Stained glass keepsake boxes

by Lori Burke
(sussex WI)

I have just started stained glass. I had seen a box that had a wedding invitation in the lid of it. I am wondering the technique on how to put the invite between two layers of glass. Do you copper foil all the edges of each piece of glass and then solder it together? Again, just starting out. Signed up to start the box class in a few weeks.

Answer

Yes, you put the invite between two layers of glass, but don't foil the glass separately. Wrap a piece of transparent tape around the two pieces to keep them in place, then foil the two pieces as one piece.

You'll need a wider foil. I use 1/2" foil , then trim it back a little if it wraps around the glass too far.

Cut the transparent tape at the edges of the foil and peel it off. What's left under the foil won't hurt anything.

You do not want to wash the piece with water. If the foil hasn't been burnished well enough, water can seep in between the two pieces of glass and ruin the invitation.

I wipe it down with a paper towel that has a very little bit of flux cleaner on it. If you are going to patina the box, do the patina the same way...a little bit on a paper towel.