Great Stained Glass Projects for Beginners

The most practical and up-to-date introduction to stained glass for complete beginners. Sandy Allison walks you through 18 projects with full-size patterns, materials lists, and step-by-step photos that cover every core technique you need to start making real pieces.

Why Start Here

Most stained glass books either lean too heavily on theory or assume you already know how to handle a glass cutter. Allison takes the opposite approach. She teaches the fundamental techniques, scoring, breaking, grinding, copper foiling, and soldering, through the projects themselves. You learn by doing, and by the time you finish your first sun catcher, the core skills are already in your hands.

The 18 projects are well sequenced, starting simple and gradually introducing new techniques. The designs feel modern and appealing, with the kind of clean, contemporary aesthetic that has made stained glass popular again on platforms like Etsy and Pinterest. Each project includes a full-size pattern you can trace directly, so there is no guesswork about sizing or proportions.

What sets this book apart from older references is its focus on the copper foil method, which is the technique most home crafters use. Unlike lead came work, copper foiling requires less specialized equipment and is easier to learn in a home workshop. Allison covers the foiling process in careful detail, including how to wrap curves cleanly and achieve consistent solder lines.

What to Expect

At 144 pages, this is a focused, efficient guide that gets you making things quickly. The projects range from flat panels and sun catchers to three-dimensional pieces like boxes and candle holders. Each one builds on the skills from the previous project, so you are always learning something new without feeling overwhelmed.

Published in 2018, the book reflects current glass styles and tools. The photography is clear and well-lit, which matters more than you might think when you are trying to see exactly how a piece of foil should wrap around an edge. If you want to learn stained glass by actually making stained glass, this is where to start.