materials

  • Piece of glass - any size
  • Mod Podge Gloss
  • Black acrylic paint
  • Glass paint, low opacity
  • Disposable bowl/cup

Tools

  • Squeeze bottle
  • Paintbrushes

Instructions

  1. Combine ½ cup of Mod Podge and several drops of black paint in a bowl and mix well. Add to a squeeze bottle.
  2. Place the glass on a flat surface with the pattern below it. Gently squeeze the bottle to draw the outline of the pattern. Set aside to dry completely.
  3. For each stained glass color, mix 1/2 cup Mod Podge with a few drops of the paint color. Mix until you get your desired transparency level.
  4. Use a small brush or spouncer to add these colors to the glass. Paint in between the black lines and let dry. You might need a second coat.
  5. Let dry completely before displaying.

Notes

If needed, set the glass aside to dry in sections to avoid smudging as you draw. Simply cap the squeeze bottle so that it does not dry out.

Did You Make This Project?

Please leave a rating or share a photo on Pinterest!


If you like this DIY stained glass craft, you might also like these other project ideas:

Linda

Sunday 31st of July 2022

Very good, I love this.

DIY Home Sweet Home

Tuesday 23rd of January 2018

So pretty. I would love to do a large one for my bathroom window to allow for more privacy but still let in sun light. Thanks for the idea!!

Amy

Monday 29th of January 2018

It would work perfectly for that! :D

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