One of the questions I get about stained glass is how all those little pieces of glass actually stay together.
The short answer? Copper foil and solder.
The longer answer involves quite a bit of cutting, grinding, fitting, and sometimes wondering why I thought a particular pattern was a good idea.
Here's a look at how I make stained glass using the copper foil method.
Step 1: Choosing the Glass
This is one of my favorite parts.
There are so many types of glass to choose from. Clear, textured, opaque, transparent, marbled, iridescent — and just about every color you can imagine.
I tend to gravitate toward glass with interesting texture and movement.
Sometimes I choose the glass to match a pattern. Other times, I find a piece of glass I love and figure out what to make with it later.
Step 2: Cutting the Pieces
Once I have a pattern, each individual shape needs to be cut from the glass.
A glass cutter doesn't actually cut all the way through. It scores the surface, creating a line where the glass can be carefully broken.
Some shapes are easy.
Others require a little more patience, especially tight curves and small details.
And yes, sometimes a piece breaks where it wasn't supposed to, and I have to start over.
Step 3: Grinding
After cutting, the edges usually need to be ground down so everything fits together properly.
I use a glass grinder to smooth the edges and make adjustments to the shape.
This step makes a big difference in how the finished piece comes together.
If the glass doesn't fit properly, the solder isn't going to magically fix it.
Step 4: Copper Foiling
Each piece of glass gets wrapped around its edges with thin copper foil.
The foil gives the solder something to bond to.
It sounds simple, but getting the foil centered and pressed down properly takes time, especially when working with textured glass.
Step 5: Soldering
Now everything starts looking like stained glass!
The pieces are arranged according to the pattern, and solder is melted along the copper foil seams to join them together.
The front, back, and outside edges all need attention.
This is also when hanging rings or other necessary hardware are added.
Step 6: Cleaning and Finishing
Once the soldering is complete, the piece needs to be thoroughly cleaned to remove flux residue.
Depending on the look I'm going for, I may leave the solder silver or apply a black or copper patina.
Then comes the final cleaning and finishing.
This is usually when the colors really start to stand out.
Step 7: The Best Part
Holding the finished piece up to the light.
Glass can look completely different once sunlight shines through it.
Sometimes a color combination I wasn't entirely sure about turns out to be one of my favorites.
That's what keeps me coming back to stained glass. There's always another color to try, another pattern to make, or another idea I want to see hanging in a window.
And there's something pretty satisfying about turning a handful of cut glass into something that someone will enjoy in their home.
