This Renter-Friendly Stained Glass Is So Easy to DIY (with Just Peel-Off Paint!)

In the past couple of years, people have started gravitating toward more maximalist styles that embrace all sorts of colors and textures. There are plenty of ways to incorporate these into your home, including stained glass. But buying stained glass can get pricey, and if you’re renting, replacing windows or other glass isn’t really an option. On top of all that, real stained glass usually requires a kiln or a round in the oven to achieve, and who has time for that? 

Faced with this dilemma, TikTok creator Marco Zamora (@want.zamora) found his own creative solution. His goal was to create a more colorful kitchen using affordable, renter-friendly solutions, and to that end, he decided to make his very own stained-glass piece for his kitchen doorway, inspired by his travels in his home country of Mexico. 

Zamora cleverly used plexiglass instead of real glass, which is lighter and easier to work with. He also used leaded lines to create the squares for his little entrance “window.” However, the most clever thing he used was the paint. 

In a previous video, Zamora explained how he used an Amazon painting kit to paint the windows in his apartment for a stained glass effect. This paint is peel-off, which means that you can easily remove it before you move out. This also makes it easy to change up the colors if you get something wrong or if you just want something different after a while. Although he didn’t link the exact kit, this stained glass kit on Amazon has a similar effect, and also comes with a bottle of liquid leading to create your own patterns.

While this project can take a little time, and requires some tools (especially to cut the glass and wood strip), it can be done in as little as a day with some effort. Compared to buying and installing (or making) your own stained glass, it’s a breeze — and the perfect way to add a pop of color to your home!