Stained Glass Mosaics: Projects & Patterns

From small bits of brightly colored glass, put together magical mosaics! Starting with the basics of selecting and cutting glass, to methods of copying and transferring patterns, to fresh ideas for setting up a safe and comfortable work area, all the information you need is right here Pick from several methods of applying the glass to the surface, and make wood bases and support structures. Photos capture every step of the process in close-up, full-size patterns to practice on are a great way to perfect your technique before actually doing a project, and helpful hints on every page help you avoid common errors and get great results. 25 fabulous projects offer a range of styles: flower and herb planter boxes brighten up any window, balcony or yard; and a lotus and dragonfly wall hanging has mirrored glass to capture and reflect light. Other beautifully decorative items include an exquisite lily pond birdbath, mosaic tabletops, and a variety of garden stones. Easy to follow templates accompany every project.

Despite its slim profile (only 96 pages), this guide packs a wallop. Each of the 25 step-by-step projects comes with a complete gridded and fully keyed template and a good photo of the finished item, plus there is good coverage of all the basics (tools, materials, the work area, pattern transfer, glass cutting) as well as the fundamentals of the two different techniques (direct method, and indirect or reverse method), making the base/support structures, and wall-mounting the heavy items. The lovely designs tend toward the colorfully abstract but also include florals, insects, and a beguiling mermaid on a sink backsplash. Many of the patterns are fairly intricate and include lots of curves, so the novice glass cutter may want to start with a simpler book, or else do a lot of practicing first--the authors have thoughtfully supplemented their thorough glass-cutting explanations with full-size practice patterns. --Amy Handy