How to Do a Stained Glass Painting in the 3rd Grade

Stained glass has inspired people for centuries.

Stained glass lets the light in and sparks the colored glass to life. Your students can create a similar effect with tracing paper, watercolors and black markers. Hanging their creations in your class windows will light the room with color. Show your class pictures of famous stained glass windows to gather inspiration.

Things You'll Need

• Tracing paper
• Pencils
• Black markers
• Watercolors
• Small bowls of water
• Paintbrushes
• Paper towels
• Scissors
• Yarn
• Tape

Instructions

1. Show the children how to draw the lines dividing the sections of color on the tracing paper with a pencil.

2. Have them trace the pencil lines with black marker. Advise children to leave sections between the black marks that are at least the size of a quarter. The black lines are like pools that will hold the colored paints.

3. Instruct the children to place the tracing paper on a paper towel and fill in the white parts of the paper with watercolors. Children should use just enough water to dampen the paints but not so much that the tracing paper tears.

4. Cut a six-inch piece of yarn and tape it to the back of the tracing paper, once it has dried, with the ends four inches apart. Use this to hang each painting by taping the top of the yarn loop to a window with the painting against the glass.

References

• Art lesson plans
• Stained Glass Association