About the stained-glass process

creating a stained glass panel requires no fewer than 16 steps from design to completed panel

What makes stained-glass panels so unique is the process in which they are created. Glass is unpredictable and unforgiving, can appear very different in varying light conditions, but can also add depth, fire, and texture to a design that is quite different from other mediums of art.

The beginning...

Laura began learning how to create stained glass about 20 years ago. Introduced to stained glass by her older sister, they spent a long weekend together where they went through every step of the process. By the end of the third day Laura had created her very own small, simple panel. She was enchanted! that panel still hangs in her house today!

See the process

Create the design

When creating a design in stained glass, every line needs to flow to the edge of the panel, and every piece needs to be connected to every other piece.

stained glass design of woman with a cat

Copy and cut pattern

Once the design is finished, it needs to be copied onto pattern paper and each individual shape within the design needs to be cut out.

Choose the colored glass and glue pattern for cutting

A very challenging part in selecting colors that compliment each other and bring out important design aspects of the piece. After colors are chosen for the piece, they are glued onto the glass so they can be cut out with a glass tool.

Each piece of glass needs to be cut and ground smooth to exactly match the pattern

The most difficult part of the process is when each piece of glass needs to be cut by hand to exactly match the pattern. The edges of the glass need to be ground smooth in a grinder so they all fit together like puzzle pieces. This process can take days or weeks depending on the complexity of the pattern created

Cover each individual piece with copper foil, burnish it to the edges

The edges of each individual piece of glass needs to be wrapped in copper foil, which has to be burnished on with a special tool to stick. The copper foil allows the solder to adhere to the edge of the glass and bond each piece together

Assemble, straighten. and solder all the pieces together

Once each piece's edges are covered in copper foil, they need to be put in place to exactly fit the measurements of the panel. The edges of the pieces are "fluxed" so that solder will flow and bond with the copper. This process finally makes the panel one complete piece of artwork!

Tools for framing and finishing a stained glass panel

Clean, polish, and frame the final piece

Once soldering is finished, the piece needs to be cleaned of all chemicals and dirt accumulated during this process. After a thorough cleaning, the piece is polished and framed.

Add any decorative elements

KSG Designs will sometimes use glass paint to add elements of whimsy or decorate a panel to make certain elements pop. In this panel, curlicues and pupils have been added to give the panel more character and fun.