I love teaching people all things arts and crafts related. Recently I had the opportunity to teach a stained glass class at a local hobby store. I had a good group of students. They ranged in age from a senior in high school to a senior in life. It was a lot of fun and no one required stitches.
The class plan for my stained glass class is a very simple one. During the first class, students are introduced to the tools and glass they will be using. They learn to cut straight lines, curves and circles using a glass cutter. And they learn how to foil. Their homework is to create a straight line 4×4 or 5×5 square design to be used as a pattern for their first piece.
At the second class, the students make three copies of their design and cut out the pattern pieces. By this time they have selected the glass they will be using. They will cut the glass and hopefully use the grinder to prepare their pieces for foiling. Usually foiling becomes the homework and on the third class, they will begin to solder. If they complete this project, they can pick a project to complete in the last three sessions.
My daughter Maurissa decided she wanted to be a student for a day, so she sat in on one of the classes. She created her pattern, picked her glass, and cut the glass. She decided on blues and clear seed glass because she was inspired by the ocean. She finished the rest of the project at home with very little help from me. After much discussion, she decided to use it as a votive holder using a silver plate holder and a battery operated votive. It now holds a place of honor on our coffee table in the living room (see photo at top of page).
