Glass for stained glass art- the basic facts!

Glass is usually bought in sheets when used in stain glass art. Developed in the 14th century- glass has been used when decorating windows to smaller crafts. Glass is either opaque or cathedral and some have a COE number (usually 96 or 90) indicating that it is suitable for fusing. All glass will work with stained glass but only fusing glass is fusible. That saying I have had some luck with fusing standard glass in a microwave!

Below are examples of a mixture of cathedral and opal glass

____________________________________________

Cathedral glass is transparent- light will shine through it. This is great for window glass, dream catchers, lamps shades and projects where you will use with light. This glass come with great ripples, internal swirls and 3-D patterns.

Below are examples of cathedral glass

_________________________________________________

Opal glass is glass that can not be seen through. This glass is best for mosaics yet is also used for some lamp shades. this glass can have up to four colors mixed into the glass, and can be quite colorful, unique and bright.

Below are examples are opal glass

__________________________________________________

Basically the more consistent and plain the color the easier it will be to cut. So if you’re a beginner, you might want to start with solid colors. Always cut on the smoothest side and if the cut is not exactly what you want- use nippers or a grinder to help form the exact piece. Using a grinder or file will also remove sharp edges.

Sheet glass is typically 1/8″ thick (3mm) and is generally sold in sizes ranging from 4′ x 4″ to 12″ x 12″. These can be bought individually or in sets. I have bought glass from different suppliers. Since I am not that familiar with fusing, I will be just talking about standard sheet glass.

Amazon sells many different styles from many suppliers. Especially if you have Amazon Prime, this is a great place to purchase your glass. If you are wanting to purchase a large amount of glass, and are looking for specific colors, you should go directly to the suppliers. Since glass is heavy, you may want to wait for a shipping special- but ,depending on the current offer, you would still need to order a lot to qualify.

If you are lucky enough to live near a supplier- that would be the best choice. For me, if I want glass that I can see before purchasing- I go to either my local Hobby Lobby or a fellow crafter. Hobby Lobby sells 12″ x 12″ glass in both cathedral and opal varieties, in a nice range of color for a good price.

The glass I have gotten on Amazon has all been real nice, Here are some:

( I only include products that I have used myself. As an Amazon Affiliate Marketer, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.)