Where to Start with Lynn Haunstein
Lynn Haunstein is the owner of Rainbow Vision Stained Glass in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and has spent years teaching stained glass making to students of all levels. Her instructional books grow directly from classroom experience, shaped by the questions and mistakes she has watched beginners work through hundreds of times. Haunstein also writes about glass fusing, a related but distinct craft that involves melting glass in a kiln rather than cutting and soldering it. Her published works include Stained Glass Making Basics and 40 Great Glass Fusing Projects, both published by Stackpole Books.
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Stained Glass Making Basics
Lynn Haunstein · 208 pages · 2019 · Easy
Themes: stained glass fundamentals, copper foil technique, lead came technique, glass cutting, soldering, workspace safety, step-by-step projects
A thorough, photo-driven guide to stained glass that builds from the absolute basics to progressively more challenging projects. Haunstein draws on years of teaching experience to anticipate exactly where beginners get stuck, and her more than 1,000 step-by-step photographs leave very little to guesswork.
Why Start Here
This book was built in the classroom, not at a desk. Haunstein developed her teaching method over thousands of students at Rainbow Vision Stained Glass, and you can feel that experience on every page. The projects are sequenced carefully: you start simple and each new piece introduces a skill that prepares you for the next. Both copper foil and lead came techniques are covered, so you get a full picture of the craft rather than just one approach.
The photography is the strongest feature. With over 1,000 step-by-step images, you can see exactly what your hands should be doing at each stage. For a craft where the difference between a clean break and a ruined piece of glass comes down to angle and pressure, that visual clarity matters.
What to Expect
At 208 pages, this is one of the more comprehensive beginner stained glass books available. The second edition, published in 2019, keeps the content current. Haunstein covers workspace setup and safety before touching any glass, then walks through tools, materials, and techniques in a logical sequence. The project-based structure means you are making real pieces from early on, not just reading theory.