How to Handpaint Glassware
Decorative hand painting elevates plain glassware to a new level. You can start with an inexpensive wine glass and transform it into a customized gift with a little know-how and the right materials. Decorate a set of glassware to coordinate with your holiday décor or create hand-painted monograms on glassware as a wedding gift. You also can hand paint glass plates and chargers to enhance your dining table; just make sure to paint on the underside of the plate so you can use it for food service.
Things You'll Need
- Glassware
- Glass cleaner
- Lint-free cloth
- Rubbing alcohol
- White cotton gloves
- Stencils
- Painter's tape
- Glass paint/paint brush
- Glass paint pens
- Baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
Instructions
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1
Clean the glassware with glass cleaner and a lint-free cloth; dry it completely. Wipe the area that you plan to paint with rubbing alcohol to remove any fingerprints. Wear white cotton gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints as you handle the glassware during the painting process.
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2
Tape a stencil with an image or lettering on the glassware with painter's tape. Stencils provide the outline for your painted project, but you can do your design freehand, if you like.
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3
Cover the cutout area of the stencil with a light coat of glass paint or enamel paint. Use an artist's brush to apply the paint. Glass and enamel paint are designed to adhere to slick, nonporous surfaces. Or use a glass paint pen.
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4
Let the paint dry. Add another thin layer of paint if you prefer a darker hand-painted design or if you want to highlight your image with a different color paint. Let the second coat dry.
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Remove the stencils. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the painted glassware on the baking sheet, painted side up. Bake the glassware in the oven according to the paint manufacturer's directions. Baking the paint sets it so you can wash the glassware. Some enamel paints set without baking.
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Tips & Warnings
Create hand-painted designs on glassware that resemble stained glass using liquid leading and stained glass paint.
