Adding Some Pizzaz To Your Wine Glasses

Fun, festive, elegant or silly. Wine glasses are a terrific gift idea for that special friend, as a hostess gift or just for show.  All of these glasses were pretty easy to make. Unless of course you are working outside and a gust of wind comes around and knocks the magenta glitter onto your freshly painted wine glasses. Then you must declare a do-over. 
     If you are doing this craft for the first time purchase some inexpensive wine glasses. Better yet, hunt for some glasses at yard sales or thrift stores. There are so many ways you can decorate wine glasses. Here are a just a few ideas but feel free to let your creative juices flow.
     Before you begin, be sure to clean glasses with alcohol wipes to remove any fingerprints. You can use multi-surface paint but glass specific or enamel paint will adhere better. All glasses should be hand washed only.  

1. Beach Themed:  A cute summer theme can make you feel relaxed before you even add any wine to your glass. Make two and give with a bottle of wine when you attend a summer barbecue. It's a perfect hostess gift. 
– Start by applying painter's tape around the middle of the glass. 
– Apply one coat of a sea glass blue color paint.
– Take extra fine white glitter and sprinkle on the entire painted area. 
– Wait until the paint is entirely dry and hot glue a thin piece of burlap ribbon around the top of the painted section. Then hot glue a tiny starfish or shell in the middle. 
– Another option is to wrap a piece of lace around the glass and then a thin piece of burlap on top of the lace to add contrast and interest.

2. Chalkboard: You can make a set of these to use at your next cocktail party. There are now an array of colors of chalkboard paint. I used green but a nice bright pink or turquoise would add some excitement to a set of glasses too. No more sipping someone else's wine by mistake. 
– Apply painter's tape around the base of the wine glass stem. Apply 2 coats of chalkboard paint , letting it dry thoroughly between coats. 
– Remove tape, get your chalk out and have fun. 

3. Lettering and Glitter:
– Type up a name, initial, or a favorite saying using your desired font and print it out. You can also find some free clip art online.  I chose "50 and Fabulous" for a birthday gift. 
– Place the paper inside the glass and trace with a sharpie or with an enamel based paint. An oil based sharpie will stay on better but a regular one will work too. 
– If working with sharpies place the glass in a cold oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. This will seal the design. 
– For the stem apply a coat of decoupage medium such as Mod Podge. Sprinkle extra fine glitter in a coordinating color on the area. Let dry for a few minutes then apply a second coat of decoupage medium and glitter. Let dry and finish off with a spray sealant.  I decorated 20 glasses in blue glitter, wrapped in cellophane and handed out as a birthday favor for my brother's 50th birthday party. The guests loved it!

So the next time you need ideas for a gift try picking up a wine glass and personalizing it. Cheers!