Top 11 Best Stained Glass Classes (Online)

The classic art of stained glass transports viewers to dynamic scenes.

These pieces of glass combine to depict biblical stories, nature scenery, or abstract art. In some of the most famous buildings in the world, stained glass colors enhance their surroundings.

It’s now easier than ever to bring this stunning artwork into your own home.

While stained glass requires specialized tools and techniques, these online stained glass classes deliver simple tutorials you can return to repeatedly.

Learn a new skill and color your world with these stained glass courses:

Contemporary Stained Glass Design by Jarod Crews (Domestika)

Domestika courses deliver professional, slick videos from experts in the crafting and art world. Each class is standardized with the same consistent background and video quality, making Domestika courses reliable.

This class receives a perfect rating from more than 3,200 students.

This class is taught by Jarod Crews, a contemporary glass artist from Georgia. Crews’ art represents a modern spin on stained glass.

His expertise guides students through making a stained glass landscape that looks beautiful and fresh.

This beginner course lasts about two and a half hours.

Like Udemy, once you purchase a Domestika course you can watch it unlimited times.

Many of Domestika’s reviews are in various languages.

This is because this class openly advertises the many languages in which its courses are available. Crews’ class provides English audio and well-reviewed closed-captioning in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, and Dutch.

Another sweet addition to Domestika is their vibrant projects page. Check out this tab on the course page to see the projects made from taking Crews’ class.

Even the most hesitant students will gain inspiration from the success of their fellow stained glass beginners.

Learn to Make a Basic Stained Glass Window by K.T. Caselli (Udemy)

If you’re new to stained glass, this comprehensive beginner’s course provides a great starting point. This class delivers expert advice from a certified trainer.

More than 1,000 people have trusted Learn to Make a Basic Stained Glass Window from Udemy to learn these techniques.

This course provides 30 lectures and nearly two and a half hours of expert advice on specific techniques.

Lessons are conveniently grouped into sections like safety, patterns, glass selection and using grinding tools.

This teacher offers instructions for both grinding glasses and using pre-cut versions for your project.

Learn to Make a Basic Stained Glass Window clearly outlines the budget and expectations for this class, which is very helpful.

Reviews state the teacher’s verbal information is clear and comprehensive, but the video quality can be spotty.

Visual learners may experience more challenges with this course.

Unlike other stained glass classes online, this one adds a bit more content to introduce you to more advanced stained glass techniques too.

This thoughtful addition helps beginning crafters decide if they should invest more time or money in this hobby. 

Those who truly fall in love with making stained glass can quickly move on from sun catchers and windows to three-dimensional projects because of this course’s content strategy.

Introduction to Stained Glass by Frannie Shaw (Skillshare)

The Introduction to Stained Glass course from Skillshare helps beginning crafters make a butterfly-themed stained glass window.

This class is taught by Frannie, a professional artist who is skilled in several different techniques, like felting, calligraphy, and watercolor. Frannie explains she has made glass art since she was a young child.

This class is almost an hour shorter than the Udemy course, and just under 90 minutes.

This course divides its content into 11 classes, including preparing your pattern, copper foiling, embellishments, and waxing. 

However, Skillshare offers a subscription model instead of purchasing one course at a time, like Udemy. Subscriptions for Skillshare members cost about $35/month or around $170/year.

After paying your subscription, members receive unlimited access to the entire Skillshare library. 

This includes Introduction to Stained Glass and thousands of other classes on art, entrepreneurship, and technology.

Frannie’s class receives good reviews, particularly for her clear presentation style and great visual examples.

Other reviewers cite the teacher’s helpful tips about common mistakes for the copper foil method and stained glass beginners as a highlight of the course.

Stained Glass with Pressed Flowers: The Tiffany Method by Molly Jackson (Domestika)

Domestika provides the first outlet with multiple stained glass courses available.

This class, taught by stained glass artist Molly Jackson, incorporates stained glass and pressed flower techniques. Both techniques combine to make a delicate botanical work of art.

Jackson delivers a two-hour long class with 14 individual lessons.

This class is exciting because it presents two art techniques in one! In addition to going in-depth on stained glass, Jackson also teaches her beginner students the art of flower pressing. 

Students can use this Tiffany method class as their introduction to stained glass. This class does not represent a more advanced technique or tool than other classes on this list.

Some reviewers explained they purchased other Domestika online stained glass classes which complement each other well.

Reviewers rave about Jackson’s clear explanations and inspiring designs.

Students say this teacher provides clear instruction on complex glass cutting details and helpful tips from a true stained glass professional.

Stained-Glass Art: Explore the Leaded Technique by Flora Jamieson (Domestika)

For the final Domestika course, Stained-Glass Art: Explore the Leaded Technique, accomplished artist Flora Jamieson delivers the most comprehensive course yet.

At three and a half hours long, this British teacher provides an in-depth guide to stained glass projects for beginners. 

Like all Domestika courses, Jamieson offers videos and other supplemental material available for download.

Jamieson teaches her whimsical designs inspired by nature. Nearly all of the reviewers rave about this instructor’s engaging teaching style and inspirational artist journey. 

Unlike other teachers, Jamieson spends a lot of time talking about finding inspiration and preparing the project.

If you are new to arts and crafts in general, this teacher’s style may provide more guidance on how to connect with your inner artist.

This website provides a phone app for even greater convenience so artists can craft from anywhere. New classes are added regularly.

Essential Stained Glass Tools by Milly Frances (Everything Stained Glass)

This website and YouTube channel provide a full spectrum of classes for every level of a stained glass artist.

The class Essential Stained Glass Tools delivers a seven-minute course for the true beginner. If you have never met a soldering iron, this video is the one for you.

While many courses start with a list of glass cutting tools and techniques, this website defines and delves into those steps first.

The welcoming approach for absolute beginners delivers a necessary service for those first discovering their inner artist.

Other beginner videos include explanations of stained glass sheets, offering tips for the foiling process, and special instructions for cutting glass.

Artist Milly Frances owns this site and says her passion is introducing others to the art of stained glass. Frances’ creations decorate the site, providing wonderful inspiration.

In addition to videos, the Everything Stained Glass website delivers comprehensive written instructions, charts, and links.

The best way to describe the Everything Stained Glass experience is customer service! A true beginner will feel right at home using the abundant tools available from Everything Stained Glass.

Join the Stained Glass Renaissance: Make Glass Art with a Modern Twist – By Arjan Boeve (Stained Glass Geek)

If you’re more Nintendo than Notre Dame, consider the Join the Stained Glass Renaissance: Make Glass Art with a Modern Twist.

This class delivers inspirational advice to develop contemporary stained glass art featuring your favorite pop culture characters.

Arjan Boeve, a Dutch artist from the Stained Glass Geek website, provides detailed advice on everything from materials needed, preparing the glass to soldering and even approaching more advanced designs.

Boeve makes his first few videos free for students to view so you can determine if his teaching style is best for you.

Boeve’s art is mesmerizing, showing perfect representations of video game characters, comic book stars, and other famous characters.

Unlike other courses on this list, students should have some exposure to stained glass and the tools involved to cut glass the right way and achieve success.

This course is the most expensive on this list, at a listed price of about $270. Boeve’s course provides nearly two hours of content available for unlimited use.

Students can choose a stained glass kit with tools and supplies curated by Boeve.

The course plus additional kit costs nearly $430 but provides peace of mind for those unfamiliar with stained glass supplies.

Stained Glass Made Perfect by Milly Frances (Everything Stained Glass)

Frances explains this class is for those who want to take the next step with their stained glass artistry.

After completing a few projects, explore this course to iron out the little errors and further polish your skills.

More accurate cutting, smoother soldering, and a better patina are some of the included tips and tricks in this class.

Everything Stained Glass offers this class as a downloadable course, instead of the YouTube video approach for beginner’s content.

For about $150, intermediate stained glass students receive instant access to 11 videos and workbooks, downloadable patterns, and even a “mystery gift”! 

A private Facebook group and inspirational workbooks keep you motivated.

The combination of videos and written workbooks provides instruction for all different types of learning styles.

All materials appear to only be available in English.

Gothic Church Artwork: Stained Glass and Sculpture by DR. Lily Filson (Udemy)

For those looking to learn more about stained glass, this art history class is about gothic church glasswork and sculptures.

Students will become acquainted with the fundamental advancements, vocabulary phrases, and pieces of art linked with Gothic stained glass and sculpture.

This course teaches you about the many materials utilized in Gothic artwork, ranging from glass to stone.

What exactly is “Gothic”? This course examines the term’s origins and how it came to be used to characterize the artwork of the time period.

You will learn how through the High Middle Ages, three-dimensional and innovative art forms such as stained glass evolved.

Conquering Curves by Everything Stained Glass

One of the most challenging aspects of stained glass is correctly cutting and fitting curves. Because you are working with glass, gaining confidence with curves takes some time.

It’s vital to break glass intentionally for your safety. Learning how to cut better corners also cuts down on the time-consuming task of grinding glass. 

This specialized class helps students leap over their fears to take their stained glass art to the next level.

Conquering Curves is another fully-downloadable course, offering four modules for a one-time price of about $50.

This class includes six close-up videos on glass cutting, worksheets and unlimited access to resources, and a supportive community.

Led Stained Glass Artistry by Milly Frances (Everything Stained Glass)

For those looking to take their stained glass to a professional level, Leaded Stained Glass Artistry provides an accessible course for more advanced students.

This online stained-glass class integrates the new skill of lead lining in addition to your established skill of copper foiling.

Browse the course page to see the significant jump in skill displayed by real students of this class.

From fusing classes, detailed geometric designs to abstract patterns and delicate scenes, mastering this next level of artistry represents an exciting advancement in learning how to create beautiful stained glass art.

Students considering this course benefit from several free modules available on the Everything Stained Glass website.

Take a peek at these free videos to decide if you like Frances’ method of teaching and the course materials.

This course provides more than 20 videos, downloadable patterns, and other resources on copper foil construction, panel design and more. Access to the Everything Stained Glass Facebook group is included for all class students.

As always, these videos are available instantly and can be rewatched an unlimited number of times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still curious about learning stained glass techniques? Read on to discover simple answers to your most frequently asked questions.

Resources

• The Stained Glass Association of America
• DelphiGlass (Stained Glass Supplies)
• History and Technique of Stained Glass Short Lesson by Khan Academy
• Stained Glass in Medieval Europe – Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters , The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Pradell, T., Molina, G., Murcia, S., Ibáñez, R., Liu, C., Molera, J. and Shortland, A.J., 2016. Materials, techniques, and conservation of historic stained glass “grisailles”. International Journal of Applied Glass Science, 7(1), pp.41-58.
• Marks, R., 2006. Stained glass in England during the Middle Ages. Routledge.
• Brooks, S., 2006. Image-based stained glass. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 12(6), pp.1547-1558.

Conclusion

Online stained glass classes provide an accessible way to learn this ancient form of artistry.

Whether you choose a botanical design, classic geometric style, or a quirky character from pop culture, stained art glass delivers a beautiful creative outlet for anyone to try.

Decide if you want to invest in a monthly subscription model, like Skillshare, or purchase each class individually. Udemy and Class 101 offer the ability to purchase individual classes, accessible at any time.

Interested students can find courses for every skill level. Even if you don’t know where to find the glass needed to start, there are online resources like Everything Stained Glass to teach you how. 

Most online stained glass classes offer tools available in written and video formats to help students who learn in every different way.

Some sites, like Domestika, are even available in several diverse languages.

These stained glass classes deliver inspirational and practical content to help all willing students achieve stunning works of art. 

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Joshua Wright is a stained-glass artist and consultant based in Utah, United States. He has been making stained glass since 2005. He creates lampshades and personalized decorations, but creating architectural panels brings him the most happiness and fulfillment.