Painted Stemware Crafts
Handcrafted items can make any event special, and painted stemware is the perfect, simple craft. Use your artistic talents to create hand-painted wine glasses for your next holiday dinner. Decorate glass bowls with your children’s names for their Saturday morning ritual of cartoons and cereal.
You will need clear glassware, such as a wine glass. These don’t need to be expensive. Try a craft store, discount store or Swedish warehouse store for reasonable prices. Then you’ll need specially made paint for decorating glass. Your craft store should carry this. Check the label that it is specifically for glassware. You need paint that will withstand washing and won’t chip off. Don’t forget paintbrushes in various sizes and shapes.
You will also want a pattern for your design. Try buying a book of clip art for easy-to-trace artwork. You can also print out designs from the Internet, or try painting your own design freehand. If you are making more than one class with the same design, make multiple copies. Start with a simple design if you’re just beginning.
Thoroughly wash and dry the glassware before beginning, making sure it’s free of lint and dust. Then tape your design to the inside of the glass, facing out. You’re going to trace over it with your paints. Following the pattern, start painting, following the lines or shapes of your design template. If you are making multiple glasses work in an assembly-line fashion. This will give the paint time to dry between each step. Always let the paint air-dry before adding a second coat, if one is necessary. Also, let the paint dry before switching colors so they don’t bleed into one another. Wash your brush thoroughly when switching colors and dry on a paper towel.
You may want to add a thin dark outline to elements of the design to make them pop. Consider adding little freehand elements for extra oomph. Personalize glasses for guests at you dinner party and give them as a souvenir.
After the paint has air-dried, remove the template from inside the glass and follow the package instruction on setting the paint. This usually entails a lengthy period of air drying, or heating the glass in the oven. This will set the paint so it does not chip or come off during washings. Heat them per the instructions and allow them to thoroughly cool before handling.
