Into the Looking Glass
designed by Colette George for Krylon www.krylon.com

You don’t have to be a whiz with stained glass to make these
nostalgic accents! Kokomo glass is treated with mirror paint, then antiqued by removing some of the reflective medium.

1. Moisten a paper towel and wring out well. Open up the towel and place it over the photo and quote. Press lightly, then remove. Let dry thoroughly to create an aged appearance.
2. Apply two to three very light coats of Looking Glass to the textured side of the stained glass pieces. Let dry. Place the glass pieces mirrored side up on the photo and quote, with edges matching. Slightly moisten the foam brush and position it in the center of one glass piece. Brush slowly from the center toward the top and bottom to remove some of the mirror finish, leaving a rough border to frame the images. Repeat for the remaining glass piece. (Note: If you are not pleased with the result, you can wash the mirror finish off with water and repeat until desired effect is achieved.)
3. Apply Acrylic Crystal Clear to the glass pieces and let dry.
4. Trim the photo and quote slightly smaller than the glass pieces to prevent buckling. Place a thin dot of craft glue on two corners of the textured side of one glass piece, then press the photo, right side down and centered, onto the glass. Repeat for the quote.
5. Center one edge of a glass piece on the foil tape. Roll the glass piece over the foil tape, keeping it centered as you work. Fold the corners at a 45-degree angle. When you reach the end of the last glass edge, overlap the foil tape and cut. Smooth the foil tape onto the glass using the bone folder. Repeat for the remaining glass piece.
6. Sand the foil tape border around each ornament and wipe with a paper towel to remove dust. Use the Short Cuts pen to paint the front edges and sides. Let dry, then lightly sand to remove some of the color for a worn appearance. Wipe with a paper towel to remove dust.
7. Paint the flat ring hangers with the Leafing Pen and let dry. Place a drop of metal-to-metal glue on the foil tape at the top center of each ornament back. Press a hanger into each drop of glue and let dry. (Note: The quote ornament featured also has a second hanger glued to the bottom center of the back.) Insert a length of white string through the hanger hole and add embellishments as desired. Tie the ends together for hangers.
8. Tatter the black ribbons by cutting the edges unevenly and then fraying. Tie a length of ribbon into a bow around the base of each hanger

This project was featured in the Christmas Ornaments 2005 issue of Create & Decorate. To see what else is in this issue, please go to the Inside the Christmas Ornaments 2005 Issue page.