Gift giving can be difficult. Sure, some people have a knack for this, but gift selection has never been my strong point.  I lost count of all the times I'd find myself wandering aimlessly down the aisles of my favorite store, waiting for the perfect gift to jump off the shelf at me. Of course, that never happened. So in the end, I would walk out with something generic and impersonal. My go to gifts:  a pretty candle or a bottle of wine. Well, now that I have embraced my inner artist, those days are done!

Okay, I'll admit candles are nice and there is NOTHING wrong with a gift of a bottle of nice wine. But even that can get a little tricky if you are dealing with what I affectionately refer to as a wine snob (no judgment here- many of my friends fall into this category). Especially if you have, how can I put this kindly, a much simpler palate like I do.

So what is the perfect gift for the wine aficionado in your life? Hand painted wine glasses!

These wine glasses were super-simple, and so inexpensive that you could even wrap these up along with a bottle of wine (if you are one of the lucky ones who is confident in your wine selection abilities).

Your friend will think of you every time she (or he) pulls these out to enjoy a glass of wine. Plus, did you know that, according to a study by the University of Alberta, resveratrol, a polyphenol present in red wine, can have nearly the same effect on the heart and muscles as does one hour of exercising? (for more health benefits, check out this article: 15 Reasons to Drink Wine Every Day) So you are giving your friend a gift that is good for her health- can't beat that!

This project was so simple- even someone who considers him or herself artistically-challenged can do it.

TOOLS & MATERIALS

All you need are the wine glasses, enamel glass paint in your choice of colors, and an old fashioned wooden pencil and an extra small paintbrush (or anything else with a small cylindrical shape- I used the handle, not the brush side). You'll also need some alcohol, a cotton ball, a paper plate and a paper towel.

For my glasses, I selected 3 colors from the Folk Art line of glass paints (Perfect Purple, Forest Moss, and Silver Sterling) but you can choose any colors at all. You can even stick with just 2 colors, and blend the 2 together to form a third option (or an infinite number of subtle color variations, just by varying the proportions each color). For this line of paint, look for the wine glass icon on the top of the lid. You can use another brand, but be sure the label specifies it can be used on glass, and check for the "cure" or "heat setting" instructions.

THE PROCESS

Step 1: Clean the glasses

Start by removing any stickers and washing the glasses with warm soapy water. Allow the glasses to air dry, or dry them with a clean towel. Finally, place each glass upside down on a paper towel and wipe down the outer surface with an alcohol soaked cotton ball. The alcohol will remove any grease or smudges from your fingers and help the paint adhere to the glass so be sure to wipe down everything from the stem to the lip (include the stem and base if you plan to paint that too) and be careful not to handle the glass in those areas once you've cleaned it.

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Start Stamping

Select your base color. I started with the Silver Sterling. Shake the bottle well, then squeeze a dime-sized puddle of paint onto your paper. Grab your pencil, dip the eraser end gently into the paint and use it like a stamp to add dots to your glass. It's a good idea to try a few test dots on your plate or on a scrap piece of paper to figure out the perfect amount of paint and perfect amount of pressure to get your dots the way you want them.

A few stamping tips:

• Hold the glass steady by its base (which will be at the top during this process) using your non-dominant hand.
• Use the table to help stabilize the hand you're stamping/painting with
• Remember to load your eraser before stamping each time you add a dot (sometimes you can squeeze out a second or third dot without reloading, but I find it makes it a little more difficult to get a perfectly round dot)
• Start at the top (near the stem), keep your painting hand in one place and turn the glass to work your way around it
• Rather than making a straight, even rows of dots, stagger them, adding more near the stem and fewer as you get closer to the lip.
• It's okay to overlap dots
• If you make a mistake, it'll be easier to stamp over it then it will be to try to "erase" it. But if you need to erase, do it while the paint is still wet using a damp cotton swab.

STEP 3: Keep Stamping

When you are happy with your first layer of color, rinse the eraser, pat it dry and repeat the process using your next color. I added Perfect Purple next. Go right over your first layer of dots, being extra careful in the areas where the paint is still wet. (The best recommendation is probably to tell you to allow the first layer to dry before starting the next layer, but I am not a patient crafter and I didn't wait and it turned out okay, so... you decide what works for you.)

Repeat the process with your next color- for me, this was Forest Moss- a color I selected because it matched the color of the stems on my glasses.

STEP 4: Mini-Dots

Grab your little paint brush (or other cylindrical object). You'll want something that is much smaller in diameter than the pencil eraser, and something that make nice round dots. Once again, test it out on your paper plate or a piece of scrap paper before getting started with it.

Add mini dots to complete your glasses. I added these a bit randomly in all three colors, making sure to wipe the tip whenever I switched colors.

STEP 5: Final Touch-Up

Once you are happy with the colors and pattern, allow the paint to set for at least 30 minutes. Then carefully examine each glass by rotating it under a bright light. If you see any areas that see a little thin (sometimes the dots can have a nice edge but the center gets a little light), go ahead and use the smaller tool to dot color into these areas. When you are done, set the glasses aside and allow them to dry completely.

STEP 6: Heat Set the Paint

You will need to follow the directions provided on the label of your paint. The directions below are for the FolkArt Enamel paints that I used. I didn't have to bake them; the alternative was to allow the paint to cure for 21 days. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a patient crafter.

I started by removing the top rack in my oven and then lowering the remaining rack to make sure my glasses would fit sitting upright on their bases. Then I placed the glasses in the cold oven, closed the door and turned it on, setting the temperature to 350 degrees F.  As soon as the oven temperature reached 350 degrees, I started the timer. After 30 minutes at temperature, I turned off the oven, leaving the door closed. About an hour later, I propped the door open to release any remaining heat. Another hour later, I touched the base of one of the glasses to make sure it had cooled (warm to the touch is okay, just make sure it isn't hot), and then I removed my glasses from the oven. My glasses were ready to be wrapped.

A Note of Warning: Some people place wine glasses in the dishwasher (I don't, even if they aren't hand painted) but I would recommend gently hand washing these instead, just to be safe.

I hope you enjoyed this article. If you are interested in getting even more handmade "Perfect Gift" ideas and to be receive special discount offers on my courses, sign up for my mailing list.