Making a Form For Stained Glass
Lampshades or Bowls

by Kelly
(Tennessee)

How can I make a mold that I can use to make unusual shaped bowls or lampshades? I want to be able to do the copper foil method and make bowls (decorative, not functional) and odd shaped lampshades. What do I use to make a mold that I can place the glass on after I have foiled it and how do I hold it in place until I have soldered it together? Thanks for any information or ideas you have. BTW, I love your website and the first thing I am going to try are the flowers. Love them!

Thank you

Answer

Hi Kelly,

Get a thick piece of styrofoam and carve it into the shape you want. Cover it with masking tape before you start attaching the glass.

Use a cheap plastic bowl and heat it enough to get the plastic soft, then push it into the shape you want. Cover it with aluminum foil before you start attaching the glass.

Look at molds used for fusing. There are some very unusual shapes. They will be expensive, but since they are made for a kiln, they will hold up to the heat of a soldering iron, making them possible to use over and over.

Look around a dollar store in the housewares area. You'd be surprised at what you can find there.

You can use Tacky Wax (a product used with Odyssey lamp forms)to hold the glass in place. Or use the blue tacky stuff used to hold posters on the wall. That is what I have always used. You can also use double sided tape.

Perhaps someone else reading this will have some other ideas.

Good luck and have fun. It sounds like you're very creative. I once had a student that made lampshades using bowls as molds. She made one shade using old (glass) eyeglass lenses. She made others using random pieces of glass and glass nuggets. Most of the shades had irregular edges. All of them were unique and absolutely delightful.