Stained glass is gorgeous and can add a charming, decorative touch to your home. It’s also hard to make really well, which is one of the reasons it’s wildly expensive. Granted, you can salvage old stained glass if you’re lucky or you could try to make a D.I.Y. version of it, but there happens to be another option for those who want the look of stained glass but lack a huge budget, a secondhand hookup, or the necessary artistic abilities: fake stained glass.
A couple of years ago, I had come across a window film that promised to be easy to apply, simple to remove, and would provide both the stained glass look that I wanted as well as the privacy I sought. I loved the result and not only added it to my front windows, I also applied it to a side window and the front door. Admittedly, because it was my first time trying something like this, I made a few mistakes like cutting the pieces too small and getting a little mixed up when it came to placement.
Now that I have moved to a new house with large front-facing windows, I was eager to give the fake stained glass another (hopefully more successful) attempt.
This time around, I wanted to try putting up the fake stained glass for three reasons. First, I love the look of stained glass and felt like it might add an extra artistic flair to my living room. I also wanted a little more privacy (I don’t like the idea that people passing by can see into my home), but I didn’t want to completely block out the light that my windows let in. And finally, I happen to have a very alert chihuahua who likes to bark at every single thing that passes my house. While I appreciate the fact that he acts as an alarm dog, I don’t need him freaking out every two minutes.
And while I thought that tackling a fake stained glass project would be simple, it was surprisingly difficult for a reason that I didn’t anticipate. BUT, read on to find out how the process can be much easier — and a total success — if you’d like to try it out for yourself.