Colorful leaded stained glass panels set in stone window frames

How to Start a Stained Glass Business From Your Garage

ByGarage Business Blueprint

Stained glass fits a garage well: the tools are small, and finished pieces sell as gifts, decor and custom work.

It also involves sharp glass and, usually, lead. Here’s how to start carefully.

Copper foil vs. lead came

There are two main ways to join glass pieces. With copper foil, you wrap each piece’s edge in copper tape, solder the seams, then patina and polish. With lead came, you fit pieces into grooved lead strips, solder each joint, then cement and polish the panel.

According to an Everything Stained Glass comparison, foil handles small, detailed shapes and 3D work like lampshades and boxes, and it’s often considered easier for beginners. Came suits larger, simpler panels and, once cemented, is sturdy enough for exterior windows. Foil uses more solder, so it costs more per project, while came needs more bench space.

Tools and realistic costs

These are prices listed at Delphi Glass as of October 2026. Sale prices change often, so treat them as ballpark figures.

  • Glass cutter: a basic pistol grip cutter was $14.95; the Toyo Brass Supercutter was on sale for $29.95.
  • Grinder: entry models ran from $139.95 (Gryphette) to $179.95 (Studio Pro), with the Studio Pro Deluxe at $239.95.
  • Soldering iron: a Weller 100-watt iron was $136.95 on sale.
  • Solder: 63/37 tin-lead solder was $29.95 per pound; Mastercraft lead-free solder was $58.95 per pound.
  • Glass: a 12-by-12-inch sheet of Oceanside transparent glass was $17.95 on sale ($22.45 regular), and a 24-by-24-inch sheet was $71.75.
  • All-in-one kit: Delphi’s Ultimate Stained Glass Start-Up Kit, with a grinder, temperature-controlled iron, cutter, pliers, foil, solder, flux, some glass and safety glasses, was $579.95.

Add flux, copper foil, patina, a layout board and a bench brush. Glass is your biggest ongoing cost.

Setting up your space

You need a sturdy bench, good light and upright glass storage. Keep cutting, grinding and soldering zones separate if you can, with exhaust near the soldering spot.

Lead safety comes first

The CDC lists stained glass among hobbies and jobs that can involve lead, and it warns that adults can carry lead dust home on clothes and hands, exposing their families. The Illinois Department of Public Health notes that soldering lead creates a vapor that’s easily inhaled, and that handling came, leaded solder and old panels can also expose you.

Practical steps drawn from Illinois public health guidance and MIT’s soldering safety guidelines:

  • Use local exhaust that pulls fumes away from your face and vents outside; MIT recommends extractors with both carbon and HEPA filters.
  • Don’t eat, drink or smoke in the workspace, and keep food out of it entirely.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water after working and before eating. Illinois notes alcohol sanitizers don’t remove lead.
  • Keep children and anyone who is or may become pregnant out of the work area.
  • Clean with damp wipes or a HEPA shop vac, never by dry sweeping or with your household vacuum.
  • Use lead-free solder where you can. It’s especially worth it for jewelry or anything a child might handle.

If you sell items made for kids 12 and under, the CPSC sets a 100 ppm total lead content limit for children’s products, with third-party testing requirements. Leaded solder and came won’t meet that, so most makers simply don’t market leaded pieces for children. Check CPSC guidance or ask a professional.

If you think you or a family member has been exposed, the CDC suggests talking with a health care provider about a blood lead test.

Glass cut safety

Oceanside Glass recommends wearing safety glasses whenever you cut or nip glass, or stand near someone who is. Never sweep shards off the bench with your hand; use a bench brush or a HEPA shop vac. Rubber-dipped gloves help when moving large sheets, and wrap remnants before trashing them.

What sells

  • Suncatchers and small ornaments: quick to make and good for craft fairs and online shops.
  • Panels: window hangings and transom-style pieces with higher price points.
  • Commissions: custom windows, house numbers and pet portraits.
  • Repairs: fixing cracked panels or cabinet doors for homeowners.
  • Classes: small group workshops in your space. For reference, a Saratoga Arts suncatcher class was listed at $79 for nonmembers, and a one-day Main Line Art Center workshop at $185 plus a supply fee.

Teaching in your garage raises zoning, insurance and lead exposure questions for students, so check local rules and your insurance before you open the door.

Pricing approaches

A 2017 Bradstreet Glass post suggests building a price from labor per piece of glass (your hourly rate times average minutes per piece), materials per square foot, embellishments like frames, overhead, profit and selling fees. Raise your labor rate as your skill grows.

For context on custom work, Thumbtack lists a national range of roughly $90 to $700 per square foot for commissioned stained glass, depending on complexity and whether installation is included. Treat that as a sanity check, not an earnings promise.

Skills to build

Clean scoring and breaking, accurate grinding, neat foiling and smooth solder beads are the foundation. Design and pattern-making set your work apart. A local class builds good habits before you buy a full setup.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping ventilation because “it’s just a small project.”
  • Snacking or drinking coffee at the bench.
  • Brushing glass with bare hands or using the family vacuum.
  • Pricing only for materials and forgetting your time, overhead and fees.
  • Marketing leaded pieces as kids’ items or jewelry without understanding the rules.
  • Buying a big kit before you know which method you enjoy.

Start small, work safely and let your first few dozen pieces teach you what people want to buy.

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