PAINTED GLASS ages 11+
Supplies:
glass votive candle holders, mason jars, dollar or craft store glass vases, bottles, cute drinking glasses or bud vases from good will... really any kind of glass you can get your hands on
Glass Cleaner and paper towels or rubbing alcohol and cotton balls
black enamel glass paint in squeeze bottles with writing tip
enamel paint for glass
tooth picks
masking tape
sharpie
q-tips or craft foam brush daubers or even a pencil eraser tip for making dots
cups for water, towels and brushes
mini paint palettes with paint wells
optional supplies: paint pens for glass, oil based sharpie marker for glass,
a design on paper to paint from, votive candles or tea lights
This painted glass project came about when I first started teaching art. I created lessons around the supplies that were already in the class room. I discovered a bin filled with paint especially made for painting onto glass. There were several colors along with a few small squeeze bottles of black enamel paint with a fine tip for drawing lines. Thus, a project was born. I’d never painted on glass before and it made for a beautiful project the kids love.
When you are shopping for paint or paint pens, read the labels to be sure it is specifically meant for glass application. The ‘folk art’ craft paint brand makes enamel paints for glass in lots of colors and they’re inexpensive. You may see them in the craft store... rows of them in small, squeeze bottles alongside the craft acrylic paint.
The enamel paint washes off of hands and brushes with water but will not come out of clothes, so have students wear their painting smocks or old donated t-shirts.
I did not want to waist any of the paint by having the kids squeeze more than they needed onto palettes that get thrown away, so I squeezed small amounts into tiny palettes I bought at the dollar store. These mini palettes come six in a package, each one with six separate wells for paint. I placed these tiny palettes on the tables and the students traded them back and forth for colors they wanted to use. If you don’t have mini palettes, use anything you have but control the paint they use by offering small amounts.
Start class with all of the supplies on the table. Your students will be excited to see everything laid out as they enter the room. Have the students choose a piece of glass and write their name on the bottom with a sharpie or permanent marker. It can be rubbed off later with nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol. You can also use magic eraser, dry erase markers, lemon juice, or toothpaste to remove permanent marker from glass. Another helpful hint I learned during this project is that magic eraser also works to remove permanent marker from the dry erase board. They really are magic! Have the students clean their glass very well with glass cleaner and towels or rubbing alcohol and cotton balls. Even watered-down vinegar cleans oily fingerprints from glass. Keep the glass clean by handling it from the inside of the jar by placing your fingers in the opening.
Give students the freedom to paint freehand with a brush, dot with a q-tip or draw with paint pens. If you have dry erase markers, students can sketch onto the glass first. It comes off easily with a towel. They can mask off stripes with tape or draw with oil based sharpie, specifically made for glass application. They can create a leaded stained glass look by separating blocks of color with black lines. Kids can write their name or a phrase on the jar and outline it with paint pen. Have them draw it out on paper first, then tape it on the inside of the jar to go by. The only difficult part about painting on glass is not smearing the wet paint as you work. Working on a curved surface can be challenging. If only painting one side of the glass, place a towel on the table and lay the glass down on it so it won’t roll around. Then you can use both hands. I’ve seen students paint rainbows, flowers, little fire-flies, and all kinds of creative designs.
Emphasize to the students that they need to rinse the paint from their brushes when they are through. If they leave paint to dry on the brushes they will be ruined. I make a deal with my classes that if they clean everything up quickly, throw away their trash and place their work on the drying rack, they can leave their brushes in the cups of water and the palettes on the tables for me to deal with later.
Allow a full week to dry. This project is great for lighting up an evening school event or they make great gifts.
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