# Stained Glass Windows



## Texan78 (Sep 27, 2008)

Do you think this would look good with the boarded up window effect on the outside?

The plastic you used. Is that the heavy duty stuff like you would find at the fabric store you can buy by the yard?


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Oh, absolutely would this look good with the boarded up windows! That was my intention but I ran out of time. I will do that next year. 

The plastic sheeting I used was the plastic drop cloths you get at Home Depot. If I remember correctly it was 2 mil thick. Basically, I found sheeting that was see-through but also thick enough to protect the window frame.


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## Texan78 (Sep 27, 2008)

That stained glass works perfect with that shape window you have and looks amazing. 

I had a feeling you were using that painters plastic. I use the black 6 mil for walls to enclose my carport. I have had so many ideas how to use this since you posted it. I had an idea to use that heavy duty plastic from a fabric store like people use to make covers. Then have my grandmother sew it to the sheet. That way it is heavy duty and would last longer and maybe store better.

Since the only front window you would be able to see from the front is my daughters room and the window is under her bed I was thinking about taking some firing strips like 1"x2" and make a frame use L brackets to hold the strips to make it seemless. Then take the sheet and wrap it over the strip frame staple it on the back of that strip frame. This would allow it to slide into the window sill perfect and make for easy set up and take down, keep it taunt, and seamless looking. You would just take some of those push pins and after you slide that frame in to hold it to the window frame since it is recessed at the top. That would keep it from sliding back. 

Before I would put it up I was thinking about taking some rope light and line on the inside of the strips. This would give it the light it needed since I can put up a flood light in her room and can have this up from the start of Oct. and allow you to be able to live around it. Then if that wasn't enough...LoL. I thought I would put the rope lights on a flicker circuit so it would flicker behind the stain glass. Then have the boarded up window look on the outside of the window. I think that would look pretty dang cool and creepy. 

Thanks for the idea and sharing it, I am going to run with it now...LoL This will definitely dress the windows up.


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

*Wow!* I love all of your improvements. The framing and the rope lights I think I'll incorporate next year. Along with the boarded up windows. Hmmm, I still have some foam left....Halloween is still 6 days away.


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## Texan78 (Sep 27, 2008)

Hey do it, I would love to see it!

After thinking about it some more the frame would work kind of like a canvas. Like how they wrap the canvas around the wooded frame and staple it to the back. It would work like that, then once you get it attached you could paint it that way it would look right instead of painting it then putting it on and cutting some of the design off. Of course you wouldn't be able to sew the plastic on, you would have to wrap it over and staple it like the sheet after you paint it. 

I am just wondering if the rope lights would be bright enough to shine through enough to see it. I think it will and the flicker addition would even high light it more if it does. Another advantage is the rope light is cheaper to use then a flood light.


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## Finn (Aug 2, 2008)

You are my hero. You do some great things and the haunt looks terrific.

Finn


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## Johnson724 (Jun 24, 2009)

I have a large window of similar shape in the front of my house that I was wanting to do. Another member told me you had done this and it looks great. Since our "haunted house" is in our back yard I plan to do several of the windows and our back door. Last year I only had time to throw some black plastic over the door. I have been researching some patterns from old castles and I think I have found a few I might use with variations. And I was also thinking of doing a frame for the front window because I didnt know how I was going to attach it. I am trying to avoid putting holes in the house.


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## Johnson724 (Jun 24, 2009)

I got to thinking..my mistake. My uncle is somewhat an artist and he got started by recreating on paint and canvass famous persian rugs. He started by seeing one he liked but couldnt afford and did one up to have on his floor. He covered it in some kind of varnish so it would hold up when it got wet. I wonder if you can do the same to the windows so they would not leach onto the window. Might last longer too.


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Johnson724 said:


> I got to thinking..my mistake. My uncle is somewhat an artist and he got started by recreating on paint and canvass famous persian rugs. He started by seeing one he liked but couldnt afford and did one up to have on his floor. He covered it in some kind of varnish so it would hold up when it got wet. I wonder if you can do the same to the windows so they would not leach onto the window. Might last longer too.


I would think. That's a really good idea! Thanks for the kudos by way


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## wristslitter (Nov 21, 2008)

Wow Terra, I always thought that was real stained glass window. You did an excellent job.


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## Johnson724 (Jun 24, 2009)

Well, I started on my window. Problems I am running into. The window is too big for a single sheet. I bought a king size sheet at Walmart but the window doesnt have enough left over on the sides. It didnt help that I bought a fitted sheet either. Thats why my wife does the shopping. I plan to have the window on a frame so I need plenty extra material to attach it. I also liked the idea of running a string or two of lights inside the frame to illuminate the window. I started and finished the arch part of the window and plan to post a pic at some point. As an experiment I have sprayed the window with a clear coat to hopefully ward off any weather induced problems. It stiffened the window up but doesnt change the luminesence of the window. My only worry is that it will crack during storage. I will probably have to roll it or something.


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## Johnson724 (Jun 24, 2009)

Well here is the upper part of the window.









I wanted the top to be dark and have a sliver of moon showing. The lower part of the window I am hoping to have it become progressively lighter and brighter. I have a grim reaper figure thats going to be on it. I wanted to do a more detailed background for the window. I liked the tudor style stained glass but my wife wanted what we ended up doing. I think it looks good. Most of the black border is not going to be seen as it will wrap around the frame. I painted it out farther to give myself extra to work with.

There is a lot of glare in the picture so I hope that doesnt detract. The shadowed part of the moon is actually grey but it doesnt show up in this well though.


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Oh wow! Love seeing this and your design is really neat _(silvery moon)._ The idea of the spray should work great. Wish I thought of that. heh.


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## Johnson724 (Jun 24, 2009)

I've started on the lower portion of the window. I dont have floor space so I tacked a plastic sheet to the garage wall and then the sheet over it. I have to be pretty carefull with drips. I also have found that most of my bleed over goes down. With the plastic behind it and I am not careful..it really goes down. I have been able to dilute most of my messups with water and I am sure that when I paint those sections it wont show up as much.


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## susan from creepy hollow (Aug 15, 2008)

your yard is amazing!


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks Susan 

Johnson, sounds like you've got a solution for the vertical dripping. The way I did mine was dependent on it being on the floor. But, I'm thinking that your way could look pretty cool too_ (even if some of the paint still shows). _


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## kprimm (Apr 3, 2009)

Excellent work Terra,
I have wondered for a while how to do that effect, and i have to say, you have it figured out. That looks great.


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## Johnson724 (Jun 24, 2009)

I mostly have finished the lower window. The only thing I am stuck on is the face. Other than that...all I need to do is build the frame, run lighting and put it in the window. I plan on building the frame soon but I have another project I want to start.










oh ..the cord..heh thats to my attic.


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2009)

that is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Love it!!!!


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## Johnson724 (Jun 24, 2009)

The main thing I have been proud of so far on this is his right pointing hand. I tried so many ways to draw it and he always ended up looking like he had some kind of deformity. My wife showed me a technique...think its called foreshadowing..to draw the hand. I think it worked out pretty good. I'm happy with it.


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

*Wowwwwwwwww..............*

I really like your design. That is spooky as all get out!


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## Dr. Dark (Aug 6, 2009)

Terra, once again I'm blown away by your unlimited talents. I'm going to try and talk DD in letting me have one of our boarded up windows to do this with. 
????........... Maybe the one in front of where my monument is going this year?
KUDOS to you 
DDGF


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Aww, thanks so much. These are just flat fun to make so I hope you do it


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## Boo Baby (Oct 7, 2008)

I'm speechless. First the Beloved tombstone then to see it all together....

Take me under your All Hallow-wing and teach me!!!


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## savagehaunter (Aug 22, 2009)

this stained glass window prop is brilliant. It was very fitting in your haunt. The tutorial was very well done. I actually think I could make this work.


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## Winklesun (Nov 1, 2008)

I did this. When I started out I thought "oh no, the color is running, it is going to be a mess!" 
Well, it turned out great. 
Thanks for this tutorial.


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## Angelique_NM (Aug 6, 2010)

Great tutorial Terra  I'd love to try this prop this Halloween season. Is painter's plastic like those plastic drop sheets that you use so you don't get paint on the furniture and floors?

angelique_nm


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks! Yes, I was using the painter's plastic tarps.


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## mgrell (Nov 8, 2010)

*Amazing!!*

Hi Terra; this is my first post on the forum. I saw a couple of your tutorials and was most impressed. I've been doing haunts in my neighbourhood for a couple years, always looking to improve. Looking at your yard / haunt, truly an inspiration! I am already getting started on Haunt 2011 

I do have a question related to the Stained Glass video (that shows your yard etc) -- that video with the blinking eyeball in the upper window - is that home-made? It looks so familiar it's driving me crazy, yet not if that makes sense!! A great idea... can you shed any light on that?

Thanks!

Mike


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## Johnson724 (Jun 24, 2009)

Try this Mike. I got it too

http://hallowindow.com/


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Thank you so much 

Oh yeah, that's the Hallowindow eyeball from Hallowindow II. It's in the bonus features of the disc. It's hubby's favorite scene... http://www.hallowindow.com/


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## mgrell (Nov 8, 2010)

*Love it!*

haha that's awesome... never heard of that before. I must have seen the eyeball somewhere though. Wow, now I need to add a projector to my list... ouch...! Thanks for the info - that's great!


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## JustJ (Oct 4, 2010)

Could you paint stained glass effect directly onto the plastic sheeting rather than the fabric?


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Not if you are using water-based paint. It will bead up and not really 'stick'. Not sure about oil-based paint but I don't think you'd want to go there anyway.


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