How to light stained glass

Stained glass windows are so beautiful when displayed in a window where sunlight shines through the glass. The effect of sunlight reflecting light through the different textures and colors of the glass adds dramatic elegance to the room.

To install art glass in a window opening, you have two options. Buy or make a piece of glass the exact size of the window opening. Place the piece of art glass over the existing window and secure it with trim or brackets. Be sure to clean the window thoroughly before installation. To display smaller art glass pieces, hang it over the window with a decorative string or fishing line.

If you don’t have a window where you would like to display your glass artwork, you can create a faux window. With the push of a button, your art glass will light up.

To turn your art glass into a faux window, you will need to make a shadow box. To make a shadow box, you will need wood for the outer frame, the sides, and the back of the shadow box. You will also need string lights or string lights that fit the inside measurements of your shade box.

First measure the length and width of the stained glass piece. Take these measurements of the outer perimeters of the glass. If you want to have a mitered frame, add the width of the framing material to your measurements.

Example: The perimeter measurements of the window are 21 “x 24”.

The width of the wood for the frame is 2 “.

Using a miter saw or miter box, cut 45-degree angles at each end.

You will need 2 pieces of 25 “and 2 pieces of 28” end to end.

Use wood glue and clip head screws to assemble your frame. Now you are ready to make the box part of the shadow box.

Cut 2 pieces of 1-1 / 2 “wide lumber that are equal to the outside length of the art glass piece plus 1/4” and two pieces that are equal to the outside width of the art glass piece plus 1 / 4 “and 2 times the thickness of the wood.

Using wood glue and nails, assemble the sides of the box and attach them to the frame. This leaves the back of the dummy window open so you can insert your glass. Place the stained glass in the shadow box and fix it with glass and / or silicone holders. Next, add strip lights or string lights around the inside of the box, just behind the stained glass insert.

To make the back of the shadow box, cut a piece of plywood or masonite to fit over the sides and frame of the assembled box. Make sure to make a hole for the power cord. Using wood glue and nail nails, reattach them to the sides of the box.

An alternative to making a stained glass lighted shade box would be to hang art stained glass in front of a wall flooded from above by flood bulbs that are mounted behind a ceiling light. This method requires that the glass artwork be hung from the wall between 4 and 5 “. You can achieve this by hanging art glass from the ceiling that will allow the lighting to be behind the art glass like the sun coming through a window.

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