Go in for some cheap frills

We, as women, appreciate the beauty of lace. Today I will show you how to make a lace design on glass, which you can then use as a pretty tabletop.

STEP l

If you have an old side table for which you want to just change the top, buy a glass sheet of suitable size and shape — round or square. Make sure the sides are sharp. Clean it well and dry before using.

STEP 2

In a plastic cup, mix white acrylic wall paint and a small amount of water, just so it attains a viscous, paste-like consistency.

Put this mixture in a small plastic bag and make a small hole on one corner of it. Squeeze the mixture out on to the glass sheet, making whichever design you want.

Ensure you make a small hole. If the hole is too big, a larger amount of mixture will come out, as a result of which, while drying, the paint will run, spoiling the design you have made.

STEP 3

Spread the design over the entire area available, without leaving any big gaps in between. Similarly, don't clutter a particular area with too much design.

Leave on to dry for a night and you will be ready to use it as your tabletop glass the next morning.

If you don't have a ready table to put it on, you can buy an iron stand and put the designed glass sheet on it. You can also get a stand custom-made from any of the iron shops.

STEP 4

In the photo, you see a glass vase. It has been decorated the same way as the table. The only difference is that for this one, red glass paint has been used. The vase can also double as an elegant candleholder.

STEP 5

There is also another way you can use this mixture. Get a glass piece measuring 20x30 cm. Stick a photograph to the centre of the glass piece on the other side, so the photo is under the glass.

Work with the mixture in the same way as in the tabletop glass, leaving the space above the picture free. However, make sure you cover the edges of the photo with the lace design.

STEP 6

After the mixture has dried, cover the back of the glass sheet — the side where the photo has been pasted — with aluminum wrapping paper or some golden spray paint.

Use aluminium strips as stands to make the photo frame more beautiful.

STEP 7

Pretty candleholders and pots for your plants can also be made in a similar fashion.

— Gulsen Dikturk is a UAE-based art enthusiast