Stained Glass Patterns
My Front Door Panel
Patterns For Creating Beautiful Art
Pattern books for creating beautiful stained glass windows, lamps, sun-catchers, and more are available to purchase anywhere you go to buy your glass supplies or a shop where classes are offered. Amazon has a wide variety of design books that you can purchase online.
Designing your own patterns can be fun and quite rewarding. There are software packages that you can purchase to install on your computer, or you can create your own with a few simple tools.
Various websites will often offer free patterns to download.
Subscribing to Stained Glass News offers new and upcoming products and pattern books. You can also obtain a free copy of these from your glass supplier.
Photo Source: Amazon.com 
Book I Used For My Front Door
In this book, you will find step-by-step instructions including layouts and borders. You will also find how to trace and measure, using a grid system, and how to mechanically enlarge the patterns. There are 4 framing and installation methods included.
The first time I saw a book with patterns I thought to myself, how the heck am I going to make something with this picture when it needs to be a lot bigger? My teacher Nancy had a photocopier and when she showed me how to enlarge the picture, I felt a bit silly as I'd used photocopiers so many times to enlarge office documents.
Spectrum Glass
For patterns and more
One of my favorite websites to go to when I'm looking for free to download patterns, tips, or advice is Spectrum Glass.
Sign up with your name and email address and explore all the projects you can make. You can purchase glass, tools, see completed projects, and download Score, their magazine for stained glass.
My son Garth loves frogs. I've made special glass pieces for each of my three sons, and used the pattern you see on the right for Garth's Mr. Ribbit.
Photo Source: Spectrum Glass. Used with permission. The artist for this pattern is Mary Courtney.
Design Your Own Patterns
My husband has always been a Chevy guy. If it's not a Chevy forget it. For his birthday one year I wanted to make him a stained glass piece that he could display in his garage.
After searching high and low for a pattern, and not being able to find one, I decided to draw my own. The center is the Chevy symbol and I used glass mirror to make it unique.
The only tools I needed was graph paper, a pencil, and a ruler.
Photo Source: Susan Zutautas
Software for Patterns
- Pattern Wizard
The Pattern Wizard makes it easy for you to design your own art and craft patterns. Try it free for to see if this is the type of program you're looking for. - Dragonfly Software
Free 30 day trial that includes a pattern re-sizer and a pattern library.
Software for Dragonfly - Part 1 & 2
If you're thinking about purchasing a program for designing your own stained glass patterns here are two videos to show you what the programs are like.
Introduction to Glass Eye 2000, the premier software for stained glass design.
Part 2
Creating Stained Glass Art
What method or methods do you use when it comes to stained glass design?
© 2013 Susan Zutautas
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment to let me know that you were here.
AUTHOR@sierradawn lm: Thank you so much!
Big congratulations on your purple star! This is a beautiful lens! I adore stained glass but have never made any pieces myself. Your front door panel and chevy emblem are gorgeous!
- AUTHOR
@tonyleather: Thank you!
Very interesting post! Thanks!
- AUTHOR
@anonymous: Yes I have several articles on different pieces I've made. If you'd like to contact me I would gladly send you the links to where you can see them.
Very good ,thank You!
Do you have details on how you made your work of art?
- AUTHOR
@Elsie Hagley: Thanks everyone for all the lovely comments. I really do appreciate them.
I enjoyed this article and I do like looking at this art, but it's not my thing.
I admire what you have done, you are a special person being able to do this.
Thanks for sharing your expertise.
Stained glass is so beautiful! My mom is the family expert on stained glass. Thankfully, she blesses me with her creations as gifts!
Very very nice, I enjoyed learning more about this art form.
I admire you for being so crafty, wow Susan! The patterns look very cool. Great Lens!
Beautiful! I don't think I have the patience to make a stained glass anything but I do love looking at those gorgeous designs.
I love stained glass but have never created my own.
This looks difficult to do, but your stained glass work is gorgeous!
I've always loved stained glass and admire those who can create it. Lovely lens, thanks for sharing.
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