How to make a stained glass mirror

Stained glass has been around for hundreds of years. Many people have different ideas as to what actual stained glass means. Church windows look beautiful with their pictures created with colored glass. These consist of thousands of tiny pieces of glass joined together with lead. They individually cut out each piece by hand and the pieces, trimmed on a grinder to fit the exact shape. They add one piece at a time, placing the led around the edges of each piece. The glass actually slots into the ridges of the lead, then soldered together.

TOOLS REQUIRED Different colored glass, piece of mirror, soldering iron, flux, solder, pattern, and lead.

METHOD TO MAKE MIRROR You need to have a pattern drawn to scale of the article you wish to make. Whether square, oblong or oval. To protect your pattern, place a piece of solid, not too thick clear plastic over the top and staple it into position. Make a frame of wood around the edge of pattern, if square mirror, place a piece of lead along one edge next to the wood.

Place the first piece of glass over pattern and cut to shape. When correct, slide that piece into the side of the lead. Continue in this manner, adding the mirror section to complete the drawing. Now brush flux on each join in lead and solder each piece of lead together, making sure the joins are smooth and not lumpy.

Turn mirror over and solder joins on the other side. You can solder a piece of wire onto the back to hang mirror. Another idea is to put this into a wooden frame. It would depend on design of your mirror. Many people make beautiful lampshades this way.

IMPORTANT Lead is poisonous, you can use gloves when handling, although this makes handling difficult. Make sure, you wash your hands after handling lead, and do not eat anything while handling it.read more