I’m definitely what you’d consider a beginner at stained glass. So I decided to make a really simple project- stained glass plant stakes! I saw some at the Magnolia Silos for $25 each and thought- hey! I can make those for much cheaper. So I thought I’d show how I’m making them here!

The inspiration- $25 stained glass plant stakes from Magnolia

how to make stained glass plant stakes

Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get an overview on what I did. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:

If the video doesn’t work here, you can watch it on YouTube here. It’d mean so much if you’d watch the video! I’m trying to get better at my video skills so I can grow my YouTube channel. If you have a few minutes to watch this and/or subscribe, I’d so appreciate it.

SUPPLIES for stained glass plant stakes

Safety Supplies

For more details on the stained glass supplies and why each of these are. needed see this post on Beginner Stained Glass supplies.

step 1- pattern

Start by figuring out the pattern. This shop on Etsy has some cute options. Or, if you’d like to use the same patterns as I am, fill out the form below to get the pattern sent straight to your email!

To download the free printable, just put your name and email in the form below. You’ll get an email right away with how to download. Plus you’ll be subscribed to my weekly newsletter! If you’re already subscribed, go here to download.

Once you have your pattern, upload it into Cricut’s design space. Use a Cricut machine to cut the patten on permanent vinyl.

I also like using a piece of card stock and using the Cricut to draw the pattern on a piece of paper. Later this template is nice to line the cut pieces of glass onto.

step 2- cut the glass

Next, select the glass. Honestly, this part is so fun! And is how you choose how the design comes together- each piece of stained glass has different colors and textures.

For safety supplies, make sure to wear Safety glasses and Cut resistant gloves.

Put the vinyl pieces from the last step onto the glass to show where the glass will later be cut. If there’s a straight edge on the pattern piece, put that on the edge of the Glass.

To cut the glass, start by creating a scone line by running a straight line with the Glass Cutter across the glass where you want it to break. The score line should be one single line- don’t go over it multiple times. Make sure to apply cutter oil onto the wheel before sliding it across the glass. I use a cotton swab to apply it.

When running the glass cutter across the glass, it should make a zipper noise. Don’t start or stop at the edge of the glass or it could chip badly (and possibly break the glass you’re trying to cut).

To break the glass on the score line that was just created, use running pliers. Place the pliers directly over the score line. The running pliers have a line on the top of them to help align with the score line.

Hold the glass securely with one hand, and gently squeeze the handles of the running pliers with the other hand. Apply even pressure to both sides of the score line. The glass should break along the score.

Repeat to get the pieces of glass cut down to as small as possible. The running pliers don’t allow for the glass to be cut super small.

detailed cutting

Next, take the Stained Glass Tile Nippers and use them to cut the glass to as close to the template as possible. I didn’t have these with the last project I worked on and wow- they are a game changer! The nippers allow the template to be almost cut out perfectly! The process takes time, but it’s absolutely worth it!

The closer you can get the cuts on this step, the less time can be spent on the next step of grinding glass.

If the cut pieces are big enough save them for later in a plastic bin. To keep the work surface clean and safe, I like to keep a Dust Pan and Brush handy to dispose of any glass shards.

step 3- grind the glass

And now, use a glass grinder to smooth and shape the edges of each glass piece. This helps them fit together precisely!

To begin, setup the Glass Grinder by filling the reservoir with water. This helps the grinder bit to stay cool and reduces glass dust.

For safety supplies, make sure to wear Safety glasses, a Mask or a Respirator and Cut resistant gloves.

Next, begin grinding the glass. Hold the glass piece firmly. Move the glass onto the grinder bit to grind away sharp or rough edges. Grind until the glass is the same size as the template piece.

While grinding, make sure to rotate the glass as needed to grind all edges evenly. Don’t press too hard as this can cause the glass to break. The goal is to both smooth out all sharp edges and to get a perfect size with the template.

When all the pieces are grinded, clean the glass with Windex. Make sure to get all the edges clean too!

At this step, the vinyl template stickers can be removed from the glass.

step 4- copper foil

For the next step, use copper foil tape to wrap the edges of each piece of cut glass. Copper foiling, often referred to as the Tiffany method, is a popular technique used in stained glass work to join pieces of glass. Here’s how to apply the foil-

Begin by putting the foil onto the glass. It’s very important to center the foil onto the glass so there’s the same width on either side of the glass. Start at one edge of the glass, and work your way around. Cut the copper foil so it slightly overlaps itself. It’s much better for it to be too long than too short!

It’s best to have the starting and ending point of the foil be at a seam- so where it’ll be touching other foil. I’m using a Copper Foiling tool to foil quicker and it makes the application easier too.

Next, burnish the foil (which means smoothing it onto the glass). To do this, use a Fid to press down and smooth the foil firmly onto the glass. I like to press the foil onto the face with my fingers and then use the fid to smooth and secure the foil on the edges and the faces. Run the burnishing tool over the foil several times.

To finish this step, place the foiled pieces of glass together on the template. It’s very exciting to see them fitting well together!

step 5- solder prep

And now, use a soldering iron to apply solder along the copper foil joints. This will create a strong bond and connect the glass pieces together.

For safety supplies, make sure to wear Safety glasses and gloves. It’s also very important to ventilate the room well. I like to set up a fan blowing out the air from the room outside.

Start by setting up a soldering work area. I like to have my Soldering Iron, the Solder, some Flux poured into the Flux lid, the Flux Brush, and a Silicone Mat to work on. The mat protects the work surface since it won’t burn or melt if hot solder falls on it.

Use painters tape on the back of the stained glass to connect the pieces together. The last time I tried stain glass, the pieces moved around and shifted so this is a crucial step for me.

Next, apply the flux. Using a flux brush, apply a thin, even layer of flux to the copper foil on the seams where the solder will go. Flux helps the solder flow smoothly and adhere to the copper foil.

Since this project needs plant stakes, I bought two stakes and used pliers to cut them into 8″ long pieces. I also taped those on with the stained glass so they can all be soldered together.

Heat the solder iron- I like mine around 400°F. Clean the tip before beginning- a damp sponge works nice.

begin soldering

Start the soldering process, apply small bits of solder at the intersections of the glass pieces to hold them in place.

Move next to soldering the seams. Place the solder against the copper foil seam, then touch the soldering iron to the solder and foil. The solder should melt and flow onto the copper foil. Move the iron smoothly along the seam, feeding more solder as needed.

Once you have soldered one side of the piece, flip it over and solder the other side to ensure strength and stability. Make sure to solder the plant stake into place.

Continue on to soldering the edges of the stained glass plant stakes. This part is a little tricky because there’s tight spots on the sides.

I’ll be honest, soldering is the trickiest part of stained glass for me. It takes me lots of time to smooth out the bumps and irregularities with the soldering iron. I believe I’ll get better at this step with practice, but its hard to know that I’m making a bit of a mess of it.

Last, clean the glass throughly to remove any flux or soldering residue. I like to use a magic eraser for this step and then finish Pledge Cleaner and a rag.

after

The stained plant stakes are done! Let me show you each one!

This is the plant shaped one. I accidentally cut the foil too short and then had an extra piece. That came off during soldering so it’s the most messed up one. But I learned from this and in the future won’t make the same mistake again!

I love the flower plant stake! All the petals took a while to cut and foil, but they look so cute all together. The bits between the petals were almost impossible to solder, but it looks great!

The heart one is very simple. But I love the pink and it is really adorable!

Next, the peace sign is inspired from the plant stakes I saw in Waco. I did blue colors and think they look so cool!

For the mushroom, this one was very simple again- just two pieces. The easy shapes really make this DIY friendly!

Last, I really love the butterfly. It is in a room with butterflies in the wallpaper. It’s super cute and whimsical!

price breakdown

For this project, a lot of supplies are needed. Here’s what I like to have-

Safety Supplies

But, I had all of these from when I did my first stained glass project.

For this project, I bought a sheet of stained glass for $10 and plant stakes for $6. The grand total is $16. Considering that I made 6 for that amount, that sounds great to me! Especially since they sell for $25 per plant stake where I saw them for sale in Waco.

In conclusion, I’m very happy with how these stained glass plant stakes turned out! Are they perfect? No. Was I able to do a better job and do it quicker than my stained glass project? Yes. I’d call it a success and I’m excited to do more stained glass! Do you have any questions about the process? Please let me know in the comments.