Window Art

Using a discarded glass cupboard door and some fabric scraps I made a faux stained glass window using only supplies I had on hand. The project took about 3 hours, including prep and drying time.

glass-insert cupboard door, fabric scraps or craft paper, scissors, white glue, small paint brush, optional door pull, screwdriver, pencil, scrap paper, iron, a few cotton swabs, wet cloth

I found the green cupboard door curbside on trash pick up day. I bought the other window for $3 at the Habitat Restore. For this project I am using the green door. It is 12" wide and 23" tall. I did not like the hinges so i removed them using a screwdriver. I also replaced the green painted knob with a porcelain knob. Removing the hardware is optional, but save everything. You will see how I repurposed the hinges.

If you like a more distressed look, you can sand some areas of the wood frame. This frame had enough natural scuffs and dings that I left it as it was. You can also paint the wood frame a color more to your liking.

Wash both sides of the glass.

For my window I used a few pieces of scrap fabric. The scraps were under 10" in size. I had only a small amount of the bee fabric - enough for about 8 bees. I added 3 other fabrics for filling in the design. If you have to purchase fabric you will find florals, birds, bugs, etc. Depending on the size of your window you should not have to purchase more than 1/4 yard of each of your coordinating fabrics - or buy what is called a 'fat square'.

Use cotton fabric. If you hold a piece of lightweight cotton fabric up to the light you will be able to see through it. Heavy fabric will not give the "glass" like effect. Lace-like fabrics also work well.

Iron wrinkles out of your fabric. To prep your fabric use watered down white glue to paint the fabric. Let the fabrics dry before cutting your shapes. You will want to re-iron the stiffened fabric. The stiffened fabric will prevent the fabric from fraying when you make your cuts.

If you prefer, light weight craft paper can be used instead. If using paper, you will not have to put a coat of glue on the paper before cutting.

Because I wanted to use the bee fabric, I decided on a honey comb pattern. I had a lid from a jar that was a hexagon shape that i used for my pattern. Your pattern design can be any shape or a few different shapes, depending on what you have in mind. For instance, a floral design might start at the bottom of the window and go up 2/3 of the window leaving blank glass space at the top. There are a lot of 'quilt' designs - they might help you develop an idea or just try your own design.

I cut out a total of 24 hexagons using 4 of my stiffened fabrics (or craft paper if that is what you have decided to use).

Decide if your window is going to be displayed horizontally or vertically. This will determine your design layout. My window stands vertically. Using the BACK SIDE of the glass I roughly laid out the hexagons until I was happy with the arrangement. A few pieces were cut in half to fill in smaller spaces.

Continue working on the BACK SIDE of the glass where you have laid out your design. Have ready your paint brush and a small container of watered down white glue and some cotton swabs to clean up any glue drips. Your fingers might get sticky, so keep a wet cloth handy to wipe your hands.

Place a clean white paper or wax paper on your work surface so you can add glue to each piece without making too much of a mess. Pick up one of your fabric pieces from your design layout. I started near the top of the window and worked downward. Using the glue/water, paint the RIGHT SIDE of the fabric and place it, glue side down on the window, smoothing it with the brush or your finger. If extra glue gets on the glass wipe it off with a cotton swab. A little neatness will make for a nicer finished window (if glue spots dry use your finger nail to scrape the spot off) Repeat the process with each of your shapes until you have all your pieces glued in place. I left a 1/4 inch space between my pieces so that the glass would not be totally covered and to better highlight the design. See the second and third picture. The fourth and fifth picture shows my pieces in place. There are some areas of the glass that I left blank.

If a fabric piece bubbles use the brush to smooth it out. Once your pieces are glued down let your window dry. Don't be tempted to turn your window over too soon. Its a good time to take a break.

Note: this is a very forgiving project. If you think you have 'ruined' your glass or design you can easily pull of pieces before they have fully dried. Even after it is dried, a damp sponge will soak off the pieces so you can try again. Just make sure your glass is clean again.

Once the fabric pieces have dried on the glass, turn the window over to the front side. All the pieces are on the back side and the front side of the glass is smooth.

Using the same screws from the hinges, I attached the opened hinges to the top corner of the wood frame to make 'butterflies'. Optional.

I chose to stand my window on a window sill. If later I want to hang it, I can add 2 eye screws to the top of the wood frame and hang it with wire. If hanging your window, make sure the eye screws will support the weight of the window. The bigger the cupboard door/window the heavier it will be.