How to Frost a Glass Door

Lead Image for How to Frost a Glass Door
  • 2-4 hours
  • Beginner
  • 20-100
What You'll Need
Spray bottle
Water
Baby Shampoo
Squeegee
Foam brushes
Lint-free rags
Acrylic tintable glaze
What You'll Need
Spray bottle
Water
Baby Shampoo
Squeegee
Foam brushes
Lint-free rags
Acrylic tintable glaze

A plain glass door offers little character or privacy to your home. Window tint and sprays are messy and are often difficult to apply. Purchasing a frosted glass door can be expensive. The only other alternative is to frost your own glass door. You can accomplish this project in under a day with very few items.

Prepare the Glass Door

Clean glass is always a must before you try to do any work on it. Fill a spray bottle with water and a little bit of the baby shampoo. You do not want it so soapy that you create too many bubbles. It should be just enough to clean the window with the least amount of grease. Baby shampoo is a great alternative to traditional window cleaners because the soapy residue is a lot less of an issue.

Generously spray the glass door with the mixture and allow it to rest for several minutes. Place the squeegee tight against the top of the glass door and, with minimal pressure, pull it straight down. Repeat until you have removed the water. Use the lint-free rags to finish the job of drying.

Apply the Edging

Open the can of acrylic tint-able glaze and stir it thoroughly. The foam brushes are ideal for this project because they are more rigid than traditional brushes and inexpensive. Use the acrylic tint-able glaze sparingly. Dip the tip of the smallest brush into the glaze and dab it around the panes of the glass door. Try very hard to not get it on the paint. If you do, immediately remove the glaze with water and a towel.

Glaze the Glass Door

With the edges trimmed, you can now concentrate on the rest of the glass door. Use the large foam brush to paint a wide rectangle around the entire glass door. This allows you to make sure you did not leave out spots around the edging. Paint the remainder of the glass door with the acrylic tint-able glaze. You can make designs on the glass door if you like. Try not to apply the glaze onto the window too thickly.

Finish Up

When the glaze is drying, use a lint-free rag to smear the glaze around the window. This creates a nice random appearance so the glaze doesn't look like it was painted on the glass door. After the first coat dries, look for missing spots. You can easily correct small voids by using a small amount of the glaze. Look at the glass door from the outside to gauge the depth of the frosting.