Create the look of professional stained glass with relatively little effort, no matter how inexperienced with crafting you may be!
Only a few materials are necessary. Besides the glass, of course, you will need to purchase glass paints and black lead. Lead is what creates the design around which you will paint--it is best to have a prior design in mind before choosing paint colors and lead, as it can be bought with predesigned stencils, circles, and lines.
You may want to have the door framed before beginning to lay down the design. If you are not accustomed to working with glass, have someone experienced pre-form it for you, and ensure that it fits in the doorframe. Once you have stained the glass, changing the size of the door will be extremely difficult.
Once you have made sure that your door will fit in its frame, lay it flat on a floor or table and begin applying the lead. The best method to doing this accurately is to create a full-sized design for your door on paper, lay it under the glass, and trace over the design using either liquid or solid lead. If you did not frame the door yet, this will be slightly easier, but be sure to line the edges of the glass with masking tape to protect yourself from the edges. Be extremely careful when working with it, and always use gloves to handle the glass.
Carefully trace your design. Solid lead is available in many shapes; it can also be cut out with an x-acto knife or otherwise modified. Simply press it onto the glass and it will adhere on its own, or you may need to buy adhesive separately. Liquid lead is more difficult to work with, but for a custom design such as a picture, it may be the best option. It will generally come in a bottle on which you attach a tip, allowing you to decorate the glass like a cake. However, liquid lead is very thick and often smaller tips are not adequate; for very intricate detailing you may want to consider applying it with a toothpick. Allow the lead to harden thoroughly according to package directions before moving on to the next step.
Once the design has been laid down, it is time to fill in the paint. Apply it sparingly in all areas you wish to be colored; or, if you desire, simply use a glaze. Clear glaze will create the "crackled" look often seen on natural-colored glass, and other additives such as sparkles are also available. Some glass paints also recommend using sealers, and you may want to lay a second piece of glass on top of the first if you do not want the paints to be touched directly.
For more experienced hobbyists, there is the more complicated process of cutting glass and thoroughly staining it. For this, the glass must be cut with special scissors and fitted together using a soldering iron, copper foil and flux. This is not recommended for your first time working with stained glass, in particular for a door, which must be thick and does require special tools to score and shape.
Once your door has been painted, have it framed (if you haven't already), attach hinges, and fit it into your doorframe.
