How to Make a Hardened Glass Stain Liquid

Create fake stained glass creations that look like the real thing.

While nothing beats genuine stained glass for an elegant expression of colorful glass art, realistic-looking glass dyes can reproduce the appearance of real stained glass in a manner that's surprisingly authentic-looking. Hardening stained glass dyes work by sitting on top of clear glass after being applied like paint, and their formula is simple enough that you can mix your own, customizing your colors and quantities to suit your project needs.

Things You'll Need

• Clear craft glue
• Airtight, resealable containers
• Powdered black paint pigment
• Food coloring
• Clear glass
• Polyurethane finishing spray

Instructions

1. Divide the glue into separate resealable containers. Fill each container according to how much stain you want to make of each color; bear in mind that a teaspoon of glue will cover roughly a 4-by 4-inch square area of smooth glass (textured glass will require more than this, as it has a greater surface area).

2. Mix powdered black paint pigment into one of the containers at a ratio of one part powder to eight parts glue. This will create an opaque black stain for use in between the colored panels of your stained glass design, outlining the images and imitating the appearance of mortar or metal in authentic stained glass.

3. Add food coloring to the remaining containers of glue. Use one drop of food coloring for every 1/2 cup of glue or so; for smaller amounts of glue, add small amounts of food coloring by dipping a toothpick in the coloring, then stirring it in the glue. Test the color of the resulting stain by applying it to a piece of aluminum foil. Adjust the ratio of food coloring to glue according to your own preferences.

4. Apply the glue to glass. Apply the outline with the black dye first and let dry (for added control, draw your design in permanent marker first, then paint over with dye). Add the other colors, filling in one panel at a time and rinsing the brush thoroughly before moving to the next color. Let the glue dry until it's hard to the touch and no longer sticky.

5. Coat the colored glass with spray waterproofing sealant, if desired. This will make the color water-resistant and more resilient for outdoor decorating, but you will no longer be able to remove the dye with soap and water (though it's still removable with lacquer thinner and thorough scraping).