# Window Clings in your design by YOU!(pics)



## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Last year someone asked about where to get window clings, and I got to thinking about making some. Of course, I forgot about it. 

Remembered today, so I thought I'd share what I came up with. It was done in a hurry (never a good thing) but I think you'll get the idea.










Pick a simple design...a coloring page works GREAT! or a stained glass pattern (which this happens to be). If you want lines like a stained glass window, you create the linesfirst, then fill in with paint. You don't need the lines, you CAN just paint the colors, but you need to do one color at a time and let it dry, or use the "blending" to your advantage for real painting looking clings










You need a few things: 
a pattern
dimensional paint the color you want the "leading" to be
glass paint (cheap stuff you can find in walmart or other craft stores works well)
brushes and water
either a piece of glass or saran wrap to paint your cling on.

First, secure your saran wrap to the print you're tracing. (or place the piece of glass on it). Go over the lines with your dimensional paint (or fake leading). Let this dry. Takes about 30minutes. 










Start filling in the colors. Works best if you pour the paint in somehow. Or dab it into the small places. If you use a brush, you might get streaks..which can look good depending on what you're making. 









You may get bubbles...prick them with a pin to get rid of them..the paint will flow into the space. You can put on one thick coat, or a couple of coats. 

After it dries, you'll probably see some thin spots...you can just fill those in if you like.

When it's dry just peel it off the glass or saran wrap. Use a thin knife to get it started or your fingernail. Do some test pieces to get the feel of it.

At this point, you just slap it on a window somewhere! Or on the fridge, or anyplace that a regular cling would, um, cling. It's acrylic paint...plastic. To store them, put them on a sheet of plastic or glass and store in a dry area. (I just had this one on a window pane)

You'll see I have a very unsteady hand when I'm in a hurry, so the candles are yucky when seen close up. but in a window...with light shining thru them they look lovely from the outside 

In the red squiggle you can see a couple of streaks....that's done when the paint is still wet...just move a brush with alternate color thru your thick layer of paint. 










Regular acrylic paint will work, too. Your clings will be solid, not transparent, but look good on fridges, or windows where you don't need to see THRU them. (glass paint DOES work better by staying solid on the glass/plastic sheet when you pour it. )

Anyway. Give it a shot  Or stand back and watch the kids go to town!


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## amylou62 (Jul 14, 2008)

That's pretty cool! That's something I would have totally done when I had little kids.
Can't wait for grandkids!


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## crashy (Dec 10, 2004)

I love to paint windows!! I did a hummingbird, woods ,flower thingy on my entryway window was fun I stated a stained glass one on my bedroom window but I have yet to paint it I got the lines up.... I really need to finish that LOL


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## mustangsally17 (Nov 3, 2007)

Ann, what an awesome idea, thank you. Now another project to try. I was thinking this can also be used, say, on a kitchen window or front of house window more as decorative semi-privacy. Not necessairly holiday.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

mustangsally17 said:


> Ann, what an awesome idea, thank you. Now another project to try. I was thinking this can also be used, say, on a kitchen window or front of house window more as decorative semi-privacy. Not necessairly holiday.


I would think it would work well  You can get glass stain/paint that is clear but has a frosted look. (fine crystals in it) or even little bits of glitter. That might work well as a privacy thing if you want to keep the light coming in. 

they make the false leading (which you see in my picture) but you can also use dimensional fabric paint (like that Tulip dimension stuff)

The other thing to try would be the plastic side of freezer paper. I haven't used that yet, but it doesn't absorb water, and is slicker than um...well, you know. Just painting withthe stuff on the glass works, too, of course. You can later peel it off and use it elsewhere. (or just toss it, of course)

I'm thinking of doing some Autumn type leaves for the front door and window.


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## mustangsally17 (Nov 3, 2007)

Fall leaves sound great. This is my favorite time of the year!! I may go to Duluth this weekend and stop at Micheals for a look see at their paint. The closest Walley is Cloquet and they have really cut the craft department in half and NO more $1 material...WAAAAAAA


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## xoxoGOATSxoxo (Jul 29, 2006)

I do this sometimes with tempera paint.... I mix the black with cornstarch to make leading, and the other colors with water and a little dish soap. However, you cant peel them off and reuse them, you have to wash them off with soap and water. But its fun!  And cheap.


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## crashy (Dec 10, 2004)

You can use any picture to make designs if you used a piece of glass and put the pic under it. I have an old round piece of glass that was once part of a three legged table.


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

Thank you for the great idea! I'm going to try to make some for christmas.


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

OK I need some help here! I tried this last night with the grandchildren and it wouldn't work for us. We used acrylic paints and they wouldn't come off the saran wrap at all and it just tore the wrap. Then we tried painting on the glass door and left it overnight to dry and again it would not peel off. What did we do wrong? Did we not paint it thick enough? How thick should the layer of paint be? Is it better to have an outline? Could I mix cornstarch with the acrylic paint to make the "leading"? lol all these questions....
Please help


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

hmmm. Okay. try painting on heavier plastic. I have to admit, I mostly use glass paints, but I know that acrylic paint, when dry, is just plastic and it peals off my paint cups when it dries. I've ended up with little dark green and blue muffin bottoms!

The acrylic does have to be thicker than the glass paints for it to work. The saran wrap needs to be stretched over something...a book, or box or something so it doesn't wrinkle up. 

Let me give it a try today, couple of test things. And I'll post tomorrow after it dries. Sorry for the mess 

eta: okay. just did some painting (just swirls and blobs) on saran wrap, wax paper, freezer paper, plastic bag(ziplock type). Added cornstarch to acrylic paint and it did thicken it up nicely and then put it in a small plastic bag, cut off the corner, and used it as a piping thing. Worked well, although my hole was huge, so my lines are 1/4" wide  will take them overnight to dry, I think. I'll post tomorrow after everything dries.


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

Thank you thank you! This sounds so great we are looking forward to making them. I stretched the wrap over plates first and we tried our artistic abilities freehand, then I tried on the glass door and today I tried on an acrylic picture holder but the paint just chips off when it's dry...I'm 1 1/2 hours from a craft store so I won't be getting any glass paint anytime soon. I'm going to try some experimenting myself and see if it will work with an outline, and I'm going to try with some light oiling on the glass first, or maybe I need to dampen it first before I try to peel it off.....


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

about glass paints: I don't know what stores you have available in Canada, but I've found plastic or glass paints in the kids craft section places like WalMart. They're quite inexpensive...and come in little plastic sealed cups...held together in a line. usually 8 in a package. Often there are plastic formed "window sun catcher" there to paint. Also, the fabric paint aisle will probably have a dimensional paint that can be used for the lines...test first tho to make sure it peels off. (although it keeps peeling off my shirts when I use it, so I don't anticipate a problem  )

Okay. Here we go. 
I used the acrylic paint you get in 2 oz bottles for painting on plaster or wood plaques, etc. The PLAID brand is what I have, but they're all pretty much the same. 

Biggest thing is: it has to go on thick. 

It CAN be brushed on, but any thin brush strokes at the sides will just adhere to the saran wrap or whatever you useand not come up. so...load up those brushes! OR give everyone a squeeze bottle 

I tried brush strokes, and squeezing onto: saran wrap, ziplock bag (heavier plastic) wax paper, shiny side of freezer paper

Blobs peeled off of all 4. *Easiest was the ziplock bag*. I have long thumbnails so it's easy for me to pry up under the edge of the blob or brushed piece and get ahold of it. as you peel a brushed one, go slowly, OR pry up the SIDES first so it doesn't want to cling there. Actually, the ziplock worked well for both brush and blobs. Wax paper and freezer paper work ONLY for the poured paint. Brushed just adheres to quickly to them...each absorb a small amount of water.

I did *add cornstarch* to paint...it works, but tends to be more brittle (I thickend it up too much, btw. It worked, and the pieces come off nicely, but ALONE they won't stick to the window. They needed to be less cornstarch and more paint...ahwell. ) I put it in a plastic bag and sniped off the corner and piped it onto the baggie like frosting. Easy to do, unfortunately, like I said, I used too much cornstarch. 

Blobs/poured paint does work best. they appear to form a cohesive unit into themselves. The poured paint will look really thick...I pour it maybe 1mm thick? It's not a precise thing...more "as it comes out of the bottle". 

hmm...actually, I'm going to put a link here to my "craft" album on photobucket. Lets this page load faster, and you can just click the link and go from pictureto picture (they have descriptions.)

http://s167.photobucket.com/albums/u130/anntanns/craft/


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Oh. Wanted to add..for anyone wanting to just paint on windows, tempera paint with a few drops of dish detergent makes a GREAT window paint. to clean it off you just use water..the soap is already in the paint. 

and snow of course...whipped up dry laundry detergent with just a bit of water. lovely fluffy snow to dab on the windows or make snowmen by er, brushing/dabbing...or using stencils. can be colored using food coloring when you make it.


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

Thank you again for all your help. I tried using a thicker layer of paint, and on sandwich bags and it worked for me! Now I know to use a lot of paint....lol.
We have most of the same stores - walmart, michaels, etc but I am still an hour away from the nearest bigger town with a walmart....I live way in the sticks (no hi speed cables here) and with my bad eye and with this bad weather we're having I don't like to drive too far too often, so I'd love to "make do" with the paints I have until I do a shopping trip.


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