Top 5 Ideas for Decorating Wine Glasses

Picking out or decorating wine glasses is one of the most accessible and fun activities for bridesmaids’ bonding or girls’ night in. You don’t need to be artistic to decorate your wine glasses; you need only creativity and time. And the best part? You can use them at the wedding reception or bridal shower.

Whether you prefer standard or stemless wine glasses, there are many ways to make them look amazing. This post has compiled some best ideas for decorating your wine glasses.

Whether you only want a personal touch or go crazy with themed decorations, we have something for every taste. Discover these and other useful tricks that will help you make your event memorable!

Decorative Glasses

Decorative glasses come in a wide range of styles and designs, so you can choose ones that suit your theme or concept perfectly. So many decorative glass types are available today, so you’ll have no trouble finding the perfect one for your event.

Choose if you will use them for casual and more formal occasions. If yours is a themed event, decorative glasses are the best way to add that extra bit of fun.

Decorative glasses range from novelty styles to ones with elegant designs. The most popular include paint, glitter, metallic jewels, and etched glassware. There are many decorated glasses for weddings and other special occasions, so you can choose the style that best suits your event.

Wine Glass Decorating

If you choose to DIY, once you’ve selected the perfect wine glasses for your event, it’s time to decorate.

Whether you are learning how to decorate wine glasses for a wedding or another reason, let your creativity shine. Use vinyl sticker decals, paint, or materials like glitter or confetti to add sparkly color.

For a themed event, choose a design that will suit the decor. Plenty of supplies are available to help you decorate your wine glasses, so you can let your imagination run wild.

Glitter Wine Glasses Ideas

If you want your wine glasses to stand out, glitter is a great way to do it. Glitter is an easy way to decorate your wine glasses because the process is relatively easy. Brush on Mod Podge or other adhesive, sprinkle on glitter, then let dry. After thoroughly drying, you may want to add a second coat. Then add a sealant to keep the glitter from shedding.  

#1 Glitter Wine Glasses

The sparkle of glitter goes perfectly with a wedding, New Year’s Eve party, or other celebration. The glasses are ideal for Mother’s Day or other gifts as well. This glitter wine glasses tutorial shows you how to decorate wine glasses with glitter.

And these don’t shed! I made those in the photo. The purple has been on my desk for over a year, with not even a single stray shiny.

Note: I will earn a commission for some links if you click and buy a qualifying item.

Wine Tumbler Ideas

Decorating wine glasses doesn’t necessarily involve glass. Decorating wine tumblers is another easy way to spruce up your event. These are stemless wine glasses made from stainless steel instead of glass. Or some use skinny tumblers like those below for wine.

Because they are sturdier, tumblers are perfect for outdoor activities such as sports games or even tailgating at a wedding. The most common ways to decorate these wine glasses are vinyl name decals or epoxy and glitter.

#2 Vinyl Decals on Wine Tumblers or Glasses

Learn how to perfect center the vinyl on these tumblers in the DIY tumblers tutorial.

Paint Wine Glasses

Paint is a popular way to decorate wine glasses because it is inexpensive and easy to use. To get a paint-like appearance, use:

– Acrylic paint – Decorating wine glasses with acrylic is common. Use it on almost any kind of glassware; it dries quickly and is easy to clean up. Just remember to choose a non-toxic acrylic paint.

– Stained-glass paint – Many prefer this technique because of its unique effect. Instead of an opaque design like acrylic, you can see through the color, creating a more upscale look. 

– Decoupage glue or Mod Podge with paper or fabric – Decoupage glue is an excellent choice if you prefer a stiffer finish and have a design to apply to the glass.

How to Paint on Glass

Painting on glass is easier than you might think. All you need is a few supplies, and you will have a beautiful piece of artwork.

– Use paint appropriate for glass, such as non-toxic decorative paints or acrylic.

– Painting on glass can be tricky, but you can make it easier using the correct size brushes for your design.  

– When painting on glass, you want to ensure that you apply even strokes. Brush strokes that are too heavy or too thick may cause the paint to drip.

– You may also want to use a paintbrush with soft or synthetic bristles. These types of brushes will minimize unwanted strokes.

– You will likely need to apply a couple of coats of paint to get a solid finish.

Do it Yourself Wine Glass Painting

If you want something hands-on, try DIY wine glass painting. You could even have a wine glass decorating party! Your imagination is the only limit to design choices.

If you are artistic, try an original drawing; if you aren’t so talented (like me), using a stencil or a template can make the process easier. Either way, consider options ranging from simple monograms or go for more intricate artwork.

Follow these steps to make your painted glassware:

1) Make or find a design.

Delphi Glass has free patterns you can download if you are not drawing your own. Or you can buy stained glass patterns to download here.

2) Once you’ve found a design,  laser print or copy it. Your typical home inkjet printer won’t work for this – the ink will run – so take it to your local print shop. Depending on the original design’s size, you may have to shrink it to fit on your wine glass.

3) Next, transfer the design to the glass. The process involves laying the design side to the glass and soaking the back with nail polish remover. You can see DIYNoNeedToCry transfer her design to a wine bottle here on YouTube.

 4) Paint the design.

When you are satisfied with your work, you’re done!

#3 Acrylic Painted Wine Glasses

Acrylic paints are popular for painting glassware. Follow these tips for the best results.

– Choose a non-toxic acrylic paint. Look for a label on the paint bottle that says it is safe for glass.

– You can use stencils to create a simple design or try free-painting your style. You can also mix and match styles.

– If you need to remove any paint after it is dried, you can use nail polish remover or a household cleaner.

– The paint may take longer to dry on glassware than on other surfaces.

Stained Glass Wine Glass

This technique is excellent for people who want a more translucent effect than acrylic, glitter, or vinyl decorating their wine glasses.

#4 Translucent Stained Glass

The process of creating the design is the same as with acrylic paint. The difference is the paint type. There are many stain glass painting kits from which you can choose.

If you love the traditional stained-glass windows seen in church, first trace the lines with relief dimensional paint like the Pebeo Vitrial brand on Amazon here.

#5 Decoupage Wine Glasses

Decoupage is a process of gluing a pre-printed design to the glass. The technique is a good option if you make a design for a large group because it is faster than painting or designing each glass from scratch.  It’s also ideal to decorate wine glasses for Christmas!

Decoupage can create texture and depth that the other techniques cannot. Fabric, tissue paper, and napkins are candidates for decorating material.

For fabric, cut a section of material, then use fabric paint to paint the design on the fabric. When the paint is dry, wrap the fabric around the wine glass. Alternately, use fabric as only a part of a larger design.

Mod Podge and tissue paper are a quick way to make a translucent abstract design on the glass.

Printed napkins are inexpensive to create detailed designs without transferring or creating the original art. Carefully separate the top printed layer from the remaining plies before gluing it to the glass.

You can add trim, beads, rhinestones, or other embellishments to your design. Or combine decoupage with different techniques for exceptional results.

Conclusion

Wine glasses are perfect for your wedding, bridal shower, or any celebratory event. They are inexpensive and easy to decorate, and you can use them for many occasions.

Whether you prefer to paint, use vinyl, glitter, or decoupage, there are many ways to decorate your wine glasses. And the best part? You can use them again and again.

Decorating Wine Glasses FAQ

How can I decorate wine glasses with glitter?

You can use glitter to decorate glasses. And it can be mess-free if you use a top sealer. The glitter wine glasses tutorial in #1 gives step-by-step instructions.

Can you use acrylic paint on glassware?

Yes, acrylic paint is safe for glassware and is a common choice for decorating wine glasses. It is an easy clean-up and dries quickly. See #3 Acrylic Painted Wine Glasses for tips and things to remember when using acrylic paint on glassware.

Are painted wine glasses safe?

Painted wine glasses are safe if you use non-toxic paint. If you want to drink or eat from the painted part of the glass, you must first protect it with a food-safe sealer.

Can you drink out of painted wine glasses?

If you drink from your painted wine glasses and want the inside or top of the glass decorated, protect it with a food-grade sealer. Otherwise, avoid decorating areas where liquid or lips will touch.

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