Introduction: 

I began my journey in stained glass art on my birthday in 2023. I had been fascinated with buying stained glass pieces for a few years and wanted to learn how to make them myself. It felt pretty serendipitous that a stained glass class was being held on my birthday. My husband and I enrolled and learned the process of cutting, grinding, foiling, and soldering. Our first pieces together were cute little cacti. From that moment, I was hooked. 

The Beauty of Pressed Flowers and Stained Glass Art

After some practice, I wanted to create a gift for my friend, and that's when I came up with the idea of incorporating pressed flowers into the glass. Although I had pressed my own flowers before, I knew it could take several weeks for them to be ready. As I was running out of time, I decided to buy some pre-pressed flowers and started creating.

Crafting a Design: Planning Your Pressed Flower Stained Glass Panel

Once the flowers arrived, I had to plan my arrangement. I carefully thought about which flowers would go where and how to make sure they wouldn't move from their placement. I quickly had my husband buy me some clear gorilla glue and started planning my design.

The Art of Arranging Pressed Flowers on Glass: Tips and Techniques

Before gluing down the flowers, it's essential to make sure the glass is clean. Simple soap and water with a microfiber towel works wonders. I always wear gloves while wiping down the glass to avoid getting fingerprints trapped inside once the piece is assembled. Then, it's just a matter of gluing down the flowers. I use clear gorilla glue because it dries clear and is strong enough to hold the flowers in place.

Assembling Your Stained Glass Panel: Tools and Step-by-Step Process

Once the flowers are glued down and the glue has dried, I take one more pass with a microfiber towel to remove any dust or fingerprints on the visible glass. I then take the clear front panel and line it up with the back panel, holding them together with binder clips. Once the piece is held together tightly, I start the foiling process. Foiling involves wrapping both pieces of glass with a 1/2in strip of copper foil to create a smooth surface for soldering. I move the binder clips around as I go, making sure everything is held together and lined up correctly. Once I have fully foiled the piece, it's time to solder.

The Final Touches: Finishing and Displaying Your Pressed Flower Stained Glass Masterpiece

Soldering is the process of melting solder onto the copper foil to create a strong bond between the different pieces of glass. Once I have completed the soldering, I let it cool for a few minutes before cleaning it with a mild detergent and magic eraser. After cleaning, I decide whether to apply patina to my finished piece. Patina is a chemical that is applied to the soldered areas to give them a copper, darker, or antique finish. Finally, I polish it with some Clarity stained glass finishing compound to make it shine. Once complete, I am ready to display my pressed flower stained glass masterpiece!