Making Stained 'Glass' windows with the littlies

 MAKING STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

(originally from Tuesday 14th May 2013)

I was recently given some rolls of old overhead projector acetate and they have been sitting in the shed for a while as I wasn't too sure what to do with them. Then I realised that they would be great against the windows as they let the light through so I decided to get the kids to make their own stained glass windows. This is how we did it.

First I cut the acetate into rectangles. I then taped it to the table so it wouldn't curl up or slide around as the children were painting. I used masking tape for this to help the children to see where the edges of the plastic were as it is tricky to see.

Then I gave the children a variety of colours to paint their own designs. It is a good idea to add a bit of PVA glue to the paint as otherwise the paint flakes off the plastic.

I found it easiest to just lift the picture with the masking tape still attached and stick it straight to the window initially so it could dry, although if yours are very  thickly painted you may want to dry them flat so they don't run.

Once they were dry I swapped the masking tape for clear sticky tape and hey presto! The children love looking at them and they look lovely when the sun shines through them.