Window Art With Glass Plates

I have been wanting to make a faux stained glass window using pressed glass plates from the thrift store forever! And I finally got around to doing it this weekend.

This is an inexpensive way to give a mosaic look to a windowpane.

These windows look great hung in front of your actual windows, so no need to "ruin" your actual windows that protect your home from the elements.

When the sun hits the window just right, the light dancing off the designs in the pressed glass is magical.

✨ BTW, today is Thrift Store Decor Wednesday, so make sure you hang around to the end of the post to see the rest of the team's thrift store repurposes for the month!

I started off by finding a perfectly sized window at the local Habitat ReStore store.

It was only $6 probably because it had chippy paint on it, but I didn't let them know I actually wanted the chippy paint.

I would have paid extra for that!

And then I found a whole bunch of very inexpensive pressed glass plates and bowls at the thrift store.

My thrift store sells just about any piece of glassware for $.69, so I just grabbed a bunch.

What I don't use for this project I'll probably just donate back to the thrift store.

Gotta keep that crafting hoard down!

What Kinds Of Glass Plates Work Best

While at the thrift stores you want to look for dinner plates, bowls, sugar bowls, and vegetable plates that are pressed glass ( in the next section I talk about what pressed glass is). You should have MANY to choose from at any thrift store.

First and foremost, choose items that have no cracks or large chips. A crack will make the artwork less sturdy over time.

Look for items on the smaller size. You'll notice on my window I used 3 medium-sized serving dishes, and the remainder of the items are much smaller.

You want items that have a flat rim so there is more surface area for the glue to adhere to the window.

In my photo below, the bowl on the top is too wavy and also has lots of teeth on the rim. If I had used it there would only be about an inch on each of those waves that would have made contact with the window. It's also very deep and would stick out pretty far on the backside of the window.

The bowl on the bottom is a much better choice because it has a smooth rim so the entire rim will make contact with the window and it is much more shallow. It's perfect for this type of project.

The Difference Between Cut Glass and Pressed Glass

The best type of glass to use in this project is pressed glass. It's lighter than cut glass and plentiful at thrifts and flea markets.

But what is the difference between pressed and cut glass?

Pressed glass is made by pressing hot molten glass down into a mold. It's made to have the look of cut glass without the price.

Cut glass is made by taking a smooth bowl and having artists hand-cut the geometric shapes and indents into the bowl using special cutting tools and wheels.

When you pick up a piece of cut glass and run your hand over the pattern on the outside of the piece you will notice it has a sharp feel to it almost as if you might cut yourself on the pattern. Pressed glass pieces still have the pattern on the outside of the piece but it will feel much smoother when you run your hand across the bowl.

Most pressed glass pieces have mold marks and lines in them from where the glass was pressed down into the mold. Cut glass items do not have mold marks due to no molds being used to make them.

Cut glass has lead in it which is what makes it extremely clear and sparkly. That lead causes the cut glass pieces to be significantly heavier than pressed glass pieces.

Tutorial - Upcycled Window Art Using Glass Plates

(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)

Supplies

• Old Wooden Window
• Various Pressed Glass Plates from the thrift store
• Glass gems (Dollar Tree, Michael's or JoAnn's)
• GE Advanced Silicone Window And Door Sealant* - CLEAR
• Windex
• Rubbing Alcohol
• 2 Eye Screws - ¼" x 3 ¾"
• Chain, Wire or Rope (to hang it)
• 2 S Hooks 2-3" long (if using a chain for hanging)

*I used about ⅔ of a 2.8 oz squeeze tube for my plates. If you have a much larger window you may want to pick up 2 of the 2.8 oz tubes or one of the 10 oz containers made for caulking-guns.

Supplies Needed If Also Re-Glazing Window

• Window Glazing - I used Dap Latex Glazing in White
• Caulking Gun

This is where you think I am going to show you how to glaze a window. You would be wrong.

Glazing a window just means replacing the caulking that goes around the pane and holds the glass in place within the wooden frame of the window. My window had big chunks of glazing missing and when I went to remove some other loose bits it all just basically disintegrated in my hands.

So for my window, glazing was a must. Chances are for your window it will be OK to just skip this part.

I can glaze a window, but it's not pretty. For my window, it did not matter since I was doing it only for durability and it was on a window that already looked rustic.

But if you want to learn how to glaze a window for real, I found a great Youtube video by The Homestead Craftsman on How To Glaze A Window Sash.

And again, this probably won't apply to you (so not sure why I typed that all out)!

Instructions

Click HERE for a printable version of the tutorial.