Where to Start with Lynette Wrigley
Lynette Wrigley is a London-based stained glass artist and designer who has worked in the craft for over 30 years. She takes on commissions for doors, windows, and walls, and has designed lighting for restaurants, hotels, and private homes. Her range covers leaded windows, decorative panels, sandblasting, glass painting, and fused glass. Alongside her studio work, Wrigley runs regular workshops for adults in both traditional and contemporary stained glass techniques. She has authored five books on glass and two on art and design, including the international bestseller Contemporary Crafts: Stained Glass, co-written with Marc Gerstein.
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Stained Glass Projects for Beginners
Lynette Wrigley · 160 pages · 2019 · Easy
Themes: copper foil technique, lead came, glass cutting, soldering, window panels, lightcatchers, frames
Thirty-one step-by-step projects that teach you stained glass from scratch. Wrigley covers both copper foil and lead came techniques, walking you through everything from simple lightcatchers to leaded window panels with clear photographs and full-size patterns at every stage.
Why Start Here
Wrigley’s teaching comes directly from her experience running beginner workshops. The 31 projects are graded by difficulty, so you start with small, forgiving pieces and build toward panels and frames as your cutting and soldering improve. Both copper foil and lead came methods are covered, which means you get a broader foundation than books that focus on only one technique.
Every project includes a materials list, full-size patterns, and detailed photographs showing each step. The instructions assume no prior knowledge, and Wrigley is honest about common mistakes and how to avoid them. Published in 2019, this is one of the most recent beginner stained glass books available, with contemporary designs and high-quality photography throughout.
What to Expect
At 160 pages with 31 projects, this book moves quickly from basics to finished pieces. The range of projects is wider than most beginner guides, covering lightcatchers, candle holders, mirror frames, picture frames, and both copper foil and leaded window panels. If you want variety in your first stained glass projects and a teacher who has guided hundreds of beginners in person, this is the right starting point.
Alternatives
Lynette Wrigley · 160 pages · 1996 · Moderate
A comprehensive guide covering every major stained glass technique through 13 carefully designed projects. Co-written with Marc Gerstein, this book goes beyond basic copper foil and lead came to include glass painting, sandblasting, and glass applique.
Why Read This
Where Stained Glass Projects for Beginners focuses on getting you making things quickly, The Complete Stained Glass Course is broader in scope. It covers techniques that most beginner books skip entirely: glass painting, sandblasting, and glass applique alongside the standard copper foil and lead came methods. The 13 projects are designed to introduce each technique progressively, with detailed tool descriptions and step-by-step photographs.
This is the book to pick up once you have the basics down and want to expand your range. The coverage of decorative techniques like painting and sandblasting opens up possibilities that pure construction-focused books do not address.
What to Expect
At 160 pages with 13 projects, this book covers more ground per project than the beginner guide. First published in 1996, the techniques remain fully current, though the photography reflects its era. If you have already completed a few basic projects and want to learn glass painting or sandblasting alongside more advanced construction methods, this is a strong next step.