I have always tried to paint the empty glass bottles that I have to create vases or other items. I was always too lazy and never really bought glass paint, so typically I would just mess around with the various paints I had (watercolor, acrylic, cheap washable paints) and see what worked. All of these worked and also didn’t work in their own ways, so I was never really satisfied with my results. I had heard, though (and by heard, I mean I found a photo while surfing around Pinterest that confirmed my assumption) that glue could be another solution to glass painting. All you have to do is dye the glue whatever color you’re looking for and paint your object with two coats or so, leaving you with beautifully painted glass.
I experimented with this idea using Mod Podge glue and a purple food coloring I found in the baking section of Michaels. You can obviously use whatever color food coloring that interests you and whatever you have on hand at your house. Dye your glue with as much or as little coloring as you want and mix it with your paintbrush. Now you’re ready to paint!
Once dry, your project has a sort of opaque look, and the color dye used mixed with the glue gives off a sort of jewel tone that I think is hard to find in most paints. I think using this technique is also good if you are trying to make a colored light or something to that effect, because the color of your “paint” will look really cool when highlighted.
If you have any questions or comments about this technique or about anything else crafty related, please e-mail me at fbreisbl@asu.edu.
