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Stained Glass Cactus DIY

A stained glass cactus DIY has been on my to-do list for months, and finally pulled it together! I’ve seen these pop up all over Pinterest and absolutely love the look of them. 

Here is the feed I pulled up for this idea on Pinterest. I have no idea who originated the idea, but I can see all different artists have taken it in their own direction. So I did too!

Stained glass cactus inspiration.

SUPPLIES to make a Stained Glass Cactus!

My first action – visit my local stained glass shop (The Stained Glass Shop). Check out these snapshots from my Instagram Story. Wearing the gloves, I looked through the scrap pile for greens and reds, and when I didn’t find exactly what I wanted, I made my way to the big league – the glass sheets.

Stained glass shop in Glendale, AZ

Cacti come in many shades of greens, so think broad. Add in some red, orange and yellow for flowers.

Supplies to make a stained glass cactus.

Soldering Iron

Water Soluble Plumbing Flux

Solder wire, brush

Copper Tape

Clamps

Tweezers

Burnishing tool

Kiln brick or other heat absorbent surface

Glass pieces in greens and reds

Glass cutter with oil, I bought this pistol grip version for $30.

Metal running plier

Combination Grozer/Breaker Plier

Hard surface

Shelf liner

Rubbing alcohol

GOGGLES AND GLOVES!

Directions to make a stained glass cactus

Hold your cutter to add a score line across the flat side of the glass. Listen for the sound of it scoring. Carefully handle the pliers, snap the pieces apart. Keep repeating until you get the shapes you want. Keep in mind, the more you practice, the better your pieces will look. Practice those curves! I was up until 3 a.m. making these and still feel like I need a lot more practice!

Stained glass cactus DIY by CraftyChica.com

Now that all your pieces are cut, set them out in the design you want, then add copper tape around each piece. Make sure to burnish each piece – rub so the foil is flush with the glass. Like Angie from The Stained Glass Shop told me, “Your project will only be as good as your foil work.”

TRUTH.

Even if it isn’t perfect, don’t give up!

How to make a stained glass cactus by Crafty Chica.

Use a small brush to coat the foil tape with flux. Here’s a great tip I learned online. Use pushpins to keep your design in place as you add the solder.

Turn on the tool according to the package directions. It’s nice that it doesn’t have to be plugged in, all you do is add butane. you can tell when it runs out of butane because the red coils in the exhaust hole with lose color.

Once your tool is heated and you are wearing your goggles and gloves, touch the solder wire to the tip of the iron until the solder melts, then drag it across the foil tape.

Soldering with Crafty Chica.

Ready to be soldered! Oh! Make sure to really clean your glass with rubbing alcohol before soldering!

How to make a stained glass cactus, by Crafty Chica.

I knew I wanted to stand these inside mugs or pots, so I soldered a base on each one. Or you can solder a loop at the top to hang them as ornaments!

How to make a stained glass cactus by Crafty Chica.

The finished stained glass cactus examples!

The taller cactus didn’t come out to nice, it’s a little rough, but the other turned out great!

How to make a stained glass cactus by Crafty Chica. How to make a stained glass cactus by Crafty Chica. How to make a stained glass cactus by Crafty Chica. How to make a stained glass cactus by Crafty Chica. How to make a stained glass cactus by Crafty Chica.

How to make a stained glass cactus by Crafty Chica.

 

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