Stained glass has always mesmerized me. From the grand art in old Chapels to hand sized stained glass window circles. The artistic craft behind it is so glorious and beautiful. And when the light hits it… PURE HEAVEN!
Now you can have the best of both worlds, gorgeous stained glass and easily removable/changeable. I have been wanting to recreate my own stained glass cross for Easter after seeing a post from Sibster. I knew this would be the most perfect little afternoon craft with just me and my sweet 4 year old. And what better time than during Easter, in honoring and celebrating our Heavenly Father.
All you need is a few hours, a little creativity, simple supplies and you can create a one of a kind masterpiece to enjoy for weeks!
Supplies
Crayola Washable Paint – classic colors
Crayola Washable Paint– colors of the world
Ice Cube Tray (or any individual small bowls)
Painters Tape (more on size below)
LTK Post Link
Placement
If possible, choose a window or door where direct ight comes in. I chose our back door because it gets the most light pouring in. Even though it’s not direct sunlight, I still love that we can enjoy both the inside while sitting in the living room AND the outside while we are on the screened porch. Next year I think we will do our breakfast nook window because it gets the most beautiful direct sunlight through it. I’ll definitely update this post next year with those pictures.
Planning
I didn’t plan anything particular, other than measuring the width of my door glass. I wanted to make sure the cross was lined up with the middle of the door so I could work out from there. After taping out the cross the edges won’t be perfect so I used my craft knife to make them straight. The black lines in the picture below indicate where I cut the excess off to make all the points square.
After making the cross, I decided to make a frame around it instead of painting the entire glass. (see below)
After making the frame, I taped out the rays coming off of the cross. If you look in the picture below you can see the blue “V’s” coming off the cross. Those will be the yellow rays. That was the only color I planned. Then after that, it was simply making shapes that could mimic stained glass. Use your creativity and just have fun! I also ran out of the blue painters tape, which is why there is purple tape as well.
NOTE: I used regular one inch painters tape for this project, but next time I will use 1/2 inch. I like the thinner lines between each color. But you can choose any width that works for your vision!
Painting the Glass
To divide the paint I wanted to use an ice cube tray to make it easier but I couldn’t find our craft one. Instead I used tiny glass bowls I had laying around. I wasn’t worried about them being ruined since this is washable paint BUT I do suggest only using non-food related items for the paint.
Using the Crayola washable paint truly made it super easy to clean up and apply. I did choose to add one drop of dish soap to each separate color of paint and mix it up together but it’s only personal preference for easier removal.
As you can see above, the paint goes on really thin. I allowed the first coat to dry, approximately 30 mins, then painted a second coat. That second coat really made it pop so beautifully.
Remove Tape & Admire Your Creation!
Once the second coat dries, remove the tape and admire your beautiful creation!
After I removed the tape, I used a tiny craft paint brush and added a little black border around the cross to make it stand out even more and I am soooo glad I did!
How fun, easy and SO special during this Easter season. To have the reminder of the sacrifice and promise of the Cross. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon with my sweet boy than creating and treasuring time together.
I love how it turned out from the inside but look how beautiful it is on the outside too 😍
”And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people), and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,“
Ephesians 1:18-20
