Learn to Paint Autumn Leaves on glass windows for beautiful Fall decor. An easy beginner-friendly tutorial with video.

This vintage window makes the perfect surface to DIY paint Fall leaves on glass. Easy enough for beginners and fun for everyone!

Hang it or set it on a console table along with pumpkins, mums, and other fabulous elements of Fall for a unique DIY Farmhouse decor vignette.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link I may make a small commission at no cost to you.

The video shows each leaf being painted. For more on Fall painting tutorials and ideas you can visit here.

What colors to use to paint leaves on glass

You can use any color of paints you have or wish, I listed what I used for this project but it is by no means a rigid rule.

Painting on glass is very similar to painting on other surfaces with one caveat, you have to use a lighter touch to spread the paint without lifting it back off.  I have to do a second coat for opacity though others seem to do just fine with one.

Get Paint on glass opaque

See how the first coat is not opaque? That is normal.

With the window I first painted a light circle on the back to give me a guideline to follow, it will be washed off once the leaves are all painted. I just used a plate to draw around with a loaded liner paint brush. You can see it in some of the photos, it is a yellow color.

I place a leaf pattern under the glass to follow.  I painted this undercoat in one solid color, leaf above is undercoated with the color called Autumn Leaves.

You can see how much more opaque it is with the second coat.

Some I do the undercoat in a double load, but the choice is up to you.

Related: Double loading and Basic Strokes.

On both I used a pattern placed under the glass to follow but as you can tell I am not exact, it is merely a guideline.

In the video I paint all the leaves for you so you get an idea of how to move your brush.   This one below is done without a pattern beneath.  The wonderful thing about hand painting is no two are ever just alike.

Key to glass painting is let base coat dry

After letting the base coat dry thoroughly (you can use a blow dryer to speed it up), then you can put on the second coat trying hard not to lift the base coat, it can be tricky but you get the hang of it.

You can see how much more opaque it is with just the second coat.  In the video I share how I clean up the edges.

I still wasn’t satisfied with this one so I added another layer.

That is much better.

Painting on glass windows is great fun but what is also wonderful is if you make a mistake it is so easy to wash off to begin again.

Or you can wash it all off and paint a winter scene once the season changes.
If you use regular craft acrylics you can even paint the windows of your home.

Ready to get started?

• Supply List:
  Plaid FolkArt Paint in the following Colors
  (for painted glassware like cups, wine glasses etc. I would use the FolkArt Enamels but on this project I just used regular craft paint so it can be washed off.
• Autumn Leaves
• Gilded Oak
• Raw Sienna
• Apple Orchard
• True Burgundy
• School Bus Yellow
• Medium Yellow
• Cinnamon
• Brushes

Full length video

How to Paint Leaves on Glass video, tap here

Painting Books I enjoy on Glass Painting
Donna Dewberry Glass and Ceramics
Painting on Porcelain and Ceramic by Priscilla Hauser

For another post on painting Fall Leaves CLICK HERE.

Happy Painting!

Please enjoy and share!