DIY Monday: Restoring Stained Glass Windows

Hubby and I have looked for a stained glass window since we were married. You see, there's a place in my house that's begging for a window. Begging. Trust me.

We've poked through antique stores pointing them out. We've stopped at random roadside shops touting stained glass while traveling. We've even sought out stained glass stores online and gone exploring.

Our problem - okay, so really MY problem - is that I wanted something particular. I wanted something I thought impossible to find. I wanted a window that was red, white and blue.

You see, my house is red, white and blue. And yes, there are flags. Not over the top flags, but for a girl who could recite the pledge of allegiance before she was two I'd say just enough flags. And stars. I love stars too.

But have you ever tried to find a red, white and blue ONLY stained glass window? The search ain't for sissies let me tell you. It's taken us 3 years, but we finally found one in our travels. But I'll tell you more about that in this week's Weekend Wanderings.

The window itself is fantastic-ly wonderful (yes, I made that word up). The color is amazing and when the light shines through the pressed glass it looks like crystal - it just lights up the room. But this is a real window, taken out of a real house. It's got layers of paint globbed on the glass and it's been dinged up.

I contacted an appraiser and asked if "restoring" the window would affect the value and he said as long as we do it carefully, it should be fine. So for the next several weeks, I'm going to walk through the process of how we restore the window. For now, I leave you with pictures of what we're working with... it's gonna take some work.