How To Make A Faux Leaded Glass Window Tutorial.
There’s a serious misnomer about hundred-plus-year-old homes. Most people immediately assume they come with all those coveted old home architectural details. Filled with hand-crafted loveliness …
Rich crown moulding …
Beefy baseboards …
Sigh-inducing wainscoting …
… and dreamy stained glass windows.
The truth is, sometimes an old home is simply that. Old.
Our home was built in the late 1800’s. And it doesn’t have any of that old-home-hand-crafted loveliness. Which is the main impetus behind our diy remodeling – and this blog. A burning desire to add some old-world charm to our old-world house. Charm that either was either never here or, perhaps, stripped away by a previous owner …
… but I’m going with the “never here” option. I’ve seen pictures of our house “before” the previous owner bought it. And trust me, there was no way that hideous “before” exterior was hiding an inner gem.
I started the old-world charm mission in our dining room with a faux leaded glass window …
How To Make a Faux Leaded Glass Window
Materials*
Gallery Glass Simulated Liquid Leading
Gallery Glass Instant Lead Lines
Paper & Pencil
Ruler
Scotch Tape
*some affiliate links included.
I first drew out my design on a piece of paper sized to the window …
Now, if I could easily reach the outside of the window, I would just tape that drawing to it and get to work. But that wasn’t an option. So I put my drawing up against the window and, using a pencil, lightly marked off my lead line start points on the frame …
Then it was time to grab my Gallery Glass supplies …
Those instant lead lines leading strips are pure genius. You can easily cut them. Easily reposition them. I just used a level to keep my vertical lines straight.
Then it was time to “solder” the open spaces between the lead lines using liquid leading …
… which I let dry for 8-10 hours.
Phase two was the application of Crystal Clear glass color. Which, obviously, is colorless.
Now I was a bit heavy handed. Being impatient and all. Completely forgetting about the effects of gravity …
… there was a bit of revisiting and wiping away the Crystal Clear from the lead lines and bottom of the window pane.
I’d recommend using some type of applicator. Like a paint brush. And painting on multiple light coats.
But in the end, I’m happy with the finished product …
my faux leaded glass window.
Kind of looks like it’s been here for 100 years or more …
Unlike that cinderblock view. That’s relatively new. It went up after they tore down the 100+ year old house next door …
… and that one didn’t have any old world, hand-crafted charm either.
P.S. I partnered with the fine folks at Gallery Glass – which is made by Plaid Enterprises, Inc. – to create this faux leaded glass window. And while they provided me with the products I needed to create this project, all opinions expressed are my own.
PIN IT!
Faux Leaded Glass Window Tutorial
You can find the full dining room reveal by clicking here …
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Liquid leading? I’ve never heard of that, Very cool!
–Elena
I just did my first “stained glass ” window this past weekend. I wish I had read your post before I started. I really like the crystal clear Gallery Glass and used it in a similar way that you did and, like you, was wondering if there was a better way of putting it on. I really like yours so much! Thanks for sharing your tips with us. I saw your post over at The Scoop blog party.
How awesome is that!? Love it!
I have seen these products, but hesitant to use them…and now you have given me incentive to try this!!…The window looks fantastic Linda…you did such a fabulous job!…So sad about the tearing down of that old house….
Never knew this existed! I love the design you created for the window, beautiful! Sorry about the cinderblock view :(. The good knews is – I was so busy admiring the pattern on your window that I didn’t even notice!
I am impressed. Great idea, great tutorial, and great results.
Bliss
That is BRILLIANT. I had no idea you could do a faux leaded glass window. I second Bliss, I am impressed!
Nice job Linda! This is making me think…..
You did an awesome job! It really gives the house an “old feature” feeling. I live in an old cottage, but nothing old is left, except for the staircase. I’m on a crusade to give it back some of its old charm. Lead glass windows would be so cool.
What an AWESOME idea! It looks so authentic! And you are so right about 100-year-old homes! Good thing there is molding!!!!!
🙂 me
Love what you did with the window! Looks great. Old houses – sigh. Some do have all that old world charm. Others have to have it coaxed into them!
Oh Linda….that is AWESOME!! You are killing me….I am dying to see your dining room now! it’s going to look so amazing with all the changes you’re making. Love love love that window. Well done!
Debbie
That is absolutely beautiful and it does look like it is original to the house. Love it!
Dooode!! This is so exciting! My house is almost 100 years old, but it doesn’t have those charming windows that it should. Well, it has two leaded glass windows by my fireplace, but that’s all. I REALLY want to do this! Thanks for turning us onto this!
I’m so glad I found you on Tweak It Tuesday. I have a pair of casement windows that I have been wanting to add leaded glass to. I have you on my e-mail now so I don’t miss any other brilliant ideas. Thanks!
absolutely awesome results!!
OH. MY. GOSH.
I have been trying to justify buying a new (huge) transom window about our front door. I think this may be the answer – except I am soooooooooooooo not patient or crafty……you made it look so easy.
I LOVE THIS – it looks amazing, good for you, wow. BRILLIANT and it looks like it has always been there!
Well done!!
Looks amazing! And so authentic too!
xx
Anne
This is gorgeous! I turned out so well and looks absolutely amazing!
It sure looks like the real deal! I love it!
When we purchased our first home in 1991 it was a lovely old home as well. Ok… it really was lovely but somewhere along the way someone removed all the stained glass windows… all that lovely frosted goodness and leading… simply gone. It was then that I discovered that one could mimic the look of a stained glass window. Just like you! I simply love gallery glass!! And your window looks gorgeous! Are you going to do the other two as well? Have a wonderful day!
This is an awesome tutorial! I am going to try this! Thanks for sharing….I am pinning to my DIY Pinterest board.
It looks great, my friend!
Looks great! Most of those great old homes filled with great details require Mom, Dad and all the kids to have a full,time job….which leaves no one to do any work….so adding it in along the way is certainly more affordable! And look at the great result!
Wow! I totally just learned something. I had no idea you could make faux leaded glass AND it could look THAT real. HUGELY impressive!!
Looks great – as with many others, I’d never heard of such a thing!
Wow, I love this project! Sharing on my facebook page this weekend!
I would have never known that window wasn’t an original!! Amazing work. How did I NOT know about this magic in a bottle?!?! I happen to live in a 113 year old home & it has the chunky baseboards, amazing crown molding & all original doors etc. but the windows leave so much to be desired. AND I have the original front door which is heavy with ornamentation but just has plain ol’ glass in it. I’m off to the hob lob so I can make my window over. I’ll keep that pesky gravity in mind too 🙂 Thanks so much! Pinned.
I had seen this done once before many many years ago by a friend who was very crafty. It turned out wonderfully and she even did a large window over a doorway in a 2-story foyer. 🙂 Your pattern looks great and so fitting for the age of your home. 🙂 Sue
Um can you come here and do that to my bathroom window? Pretty please? I’ll cook you dinner and everything…
Fabulous project! Aren’t you supposed to be resting??!
xox
Wow…..That is such a great project! I love how it turned out! Fabulous job Linda! Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful job. It looks amazing.
It looks great!
Loved your results. I will definitely try this even though my home is only 30 years old! Thanks for sharing!!!
I did this exact pattern on my door a couple years ago. It was one of my first posts as a blogger so it’s not too good. I didn’t draw out my pattern, I just used a ruler for a spacer and drew on the glass with a washable marker. So easy! Great minds think alike! Here’s mine:http://www.redheadcandecorate.com/4/post/2012/02/it-looks-like-stained-glass.html
This is awesome!! I totally know where I want to do this. Pinned!
Absolutely brilliant! Does it look the same from the outside looking in?
Thank you for this post- I may have to try this on the little side windows next to our front door. It would also prevent people from seeing in when they are at the front door!
Nice job – thanks for sharing your project with us. I am inspired.
Trying this today on my garage door glass. Right now waiting for the soldering to dry.Very excited to see how it turns out. Ingenious idea. Your tutorial is very helpful.
What a wonderful addition to your home. I am hoping to do the same with my clear sidelights in my front entrance. If I want a more opaque treatment, would you recommend a thicker coat of Gallery Glass or should I re-apply another coat once the first coat is dry?
I’m think reapply after the first coat dries. Especially if working on a vertical surface. It can drip when applied to heavily!
We just bought a 92 year old house last week. I have been looking for ideas to help me give her some of her charm back. This is exactly what I was looking for. I’m glad you put this out there to help people like me. 🙂
I just came across this as I am trying to decide what to do with my bay windows for privacy. It looks great. I wonder if you know how easy it is to remove if you want to undo it in the future? Thanks for sharing (still proving useful years later!)
I’ve actually removed it from a couple of windows after like 8-10 years or so! It definitely took a little elbow grease but I was able to remove it all. It’s been a few years so I don’t have a full recall of how painful a process it may have been. Definitely much easier than removing wallpaper!
Do you think several coats of the Gallery Glass would make the window opaque enough for a bathroom window?
They do have frosted gallery glass products too that would probably help more!
Thrilled to discover this! I am lucky enough to live in a house that actually DOES have genuine leaded windows, and I LOVE the look. But… they are genuine old windows, single pane, and I live in a cold region. Also, the windows stick and the wood is not in good condition… they really need to be replaced with modern windows. But I have been putting it off since I just did not want to give up my lovely leaded glass. Now I see there is a way to have both!
So happy to help! And make sure to save those leaded windows and hang them on the wall as decor!
IF you do this to a window, can you remove it and do something different later down the road? Or is it permanent?
It’s 100% removable. I had different design on this window for like 10 years before changing it up to this one!
I’ve found that when an old house doesn’t have the “charm” we are hoping for its because the people building it originally didn’t have the extra money to splurge on the more luxury items of the time period. I live in a very rural area and hardly any of the old farmhouses have the extras that the beautiful old homes in the city do but they were built in the same time period.
Is the result washable. Anyone have the window washers in yet?
It’s on the interior and you can use a Swiffer or a damp rag. I would recommend Windex.