Follow this pictorial tutorial on how to make your own glass palette.
It’s super easy and very inexpensive.
Do you have $15? Then you can make this too!
Buy a piece of tempered glass that you would like your palette to be. Preferably one with rounded (smooth) edges.
*** I bought this for $10 at a display and fixture warehouse store. ***
If you purchase it from a glass store you will pay $45-$95 and have to wait 3-7 business days.
This piece of tempered glass is 3/8 inch or as you can see, six pennies. This is very thick glass.
I recommend buying at least 1/4 of an inch thick tempered glass
*Note: this is not a palette that you will be holding whilst you are painting. You will need a flat sturdy surface to place it on.
Buy a can of grey primer from your local home improvement store. My can of primer cost just under $5 after tax.
Begin to spray vertically. Let dry.
Spray on another coat, this time horizontally. Let dry.
Depending on how even your coats of paint are, you may or may not need another coat.
I added a third coat for good measure.
Once the paint dries, turn it paint-side down, and use the glass as your new palette!
You did it!
I’m right-handed so I keep my palette on my right side and my easel towards my left. If you are left-handed I would switch them around.
Please let me know if this was easy to understand.
I highly recommend a glass palette for painting with acrylics or oils.
It’s very easy to clean too!
I wish I would have made this years ago!
ah this is brilliant! I used to paint, and can always start up again… And I do have strips of glass palettes as my window shield. one broke and is out of commission but I think I know just how to recycle it now!
That’s great Janet! Perfect timing!
Elyse,
Loved your instructional pictorial! I haven’t used acrylics in years and find your suggestion to use the glass as a palette a refreshing change from any other ideas. Thank you for sparking my interest in creative projects – think it’s time to clean off my craft table and get back into painting.
Lynn Spiro
Hi Lynn, That’s great! I love hearing about people returning to their painting. So glad you received some creative sparks here 🙂
easy thanks for the tutorial.
Great! Thank you!
I have a plexiglass palette but have problem with reflection or glare on the palatte, it is hard to work and get right color tones
Any suggestions
Hi Ana!
Here are some things to consider:
Have you painted the backside grey?
Move your lighting around.
Is your palette near a window? If so, using sheers will help with the glare.
Hope this helps!
Elise
P.S. My apologies for the delayed response. I’ve been on hiatus.