Stained Glass Kits

If there is one thing I will freely admit, it is that I used to make ugly suncatchers early on! The truth is that it isn't easy at first to learn how to cut straight lines or how to make sure that pieces fit into the pattern perfectly. Fortunately all of that changed when I found quality tools and pre-cut stained glass kits.

A set of good quality stained glass tools makes all the difference when cutting, grinding, adding copper foil, and soldering stained glass suncatchers. Without the proper supplies, it is very difficult to make pieces you can be proud to give to friends or sell to customers. Another great option is to use pre-cut glass kits. These kits have all the pieces of a pattern already cut for you! All that needs to be done is to add foil and solder the window together - how can you say no to that? Learn how at this original site

From tool kits, to mosaic stained glass kits, to fake-n-bake glass kits :)

Getting started in the stained glass hobby can be an expensive task! One way to test the waters is if you have a friend that dabbles in this type of art. If so, ask them to use their workshop for a few tiny projects to see if it is for you. Once you decide this is right up your alley (and who wouldn't choose this), then you'll need to get some tools. I know what you're thinking - maybe I should just get the cheapest ones I can find to limit the initial expense. This is the worst option you could make!

I won't dispute that the initial tools can be costly. When I got started, I invested about $200 in my supplies. For this price I got a pen-style glass cutter, a fid, glass breaking pliers, a roll each of copper foil and solder, flux brush, grozing pliers, and a great grinder (plus probably a few smaller tools I have forgotten about). I saved so much money by buying everything within a kit. The kits allow the store to bundle everything up in one handy box and helps new artists to know they aren't missing any tools or supplies.

By spending a decent amount of money on my supplies, I knew they would last so much longer than if I had cheaped out and bought the cheapest options. Even 10 years later, many of my initial tools are still working just like they did the day I got them. Moral of the story is to save money overall by getting your tools in bulk.

Sometimes every stained glass artist just feels like whipping out a quick suncatcher. When in this mode of thought, it's not always fun to spend time picking out a pattern, choosing the best colors/textures of glass, and cutting out the the pieces of glass. That doesn't even count grinding the edges off of every single piece! The best way to get that suncatcher finished and ready to give away to a friend (or sell to a customer) is to use a pre-cut stained glass kit.

There are kits that are available in a wide range of patterns. Some of the best ones are flowers, butterflies, and crosses. These themes seem to have the most variety within the choices, but the designs are seemingly limitless when it comes to pre cut patterns.

The best aspect of these kits is that they cut out about half of the work needed to make the final product. All that has to be done is to quickly add the copper foil, line the pieces up in the correct pattern, and solder everything together. Many suncatchers can be completely finished within 90 minutes once you get the hang of it. There is no worrying about grinding pieces down to the best final shape - all the hard work is done for you! Because some of these kits are produced in large quantities and because there is no waste glass to buy, they can even end up being cheaper than buying the sheet glass in the first place. Click StainedGlassKits.net for more information.

Here are a few tips to make your stained glass hobby a bit easier if you are a beginner:

1 - Hold the cutter at 90 degrees: A common mistake is that beginners tend to slant the glass cutter so that it is not perpendicular to the glass' surface. This results in cuts that flare out to one side and require more grinding effort to get them to the proper shape. By keeping the cutter perpendicular (when viewed from above) this can be easily avoided.

2 - Go easy on the glass: Stained glass sheets actually are quite easy to score. There is no need to put a large amount of pressure into the cuts. Remember - you just need to lightly score each piece of glass. The rest of the cut is easily done by 'breaking' along the score-line manually.

3 - Best way to use copper foil: This one may be a bit difficult to explain. When foiling, try to peer down the surface of a piece at the copper foil. This is the best way to ensure that you always have an even amount of foil remaining on each side of the glass.

4 - For more information on the best stained glass kits, click on this link.

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Let's hear your thoughts about stained glass kits.