Beautifully, richly and unusually look stained glass inwindows. But for some reason, many people are accustomed to associating them with some religious buildings or luxurious palaces. In fact, today, stained glass can be in an ordinary apartment. There are several technologies for their manufacture. They differ only in price, quality and operating conditions of the finished product, but not in its decorative characteristics.
In addition, today you can create a stained glass window with your ownhands at home. For this purpose, you can find enough consumables in specialized stores. The main thing is to master the technique of working with them, with which we will try to understand the article.
What are the stained-glass windows
People used to think that stained glass with their own handscreate is not realistic. Of course, huge canvases that occur in the best cathedrals of the world are unlikely to be collected in your closet, but a window in the apartment can be filled with such a miracle by any home master.
Stained-glass windows are divided into several types:
- technology Tiffany;
- film;
- liquid;
- painted.
The most difficult technique for the first, because itinvolves a lot of processes and fine work with real glass. The simplest ones are painted, but on condition that you know how to hold a brush in your hand.
Stencil - the basis of any stained glass
To create your own hands a stained glass windowa stencil is simply necessary. This is its basis and organizing part. Stencils are made on thick paper and in full size. This allows you to cut out the future stained-glass window in accordance with the plan and along precisely marked lines. Drawing a picture on a glass is much more difficult.
The stencil is placed under the glass with a markup to the top so that it can be traced or cut the composite details of a future work of art. That's why it should be a life-size product.
Once such schemes were done manually, thatsignificantly slowed the creation of stained glass, and required the master of certain drawing skills. Now it is enough to use a graphical computer program that will not only turn any image into a circuit, but also translate it into vector graphics, allowing you to stretch the picture to any size without loss in quality.
Tiffany Technology
This is perhaps the most difficult way to createsuch decor. For work are used: thin color glass (3-4 mm), copper tape, soldering iron and solder, patination solution. The difficulty is to learn how to cut glass plates correctly on curved lines. Masters are advised to conduct one time on the intended line with a glass cutter. He should publish a characteristic crunch. After this, from one edge to the other, it is necessary to tap this incision so that a crack passes over it. And at the final stage, with a simple lever movement, a piece of glass breaks off. Provided the process is correctly executed, the glass breaks off exactly along the line that was marked by the glass cutter. If this skill is mastered, you can easily create openwork stained glass Tiffany own hands.
All stages of work look like this:
- On the light table it is necessary to place a stencil with the glass colors marked on it.
- Take the decorative plate of the desired color andwe cut out the element from it by stencil. At this point, it is important to accurately draw the line with a glass cutter so that the glass breaks and breaks off exactly where it was planned. Otherwise, the stained-glass window will not meet.
- We cut the necessary number of pieces and on the stencil we collect the complete drawing. We check again, that all the parts fit tightly to each other.
- We continue to make stained glass by our own handsThe fact that we wrap each piece of glass with a copper tape. It is very important to place the workpiece on it strictly in the center, then to make the edges out of the projecting edges.
- It's time to reassemble the drawing and turn on the soldering iron. While it is heated, all the seams need to be thoroughly processed with a soldering flux, so that the solder is firmly attached to them.
- Tin with the help of a soldering iron points together all the details together. Only after this, you can begin to create voluminous tin lines.
- Do not forget about the reverse side of the stained glass window. But here the layer of solder can be put much thinner.
- The last step is patination. This effect is created with the help of a solution of copper sulfate, which, interacting with tin, blackens it, creating a protective and decorative patina layer.
Here's how to make a stained glass window by yourself.At first glance, everything may seem rather difficult, but do not forget that practice is necessary in everything. Start with small pictures with a small number of small details. Over time, you will learn to do more complex technical works.
False Stained Glass
Tiffany's technology is considered genuine forcreating paintings from glass. But craftsmen have developed several new techniques, how to decorate window openings. The most similar to the previous technology film stained glass. With their own hands create them even easier.
Here, instead of brittle thin glass, a translucent and transparent self-adhesive film is used. But working with her is like working with real glass.
On the luminous table put a stencil and press it with a working glass. It is this that needs to be pasted with pieces of colored film.
By stencil with a sharp clerical knife, cut out the necessary pieces-billets. Then, when the entire pattern is worked out, they are glued to a pre-cleaned and degreased glass.
If all the work is done correctly, then there should be no gaps between the film pieces. But even if they stayed, the main thing is to be small, because this is not the end of the work.
In the arsenal of masters of film stained glass there isSpecial metallized adhesive tapes that perfectly simulate real solder. Pieces of this tape should be glued so that they are as similar to soldering. Do this procedure on both sides of the glass.
Such stained glass on their own handsmuch easier, but there are some nuances here. The main thing is not to leave bubbles between the film and the glass. This completely kills the decorative value of the product. Second - the film is sold in relatively large pieces, and on the beautiful stained glass you need a considerable number of colors. Therefore, such a product can be expensive. But if you need to create something bigger than the pictures 15 by 20 cm, then it makes sense to start working with films and glass.
Liquid Patterns
There is another option - to make their own handsa flood window. What is this technique? It is a bit like film because the work is done on a single piece of glass blank. Only patterns are created not by films, but by liquid components.
We carefully clean glass, remove grease and dust.We put a sketch of the finished product under it. First, you need to take the outline paint and draw all the lines that are on the stencil. This circuit will create a kind of rim for the liquid components. The same elements of liquid stained glass can be purchased in a specialized store or on the Internet on the sites for needlework.
Let's figure out how to make stained glassown hands. When the contours are completely dry, proceed directly to the fill. It must be done carefully, so that the polymers do not splash into their cells. They need to be poured a little so that they cover the glass with a thin layer. To distribute the paint evenly, you can use a brush or a sharp stick.
When all cells are full, leave the stained glass window for 24 hours to completely dry. At this time it is important to protect it from ingress of dust, moisture and other mechanical impurities.
Now you know how to make stained glass on your own glass in different techniques. But that's not all of them.
Stained glass on dishes and small items of everyday life
It happens that I really want to stained glasschandelier or a cup, and such difficult moments in the technique of Tiffany will have to master for more than a year. What to do in this case? Make stained glass in your own home colors. Thematic shops sell special paints for glass with the effect of stained glass. They are persistent, transparent and quite bright. Separately, there are special contours that help to simulate welded seams of glass pieces.
It is not difficult to work in this technique.Again, we need a stencil and a few hours of free time. The paper blank should be pressed firmly from the inside of the dishes, on which the painting will be made. You can use scotch for these purposes.
Then draw out all the lines with the outline paint.We try to do everything as carefully as possible, so that later we do not have to correct the work. When the contour dries, we take a brush and stained-glass paints and remember the childhood, when we had to paint the picture with empty blanks. We let the paint dry, and we get the original stained-glass interior and household items.
These are all the basic techniques, how you can createstained glass with your own hands. Of course, do not write off and ready-made magazine labels with patterns. But to use them more rationally not as a finished product, but as a material for an affordable analog of film stained glass. The main thing is not to limit yourself to fantasy, if you really want to create a stained-glass window with your own hands at home.
Pros and cons of each type of stained glass
The most expensive and at the same time richthe Tiffany stained glass windows will look like. This colored glass in the frame of a dark metal just sparkles and lets out sunbursts or bizarre shadows both in daylight and in artificial light. Create such a masterpiece of a large area is not so simple, so it is often used as a small element in the interior or exterior. In addition, the glass in this stained glass window is rather thin, which does not add to it a special strength. But he tolerates all atmospheric changes quite stably.
Пленочные витражи лучше использовать внутри premises. Polymers, from which films are created, are not very fond of changes in temperature and humidity. And direct sunlight for them is fatal. Therefore, if you decide to put them in the window aperture, then try to do it indoors and not in the southern room.
If you figured out how to make your own stained glasshands at home, and successfully coped with this task, the film elements perfectly complement the windows in the doors, interior partitions, furniture fronts and wardrobes. Even in the nursery, in the kitchen and in the bathroom, they can be used.
Bulk stained glass windows are also quite versatile.They can occupy large areas, and just a corner on the mirror or in the window opening. After polymers harden, bulk stained-glass windows are not afraid of virtually no effects, except for atmospheric, from which they can crack and crumble.
But just stained paints more capricious.They like to decorate dishes, but after that it should be used at a minimum, because from frequent washing the paint begins to crack and peel off. But one of the advantages of this technique is that it certainly does not limit the master in decorating uneven surfaces, such as the ceiling light. After all, Tiffany's stained glass for this requires the highest level of skill, the film needs to be skillfully cut so that there are no wrinkles and bubbles on it, and the bulk stained glass will completely drain.
Mirror as a background for the film
A rather interesting variant of the room decor is stained glass on the mirror. We will consider how to create them correctly in order to get solely pleasure, and not disappointment in our abilities.
To create a stained glass window on the mirror with your own hands,It is necessary to choose a suitable stencil. Now we will talk about such a product, which closes the entire plane of the mirror. Therefore, the picture should not be small.
If we use stained glass films as a decorative material, then we will need another of the same dimensions as a mirror, a sheet of glass. It will help to cut out decorative materials for further work.
Now that all the pieces are cut, we continueto figure out how to make a stained-glass window with your own hands on a mirror, because drawing on it is much more difficult to transfer. Collect all the details on the stencil on the glass sheet and transfer them to the mirror, but do not glue it yet to make sure that you have done the right thing and try it on again.
When everything is tailored to the planned pattern, you canproceed with the work, as in the manufacture of conventional film stained glass, with the only difference being that we do not glue the reverse side of the product with a decorative tape.
Bulk stained glass mirror
The same element of the decor can be created using bulk technology. But here it will be a little harder to transfer the picture. But with this we will help you figure it out.
To leave the picture on the mirror surface, you need to first consider that it will be mirrored by the technology that will be described later. Therefore, immediately mirror it before starting work.
So, for the work we need a permanentmarker, stencil, ballpoint pen and thick film type stationery file. On it with the help of a permanent marker transfer the image. Then we turn over our improvised "carbon paper" with inscriptions to the glass, firmly fix and trace all the contours again, but with a ballpoint pen or any other sharp, but relatively soft object.
Then you can begin to create mirrored stained glass windows with your own hands using the technology described earlier.
Small decorative accents
Вот мы и разобрались, как сделать витраж на glass do it yourself And it does not have to be huge canvases that cover the entire plane of the panoramic windows. Stained glass accents can be made small. For example, decorate one corner of the kitchen window with flowers to match the overall interior design. This not only does not burden the entire design, but also makes it more sophisticated.
The stained glass frames and corners look great.mirrors, whether it is a living room, bedroom or bathroom. To add them with any thematic drawings on glass is to add a small highlight to the overall interior.
Довольно часто пленочные витражи используются на facades of sliding wardrobes. These are huge, as a rule, mirrored sliding doors, which depict whole pictures, depending on the style of the whole room in which they are located.
Workshop equipment
Now you figure out how to make your own stained glasshands at home. But to work on an ongoing basis it is necessary to equip a convenient workshop. First you need a light table. It can be created from an ordinary glass table top covered with a matte film and illuminated from below.
Since you have to work with glass, it is importantprovide him with proper storage conditions. And since it is mainly in an upright position, you need to prepare for it the right and comfortable holders.
You also need different shelves for storing materials, consumables, tools and stencils. The better the workshop space is organized, the faster and more efficient the work will be.
If you plan to work with bulk stained glass,It is very important to provide them with ideal conditions when they dry. Therefore, it makes sense to think about some kind of protective caps or a sealed cabinet, where dust will not leak.
And the most important thing is never worth it.ignore safety rules. Since working with glass is fraught with risk of injury, it should be cut in protective gloves. Work with all reagents must also take place in gloves, and when using a soldering iron, you must remember the rules of fire safety.
Stained glass as a form of earnings
If you once made a stained glass window with your own hands, andYou liked this job, you can turn this activity into a great business. To do this, it is enough to invest in the necessary materials and make a full-fledged workshop. After that, you can begin to "hunt for the client."
Just find someone in your cityengaged in the creation of furniture to order and install windows. Contact them and offer your services to create stained glass. Of course, these people will sell your product to the final consumer as intermediaries, having done so and their own cheat. But at this stage the main thing is to start earning on your favorite hobby.
Далее можно самостоятельно дать несколько advertisements in the local press, on the Internet, on bulletin boards in the most crowded places. This will also lead to you as a buyer, because stained glass windows are becoming quite a popular element of decor not only in luxurious mansions, but also in ordinary apartments. The main thing is to offer people an affordable product.
Ideas for motives
How to choose a picture that will decorate the home. Look in this article for a photo of stained glass windows. You can easily create many of these examples with your own hands.
Inspire the creation of stained glass can anyfloral motifs, ornaments. The situation with animals and people is more complicated, since it is necessary to select the lines-accents correctly, so that ultimately it turned out exactly what was planned initially and did not have to sign under the stained-glass window that it depicted a bear, and not a squirrel.
Но самый простой вариант для создания трафаретов at the initial stage of creativity, besides using ready-made ones, these are geometric patterns. You can even draw them yourself without using a printer. And not always such patterns are simple, as it seems at first glance. Many of them can be as fantasy and voluminous as possible due to the use of correct shades in the composition.
By the way, the harmony of colors and shades - not the leastmoment. Any stained glass window is a painting on glass that should carry some artistic purpose. If at first you can’t pick up the colors correctly, use the decoding on the ready-made schemes, which are abundantly available on the Internet for sale.
Winter stained glass windows
Few of you thought, but many already accuratelyThey made a primitive stained glass window on the window with their own hands. Remember the New Year holidays. If you are not familiar with this option, then we will tell you how to decorate the window with scissors, paper, dishwashing sponge and white toothpaste.
Вырезаем любые снежинки из плотной офисной бумаги.There is no limit to fantasy. The main thing - to remember, the deeper the snowflake, the more beautiful the pattern will turn out. We need such blanks several pieces of different sizes. We take some water, we moisten glass with it and glue a snowflake. When it sticks, we put a little toothpaste on the sponge and we fill it with light driving movements with it all the space inside this stencil and around the perimeter.
So we repeat until it is reachedmaximum decorative effect. Such a "stained-glass window" is removed easily with an ordinary damp cloth, as during the usual washing of windows. There is also an option to replace toothpaste with artificial snow in cans. See for yourself what is more accessible and better for you.
There is another option to paint the windows with gouache.This method is also quite often used, especially in children's educational institutions. There are no restrictions at all for the flight of fancy, since any holiday motifs can be painted on the glass.
To flush such creativity is a little more difficult thanthe previous version, because gouache more densely stains both glass and a rag with which it is washed. Therefore, it is better to remove the painting using a large volume of water.
The result
Making stained glass windows at home is not as difficult asIt seems at first glance. To do this, you need to prepare a suitable stencil and the necessary materials. Only to engage in such a craft is not always advisable, since consumables are quite expensive. Yes, and basic skills of working with them should be for everyone who decided to try himself in this business.
On the other hand, make yourself bigA stained glass window or several small ones are much cheaper than ordering them in specialized workshops, where they will take money not only for materials, but also for the work done. If you have a need for a large number of such decorative elements, then you can safely go to the nearest store for materials.
