Christmas Stained Glass Windows From Clear Contact Paper?

Bobbi Perreault
by Bobbi Perreault

Painted windows are beautiful! But so hard to clean up after the event. So I thought, why not paint on clear contact paper and stick THAT on the window instead. This design was for a Christmas party we had recently, and maybe it will work in your house too.

Stained Glass? Nope. Just painted contact paper.

Getting Started, I sketched out what I wanted from some Internet searches for nativity stained glass, measured my window, and cut the contact paper to fit. I laid out the main leading using -- ELECTRICAL TAPE -- and started tracing my components onto the clear contact paper with a marker.

Next Step! Put the contact paper on the window. And start painting. I use craft paints mixed with clear acrylic medium. I love the fabric paints for window painting, because of the pointy applicator. But with a job this big, I put the paint on using that applicator, but I also then used a brush to move it around on the window. (Hubby took my pic here while I was working)

Still painting here (the stable scene), in the dark it was a little hard to tell how the paint was going on.

The finished window has pieces I like better in the dark, and pieces I like better in the day. I think If I had it to do over again (always could do better next time) I would do the background of the stable in a more solid dark so the center of the composition would be more clear.


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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Joanne Lewis Joanne Lewis on Jun 17, 2018

    WOW, beautiful! do you just peel it off?

  • D Downing D Downing on Aug 14, 2018

    How can I make copies of pictures from images on contact paper?

    Will the machine melt the decal imaged being copies?

  • Marilyn Pat Jurman Marilyn Pat Jurman on Jun 18, 2019

    Do you think if you used plastic wrap or wax paper on the sticky side when you peel it off the window it might allow you to roll it up?

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