How to make a resin suncatcher (faux stained glass)

A faux stained-glass suncatcher is a 3D-printed frame — the "lead" — with open windows you fill with colored resin, so light glows through it like real stained glass. You print the single-color frame from a word or an SVG, back it with tape or film to hold the liquid, fill the windows with tinted resin, cure it, and hang it in a window. No glass cutting or soldering required. Here's the whole process.

What a faux stained-glass suncatcher is

In real stained glass, strips of lead (the "came") hold pieces of colored glass. Here the 3D print plays the part of the lead: a flat frame with open windows. You fill those windows with colored resin instead of cut glass. Backlit by a window, the resin panes light up in color while the frame reads as dark leading — the classic stained-glass look, made on a printer.

Design your suncatcher

The suncatcher generator builds the frame two ways:

• Text (a word): type a word and the letters become the windows, wrapped in a lead outline. Bold fonts give thicker windows and stronger leading — best for a suncatcher.
• SVG (vector art): upload a ready line drawing where black is the lead and white gaps are the windows — great for multi-cell designs.

Set the overall size, and use the frame-smoothing option (text mode) to control how the lead flows between letters.

Frame, bridges and hanging ring

A few settings make the frame printable and hangable:

• Leading width — the thickness of the lead walls around and between windows. Wider is stronger and easier to fill against.
• Thickness — how deep the frame is; this is also how deep each resin pane can sit.
• Bridges — thin connectors that hold "floating" cells in place, like the middle of an O or A, or a nested cell. Leave them on auto unless you want to tune them.
• Hanging ring — set the hole diameter to match your cord or split ring, and choose where it sits (top, left, right).

Print the frame

Print flat in PLA or PETG in whatever color you want the "lead" to be — black reads most like traditional came, but any color works. The windows are open holes, so no supports are needed. A clean first layer matters because the flat face is what seals against your backing in the next step.

Fill the windows with resin

This is where it comes to life. Work on a level surface, in a ventilated space, wearing nitrile gloves.

1. Back the frame. Stick the flat side of the frame down onto clear tape, an acetate sheet, or textured "window" film — this holds the liquid resin in the open windows. Textured film also gives a lovely glass-like finish.
2. Choose your resin. UV resin cures in minutes under a UV lamp or sunlight and is great for small windows; two-part epoxy is better for larger pours. Pick a UV-resistant resin so it won't yellow in the sun.
3. Tint it. Color small batches with resin pigments or a drop of alcohol ink, keeping translucency so light passes through.
4. Seal first, then fill (the bleed trick). A very thin clear base layer over the whole design, cured, seals tiny gaps so colors don't creep between cells. Then fill each window with its color using a pipette.
5. Cure fully per your resin's instructions — a UV lamp for UV resin, or the full cure time on an epoxy's datasheet.

Finish and hang

Peel the piece off the backing and trim any thin flash from the edges with a hobby knife. Thread a cord or a split ring through the hanging hole, and hang it in a sunny window. If you casted resin before, the mixing and safety habits are the same — see how to cast resin at home.

Troubleshooting

• Resin leaks out the back: press the frame flat onto the tape/film so there are no gaps, and start with a thin sealing layer before filling.
• Colors bleed between windows: do the clear seal-coat first, and don't overfill past the leading.
• Bubbles in the panes: pour slowly, and pop surface bubbles with a gentle pass of a heat gun or a toothpick.
• Cloudy or yellowed panes: use a UV-resistant resin and keep tint light enough to stay translucent.

FAQ

What resin should I use?

UV resin for quick, small pours (cures in minutes under a lamp) or two-part epoxy for bigger windows. Choose a UV-resistant type so it stays clear in sunlight.

How do I keep the resin in the open windows?

Back the flat side of the frame with clear tape, acetate, or textured window film. It dams the liquid until it cures; textured film also adds a glassy look.

UV resin or epoxy?

UV resin is faster and easy for small cells; epoxy is more forgiving for larger areas and thicker pours. Both work — match it to your window sizes.