Learn the centuries-old craft of traditional stained glass making from a working professional. Over two immersive days, you’ll master the complete process – from your first glass cut to soldering your final joint – and create a beautiful leaded stained glass panel that could hang in any window.

This is proper, traditional stained glass – the same techniques used in churches, cathedrals, and historic homes for hundreds of years. You’ll work with lead came (those distinctive H-shaped strips), learn to cut coloured glass precisely, and develop soldering skills to create strong, weatherproof joints. By the end of the weekend, you’ll have a finished panel to take home and the knowledge to continue this timeless craft.

Led by Kat Walton, who has worked on prestigious conservation projects, you’ll learn from someone who genuinely knows their craft inside out. But don’t let that intimidate you – Kat’s taught hundreds of complete beginners, and her patient, encouraging approach means everyone succeeds.

Please use the calendar above to select the course date and book

Can’t make the date? Please email us to register your interest at jen@cheshireschoolofglass.co.uk and we can let you know when further dates are added

What You’ll Learn

• Glass cutting fundamentals – proper technique with traditional tools
• Pattern design and planning – creating workable stained glass designs
• Lead came basics – understanding this traditional material
• Assembly techniques – building your panel piece by piece
• Horseshoe nails and positioning – traditional holding methods
• Advanced cutting – curves and complex shapes
• Leading skills – creating neat, professional-looking joints
• Soldering mastery – the skill that brings it all together
• Finishing techniques – cement, patina, and protection
• Hanging and display – making your panel ready to install

What You’ll Make

One traditional leaded stained glass panel in your own design. You’ll take it home on Sunday afternoon, complete and ready to hang in a window.

Design possibilities:

• Traditional patterns – geometric designs, Art Nouveau styles
• Nature-inspired – flowers, trees, leaves, botanical designs
• Abstract and contemporary – modern colour combinations and shapes
• Architectural details – fan lights, corner features, decorative panels
• Personal motifs – incorporating meaningful symbols or images
• Simple or complex – Kat adapts to your confidence level

Kat provides templates and design ideas, or you can bring your own concept and she’ll help make it work in stained glass.

Perfect For

• Anyone who’s always wanted to learn “proper” stained glass
• Those who love traditional crafts and heritage skills
• People drawn to churches, historic buildings, and architectural glass
• DIY enthusiasts wanting to repair or create their own panels
• Artists looking to add a new medium to their repertoire
• Those seeking a focused, immersive weekend learning experience
• Anyone wanting to understand how those beautiful old windows were made

Why This Course is Special

There’s something deeply satisfying about learning a craft that’s been practiced virtually unchanged for centuries. When you cut glass with traditional tools, work with lead came, and solder joints just as glaziers did hundreds of years ago, you’re connecting with a living tradition.

Kat’s expertise is the real deal – she works on conservation projects for some of Britain’s most important historic buildings. But she makes this ancient craft accessible and achievable, even if you’ve never touched glass before. Her professional insights (proper techniques, why things are done certain ways, what works and what doesn’t) are invaluable.

By the end of the weekend, you’ll have a genuine leaded stained glass panel – not a beginner’s approximation, but the real thing. Many students go on to create panels for their own homes, repair family heirlooms, or even take up stained glass as a serious hobby.

Take It Home the Same Day

Unlike fusing courses where pieces need kiln firing, your stained glass panel is completely finished by Sunday afternoon. You’ll carry it out the door, ready to hang in your window. That immediate gratification of completing something substantial is really satisfying.

The Traditional Experience

Kat teaches you the traditional methods used by glaziers for centuries:

• Lead came work – not just copper foil, but proper traditional lead
• Professional soldering – techniques that create weatherproof, lasting joints
• Correct cutting methods – how to score and break glass properly
• Authentic assembly – using horseshoe nails just like historic glaziers
• Proper finishing – cement, patina, and protection methods

You’re not learning a simplified version – this is the real craft.

Experience Required: None – complete beginners welcome, also suitable for those with some experience

Course Duration: Two full days (10:00am – 4:30pm both days)

What’s Included: All glass (extensive colour selection), lead came, solder, tools and equipment, tea/coffee and biscuits throughout both days

What to Bring:

• Comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes (lead work can be messy)
• Your own lunch both days
• Design ideas if you have something specific in mind (optional)

Take Home: One complete traditional leaded stained glass panel – on Sunday afternoon!

Your Instructor: Kat Walton – 15+ years teaching experience, works on conservation projects for English Heritage and National Trust

Perfect Gift for Craft Enthusiasts

This course makes an exceptional gift for:

• Heritage craft lovers fascinated by traditional skills
• DIY enthusiasts wanting to repair or create their own stained glass
• Architecture enthusiasts who love historic buildings
• Retirees seeking a absorbing new hobby with depth
• Artists wanting to expand into architectural glass

Gift vouchers available

We also offer:

• Copper Foiling – Alternative technique for detailed work

Why Two Days?

Stained glass has many stages, and rushing through them means you don’t really learn the techniques properly. Two full days gives you:

• Time to practice cutting until you’re confident
• Proper soldering instruction – this skill needs patience
• No rushing – make your panel well, not quickly
• Complete finish – everything done properly, nothing skipped
• Real understanding – why things are done certain ways
• A substantial piece – big enough to display proudly

 

Your Tutor: Kat Watson – Stained Glass Specialist

Kat leads our traditional stained glass and copper foiling programmes, bringing over 15 years of teaching experience and deep expertise in architectural glass work.

After completing BA and MA programmes at Sunderland University, specialising in architectural glass, Kat has worked with prestigious stained glass studios and currently works for Recclesia Glass in Hawarden, where she specialises in leaded panels, copper foiling, and traditional glass painting techniques. She collaborates regularly with big names like English Heritage and the National Trust in conserving their beautiful buildings.

Kat’s teaching style combines technical precision with creative encouragement. Her work appears in architectural projects across the UK, but she finds equal satisfaction in helping a nervous beginner create their first stained glass panel. Her passion for traditional techniques and patient teaching approach make even the most complex projects feel achievable.