Stained Glass Succulent Pattern

Hello there! Continuing down the rabbit hole that is stained glass I was trying to make something that could be completed in a reasonable amount of time, unlike my last project.... Searching the internet for inspiration there were lots of cool pictures of stained glass plants, but a lack of free templates for them. So with an abundance of succulents growing in my living room, I figured how hard could it be!

Total time 4.5 hours

• 1 hr glass cutting
• 1 hr taping edges
• 2 hr soldering
• 0.5 hr to patina

Supplies

Tools

• Safety Glasses: because broken glass is going to be everywhere
• Glass Cutter (with cutting oil)
• Grozing Pliers: used to flake off small pieces of glass to clean up and reshape an edge
• Running Pliers: used to crack glass along a line scored with the glass cutter
• Sharpie
• Scissors
• Soldering Iron (Hakko FX888D with a large flat tip): the more power the better, you will be melting large amounts of solder at a time. There were some large joints that even this iron struggled with.
• Disposable Paint Brush: for brushing on flux and patina
• Fume Extractor (or work in a very well ventilated space, the flux will release particulate into the air once heated)

Supplies

• Colored Glass: Sold in craft stores or online. I find it much easier to buy in person since you can see how it reacts to light, and its texture
• Stained Glass Solder (60/40 Solder aka 60% tin & 40% lead) there are some non-leaded options as well but they have different coloration and working characteristics, I haven't tried them.
• Copper Foil 7/32" : Backed in the color you plan to patina, I used the copper backed.
• Stained Glass Flux (Novacan Old Masters Flux)
• Stained Glass Patina (Novacan Super Brite Copper Patina)
• Disposable Gloves (Stained glass solder is lead after all!)

Step 1: Safety

• Remember that stained glass is typically made with lead solder, so the key is to wash everything!
• Wash your work surface
• Wash your stained glass piece
• Wash your hands (after you remove your gloves)
• Don't do anything that will make lead dust or fine partials (sanding or filing)
• Don't lick anything!
• Soldering irons do not get hot enough to burn or vaporize lead. The smoke coming from the iron is from the flux, so its best to work in a very well ventilated area and/or use a fume extractor with a hepa filter.
• Be wear gloves when working with the patina solutions, they can be corrosive.
• Wear safety glasses
• Clean your work area regularly, especially when cutting the glass pieces. I never even considered that glass splinters could be a thing before I started this hobby.

Step 2: Look But Don't Touch

I always liked growing succulents.... something about how silly their fat little leaves look, and their perfect symmetry. They are just cool plants to look at. The leaves come in all shapes and colors so really any leaf shape would work. The key shape is just that they all taper when they get close to the stem. Also interesting is that that most layers of growth a have varying number of leaves, but for the sake of simplicity I attempted to make each layer the same.

Step 3: Template Making

To use the pattern just print the attached PDF which will make a succulent 7 inches around. If you would like to make a difference size one, just copy and paste the included images and scale them as you want before printing.

To make the template for the succulent I used PowerPoint. The pattern is very simple, there is only one leaf shape scaled to 5 different sizes. With the pieces drawn, I used the 3d rotations in PowerPoint to arrange them all and see what it would look like once it was completed. With the picture of the template included, you can copy at and scale it to whatever size you want. I used the red and blue star as a guide to make sure that each of the leaves is positioned at the correct angle.

In case you would like to make your own template, I included the scale factors I used for each layer and the angle that the layer of leaves where rotated "out of the page". The 3d rotation about Y axis in PowerPoint is like lifting the tip of the leaf while the base rests on the table. The 3d rotation about the Z axis just a simple rotation like spinning it on the table.

Step 4: Leaf Cutting

The templates are traced onto the sheets of glass with a sharpie. I recommend adding at least 1 extra of each leaf when laying everything out so that when one doesn't break right it doesn't matter. Once they are all traced onto the sheet, break the glass down into more manageable pieces and start cutting out the leaves. Ii found it helps to work the crack from the base of the leaf. Once the crack starts propagating you can crack it from the tip to complete the break. Any sharp edges can be cleaned up with a set up grossing pliers. When you are happy with all of the pieces, wash them with soap and water to remove any residual cutting oil.

Step 5: Leaf Taping

Copper foil tape is applied the around all of the edges. I liked to work from the base, towards the tip, and around the leaf. Then once the tape is applied, the relief cuts will be made in the corners so the tape can be folded flat over the top and bottom. Once the tape is all pressed down by hand, then squeegee the surface down either with a roller or a old plastic card.

Step 6: Soldering the Edges

Once assembled the succulent has a lot of tight corners and crevices, so it is best to solder all of the edges before assembling it. I positioned all of the pieces on a heat resistant silicon mat. Then I applied solder to the upper edge of all of the leaves. Next I flipped them over and solder the other surface and the edges. The side that was sitting on the mat during this did end up flatter than if you were to do it in free hand, but with the bottom of the leaves not really be visible once assembled so I thought it was fine (plus it was WAY FASTER). Wash the leaves to remove flux residue because once assembled it would be much harder.

Step 7: Starting From the Bottom

With all of the edges soldered, the leaves are now ready to be assembled. I used stacks of 4 quarters on the template to align all of the leaves to the same angle off of the table. Once the leaves are all in place, the base of them can be soldered. I would recommend filling the inside with solder, and then putting just a little bit between each of the leaves to better secure them together.

Step 8: Growing Taller

Each subsequent layer is build up similarly to the first. A stack of 12 quarters is used to angle the 2nd layer of leaves, and then once all are in position the bases are soldered into place. As the leaves grew to steeper angles I taped a stack of 18 quarters together so that they wouldn't fall over.

Step 9: Closing the Center

The smallest leaves did not look like they would be able to fit 6 into a layer so I did two layers of 3, like a the bunch of new growth. Since they are approaching vertical, I held them in place and soldered them in one at a time. It was pretty challenging since at this point the blob of solder in the center had so much thermal mass that it was difficult to melt, even with the iron turned ALL THE WAY UP up to 899F.

Step 10: Patina

The key to a shiny and clean patina is surface preparation. I wash the whole piece with soap and water to remove any flux residue. Then scrub all of the solder with scotchbright (while wet, to prevent dust) to remove any oxidation. If you are looking for the best finish a light polish will really brighten up the final surface. Then give the surface one more wash. The patina is brushed on. I find that it is best to apply the patina with a scrubbing a action to remove any oxidation that is forming as it is applied. Once finished wash the piece, if desired it can be lightly polished and reapplied for a brighter/cleaner finish.

Step 11: Planting

The finished stained glass is "planted" in a shallow bowl (from Target) with some smooth river pebbles (from Lowes). The result is a simple and natural piece that will blend into many decors.