Give Your Lights A Unique Look With A DIY Faux Stained Glass Lampshade

Are you bored of looking at your vintage glass lampshade and want to give it a decorative update? Stained glass has been around for thousands of years and it began with the Ancient Romans and Egyptians. It was mainly used for churches and religious settings, but as time progressed, it made its way into the home, thanks to Louis Comfort Tiffany who began his prestigious career in 1870.

The traditional method of creating stained glass is complex and time consuming. It involves working from a drawing called a cartoon, cutting out pieces of colored glass that fit the template, decorating the glass with paint, and then using soldered lead or copper lines to hold the glass together. Yes, people still take joy in this art form today, but there's a much easier way to create a similar effect without having the time or the skill.

So, why not get crafty and DIY your own faux stained glass lampshade, to turn your old light into a stunning masterpiece of your own. All you're going to need is an old glass lampshade to upcycle, stained glass paper in an assortment of colors, like this 24-pack Roylco stained glassine paper, some scissors, glass glue, and black acrylic paint. 

Begin by sketching out your design onto a piece of paper to avoid making any mistakes. Choose a pattern that is reminiscent of traditional stained glass windows or lamps. For example, lots of classic designs feature floral and geometric patterns. Then, replicate each individual section onto your stained glass tissue paper, cut out with scissors, and stick them onto your lampshade using glass glue. Next, to achieve the look of the lead or copper lines, use black acrylic paint to draw thick outlines between each section of tissue paper. Let the tissue paper fully dry first to make sure you don't end up accidentally dislodging it. 

To create more of a realistic 3D effect, you can use glue mixed with black acrylic paint to draw out your separation lines, similar to another affordable decor DIY using old jars. Simply mix a teaspoon of black paint into a bottle of craft glue, like Mod Podge, and carefully squeeze out your lines. Once you've left this to fully dry overnight, you can take a crafting knife to clean up any wonky lines. 

For an even more authentic result and if you have access to a laser cutting machine, you can laser cut your pattern out of black foam, and stick onto tissue paper using PVA glue. If you do this process over an upside down bowl, due to the thickness and flexibility of the laser cut foam, the tissue paper and foam will mold around the bowl, to create that perfect lampshade shape.