Painting Over Stained Glass Door Insert

by Sheila
(Canada)

I just had a new front door installed. There is a decorative stained glass insert that is more revealing than I like ( I can see very clearly outside, and vise versa). Is it possible to paint over the sections that I can see through ( bevelled but clear ), or cover each section with some kind of cut-out that are more occlusive?

Answer

Wow..that's a hard one. Covering up the bevels will take away from the beauty of the stained glass insert, but I understand your concern. Obviously the door is in such a place that the inside of your home is in plain view to anyone passing by.

The best solution would be to contact your local stained glass shop and ask them to change the bevels to some other glass that isn't so clear.

Etching cream would make the bevels opaque, but it would be a tedious job making sure you didn't get the cream on anything but the bevels. You can get the cream, along with directions for use, at most craft stores. If you decide to use it, I'd recommend trying it on some other scrap clear glass first to be sure it's the effect you want. Etching isn't something you can undo!

Contact paper has a design that looks like glue chip glass. You could cut pieces exactly the size and shape of the bevels and stick it to the bevels, but over time it will probably begin to yellow or peel off.

There is a paint for glass crafters, but it will fade after it's been exposed to the sun for a few months, so that won't work.

Other than those ideas, I can't come up with anything that would work and look nice other than having the bevels replaced with something else.

Perhaps someone reading this can come up with a solution.