Painting Glass Paperweights

Applying paint to the bottom of your paperweights is a brilliant way to frame your artwork in color.  In the example paperweight (PhotoWeights: Heirloom Square), I painted the field of glass around the display area with metallic gold paint.  The gold instantly transformed the clear glass into a splendid frame for the rose artwork.

Here's how I did it:

Clean your paperweight with a good, streak-free glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol.  Make sure there are no dust particles on the back of the paperweight prior to painting.  Use a durable paint that's appropriate for use on glass or ceramics (such as Plaid FolkArt Enamels).  It may take 2-3 coats of paint for complete coverage.

Important:  Allow the paint to dry between coats.  The paint should be completely dry prior to adhering the paperweight kit's bottom pad to the base of the paperweight.

Once the paint has dried completely, clean the interior of your display area with a soft cloth.  Place your artwork face-down onto the bottom of the paperweight and cover the base of the paperweight with the velvet pad to finish.

I wanted the paint to have a smooth texture, so I applied it with a paint brush using even strokes.  If you'd like to take a more artistic approach, you can use a variety of painting techniques and tools to create patterns and textures.

If you haven't used paint in your paperweight projects yet, I hope this project will inspire you to give it a try.  If this is something you've already done, what has been your experience?  What kind of materials and painting techniques have you used?