making opaque colored glass for use in mosaics

by sande
(san diego)

In a mosaic book I read that you can paint plain clear glass and use it in your mosaic project being sure to put the painted side into the mortar. Has anyone done this? This is an economical way to make "stained glass" if it works. Then you can cut the pieces for your pattern on the unpainted side. Does the paint affect how the glass scores and breaks?

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Oct 21, 2014
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Making opaque colored glass
by: Cheryl

Hi Sande,
Cheryl here from Your Decorative Painting Resource...

This mosaic project idea sounds like fun. You'll need to use opaque glass paints or try some of the new Multi Surface paints that have recently come out by DecoArt or Martha Stewart. There's even milk paint for glass now that also has great adhesion.

My advice to you would be to do a test piece and see how it stands up to the scoring and breaking. I'm thinking any of these should hold up very well.

Would love to see the end result! Happy painting!

Oct 22, 2014
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Making mosaic
by: Elena Misnik-Latushko

Hi,I just can't help leaving a comment here.
I also tried to "make cheaper mosaic", you see.
First, about the "behaviour" of painted glass. You've been advised to try it on a small piece of glass - that's right, because some paints create rather flexible, elastic coat which is inconvenient when you try to cut such painted glass.
If the coat is hard - like the glass itself - you'll cut it easily.Another problem - you may damage the paint coat on the edges while cutting.It also depends mostly on the type of the paint.
Then - the effect that this technique produces is a bit different from the look created by mass-coloured glass. If you put the painted side into the mortar, it looks interesting, but not the same as when you use stained glass.
Anyway, often you get the most interesting things when you try something new and unknown. Good luck!

Aug 29, 2026
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Hand painted glass experiments
by: Zenendipity

I'm currently testing this out! The first experiment was using mod podge dimensional magic with fine glitter, using the end of a paintbrush to make a swirly texture. After that dried, I painted on top of that layer using metallic silver paint. I was impatient and also trying to finish up a mosaic that I had started, so I went ahead the next day after it dried and started cutting. The pieces cut fine, but when I scored it for a long run and snapped it the paint and Mod Podge hang on to the back so I had to use an exacto knife to cut it. That was a little rough, but I just trimmed off those pieces. Now I'm using multi-surface paints and I'm going to bake them in the oven as directed. I imagine these will cut just as well as the other, but what I'm hoping is that when I score it and then snap it, it will cut cleanly. It's fun to experiment!

Aug 29, 2026
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Hand painted glass experiments
by: Cheryl

Hi Zenendipity,
I can't wait to hear how things work out! Do share a photo of your work for everyone to see.
Happy creating!
Cheryl

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AUTHOR BIO

Cheryl Poulin, CPC, has been helping decorative painters of all levels grow their acrylic painting skills since 1993. She has taught thousands of students, published 50+ instructional packets and videos, and helped revive interest in the decorative art form with a beginner painting program using her step-by-step Earmark Studio Method.

Cheryl’s work has appeared in publications such as: The Decorative Painter, PaintWorks, and Tole World. Cheryl provides your-decorative-painting-resource.com as a free resource. She’s happiest when she sees her students succeed. Cheryl relaxes with a brush in hand, painting, doodling, and creating.