When we moved into our home in 2005, we knew it was never going to be our “forever” home. My husband was starting law school, and our little house was cheaper than rent. But, through a series of fortunate and unfortunate events, we are still here. Since we don’t plan on selling for a while, I decided to decorate how I’d want to (instead of decorating how I would want to for a re-sell).
One of the first things I did was take this boring pendant light from our kitchen and painted it like stained glass — geeky stained glass…
I used puff paint for the faux leading and acrylic paints mixed with white glue for the colored glass.
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It’s been up now for more than a year, and I still smile when I walk into my kitchen and see it hanging there in the center, glowing in all rainbow colors.
Sarah that is beautIful! You did a great job!!
thanks 🙂
Oh dude that is one sweet lamp. Never thought of mixing glue with acrylic paint, i’m going to try that myself.
However, I’ve got a tip. The puff paint is eventually going to run. Not right away, and not like drippy candle wax, but it will start migrating downwards and the designs will get sumdgy. Especially if you’re using hot bulbs in there. It might take a few years but it happens. Maybe by then you’ll want a new design (hopefully not, yours is awesomes)
Also: Dust sticks to puffy paint. But whatevs, dust sticks to lots of stuff.
Source: I used to use puffy paints as a kid. A lot. My parents’ house still has some “window decor” I made when I was a teen. The otters on our south-facing windows are totes saggy now. The flowers in the bathroom are drooping. It happened so slowly that I didn’t notice until 5 years after I’d moved out. So you have lots of time to enjoy them, but eventually things will start oozing.
it hasn’t started oozing yet, but that is good to know! I used it because it was…. puffy and kept the paints from running, but I am sure you could do something else. I saw someone else had done it first but with flowers or something.
Use florescent bulbs they will keep the whole works cool. I have worked as a commercial stained glass artist and we would tell people that even for the real deal other wise the solder over heats and the lamp with start to pull apart.
cool thanks 🙂
also stained glass amazes me, I do not think I could do it!
Awesome-ness! I love this. Especially the Harry Potter panel. XD
Kinda wondering if there’s a more durable paint out there to use rather than puffy paint. Like would acrylic or oil be better?
Also, would a paint sealant over the design help it last longer? It’s usually just a quick clear coat over the current design.
I feel like you can buy something that is like a fake leading, but I had all the stuff laying around so it was a free project 🙂
the puffy paint hasn’t run yet, but that is good to know!!!
There are, in fact, fake leading glass paints. Pebeo makes stained glass paint and Martha Stewart has produced glass paint which I think includes an “outliner”. Pebeo makes both food safe and non-food safe paints. One requires baking to “cure” (so it won’t come off with washing so you can clean your cups and plates) so may not work all that well for a light unless you can put the whole lamp base in a 200F oven. But you could leave it unbaked and just wipe and replace when you want a change.
! oh! like I said above , the reason for the puffy paint was to separate the colors – and since the acrylic and glue is runny, it was nice to have the “leading” to protect it.
There is paint designed for glass. Opus and Michaels both carry them.
oh I did know that too 🙂
there are not words — this is just delightful. =)
thanks 🙂
thanks!
OH HOLY CATS
that is the coolest thing!!!!
(sorry not to have anything more constructive to add!)
Completely stunning project. Incredible! I’m loving the Doctor Who panels. Now I want to know about that spoon thingy over the stove. Is it a clock? Looks very interesting.
yes it is!!! I got it at Target in the fall on clearance for $8 ! it matches my kitchen and living room EXACTLY! and thank you!
Oh, I HAVE to show this to my boyfriend. He’s a huge Marvel fan. Huge. And this project marries my love of stained glass pretty-things, and his love of brightly colored comic book-inspired home décor. Brilliant!
I love it! Great way to combine so many fandoms 🙂 I love the marvel panel so much!
thanks!
Having seen this light in person, I can say it’s even more impressive and awesome in real life!
Awesome idea…I am getting a new house soon (hopefully!) and now I will totally look at those brass 90s light fixtures as something I can deal with instead of something I’d need to replace right away!
that is truly gorgeous – you are an artist!
If anyone wants to copy, there is a product called ‘liquid leading’ that is precisely for using on glass for faux stained glass work.
Fantabulous! I have the most awful nana lampshades in the world all over my house and no lampshade replacement budget, but maybe there IS hope! 😀
oh boy now I know what to do with my horrible ceiling fan light (till I can afford the sweet hidden fan light) thanks for some super inspiration!
Can you tell me the proportions of glue to paint?
Thanks,
Sharon
I think I used a few drops of paint per tablespoon of glue. I can’t remember the exact recipe, but it didn’t take much to tint the glue appropriately.