How to Make a Stained Glass Curtain

If you love the look of colorful and translucent stained glass, but you don't have the patience or know how to make a stained glass window, you can easily create a stained glass curtain with stained glass panels or smaller, cut pieces of glass. Cutting glass is not difficult and you don't have to cut perfect sizes to make a curtain. Follow these simple tips to make a colorful and decorative stained glass curtain.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Stained glass panels
• Grease pencil
• Pistol grip glass cutter and glass oil
• Running pliers
• Diamond file
• Copper tape
• Decorative 20 gauge wire
• Wire cutters
• Round nose pliers
• Fishing line
• Curtain rod

1. Draw a six inch square on the face of your stained glass. Score the outline of the square by pressing down with your pistol grip glass cutter, filled with glass oil. The oil lubricates the glass as you score it, giving you a more even line with fewer shards. Press the tip of the cutter and push firmly forward or pull firmly backward over the length of the line. It does not matter which direction you press the cutter as long as you are consistent. Do not go back and forth over the glass with the glass cutter.

2. Place your running pliers centered over the end of the score line and press down firmly. The glass should snap on the line. Make as many squares as you need for your curtain. File the edges with a diamond file to smooth away any roughness.

3. Wrap the edges of the glass panels in copper tape. Copper tape for stained glass is sold in rolls, making it easy to peel the back of the tape. Place it on the glass edge and smooth it on while it's still attached to the roll.

4. 
   Wire Wrapped Panel

   Cut a four-foot length of wire and bend it on one end with round nose pliers, forming a loop. Twist the wire once directly above the loop to keep it in place. Place the loop at the bottom of the glass panel and wrap the wire around the panel in a figure eight. Form another loop when you reach the top of the panel, wrapping the wire around the loop once to secure it. Continue with your figure eight and finish by wrapping the end of the wire around the top loop. Wrap each panel for your curtain.

5. Cut six inches of fishing line and connect two panels together by threading the line through the top loop of one panel and tying it off through the bottom loop of another panel. Continue to make strands of panels to run the height of your window. Make as many strands as you need to cover your window.

6. Hang each strand of your stained glass curtain by making a loop with fishing line and hanging it over the curtain rod.

Tips & Warnings

• Find everything you need for this project online or at your local stained glass supply. The wire gives your curtain a hand crafted look, but you could also drill holes in the top and bottom of the panels with a diamond drill bit and join them together with fishing line.
• Wear safety glasses when cutting, filing and drilling glass.

Resources

• Stained Glass and Supplies