Painting glass objects with enamel paint is a crafting activity that can be enjoyable and is sure to produce beautiful items to give as gifts or to decorate a home. Most of the painting techniques are not difficult, so it can be easy to learn create attractive painted glass items.
Garden Lights
Use pint-size mason jars to make garden lights to use outside on the patio or deck. Paint the outside of the mason jars and then simply place votive candles inside the jars to create the outside lights.
Paint daisy flower petals onto the jars with a 1/2-inch wide flat paint brush dipped in white enamel paint. Make the petals long and slender and draw the petals into the shape of a daisy in a circle. Add the center of the daisy with a brown or golden paint by drawing a round circle in the center of the white daisy petals. Paint daisies all around the outside of the mason jars to decorate the garden lights. Allow the paint to dry for several hours, and set up the garden lights outside with the votive candles.
Canister Set
Use glass canisters in a variety of different shapes and sizes to create a painted canister set for the kitchen counter. Wash the outer surfaces of the glass canisters with dish soap and water and allow them to dry completely. Use the same 1/2-inch-wide flat paint brush and dip it into a combination of white and brown enamel paints. Paint winding, slender vines climbing up the sides of the glass canisters with the chisel tip of the paint brush. Switch to green enamel paint with the same paint brush and paint green leaves along the vines to fill in green color. Switch to a berry color and, still using the same brush, paint the berries with the tip of the paint brush. To paint the berries, swoop the tip of the brush around very tightly into a "U" shape and then make the rounded top of the berry in a second stroke. Paint these berries along the vines among the leaves.
To cure the paint, either allow the paint to dry for 24 hours and then bake the canisters in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the canisters in the oven until the oven has completely cooled. Alternatively, allow the paints to cure at room temperature for 3 weeks.
