Painting glass isn’t limited to a fun, weekend activity for your kids. It’s also a unique and creative way to personalize and shield your home windows. Whether you decide to use Vitrail paint for an artistic-looking result, or acrylic paint that surprisingly holds rather well on glass, there are a plethora of ways to transform your home’s exterior. Join us in uncovering the colourful world of window paint.

What type of paint can you use to paint glass?

In retail stores, you’ll mainly find spray paint. All colours of the rainbow are available, from a cherry-red, semi-clear finish for a privacy-filled setting to other shades that may suit your fancy. With the former, said paint colour allows light to filter through yet shields you from gazing eyes.

While the paint used to paint glass must be specifically designed for that purpose, the paint you may choose to use might be compatible with the following: 

• Glass

• Wood

• Plastics 

• Fabrics

• Wicker

• And more

You will find acrylic, glycerophthalic, or oil-based paints, all at an affordable price point. The goal is to ensure the paint used sticks to the glazed surface in question.

Acrylic paint has a few downsides: its long-term resistance is nothing worth mentioning since it’s vulnerable to physical impacts, scratches, and back-and-forth motions.

How to Ensure Paint Sticks to Glass

To ensure the paint applied sticks to the intended surface, the latter must be clean. Not only should you wipe it clean of dust, but also of all traces of grease, further ensuring the paint adheres to the surface perfectly.

In terms of application, you can either use a sponge or paintbrushes. Oftentimes, people will use both. The sponge is used to paint the background, whereas paintbrushes are perfect for drawing on details. 

If you’re no Picasso, note that glass paint can also be applied with the help of stencils.

Should the glass paint be applied on the inside or outside?

What about paints that were specifically designed for glass panes with weather conditions in mind, such as snow and rain? Some manufacturers like Pébéo will clearly indicate that their paint products must not come into contact with water. Otherwise, the paint will peel. So, how can you paint glass?

The first solution is to paint on the window pane’s interior face. As such, the paint will never be exposed to exterior weather. 

The second solution consists of applying a varnish over the paint, ensuring water doesn’t seep in between the glass and the paint, peeling it off. Varnish also has another benefit: it protects the paint from the harshness of UV rays.

The only hitch with these two solutions is that glazing always reacts to exterior weather changes. In other words, whether the glass pane is painted on its inside or outside facing pane, you can never be sure if the paint will crack at some point or not.

Is there an alternative route? Yes. Use thermosetting paint. Once the glass pane is painted, place it inside your oven, ensuring the paint durably prints onto the glazed surface. However, the size of your glass panes versus the size of your oven might be an issue. 

Hence, glass paint is, first and foremost, a totally different category of paint used by artists on glass as an alternative to a traditional canvas. Painting windows is an uncommon but not impossible practice.

Decorative Stencils for Windows

In Quebec, Deserres retails an extensive array of stencils for the following uses: 

• Background textures

• Small details

• Layers

• Calligraphy

• And more

You can even find constellation patterns, or even stencils depicting butterflies midflight, clouds of birds, or hanging vines. 

If you’re not one hundred percent sure of your capabilities, feel free to start with washable paint, which is perfect for temporary creative spurts. All you will need is a damp rag to wipe the paint off the surface. 

The Creative Avenues of Glass Paint

Overall, glass paint allows for a plethora of creative possibilities to spruce up and personalize your living space. Whether it’s to add an artistic flair to your windows, create decorative patterns, or simply revamp your glazed surfaces, said technique is as versatile as it comes; it’s definitely a unique way to transform your setting. With the right materials, techniques, and a dash of creative thinking, you can easily carry out glass painting projects that are likely to add beauty and character to your home.