I’m not sure why exactly I lost my everloving mind, but on top of all the regular festivities and obligations and work… I decided to add more to that by making NINE free-standing stained glass trees for our tabletop this year. I’m thrilled to be back today with another stained-glass project: Free-Standing Stained-Glass Christmas Trees {with a free pattern!}

For a hot minute, I wasn’t sure they were going to work out, but I’m so glad they did!

Because the colorful impact was more than worth it! The whole family loves these fun, colorful vibes!

I’m proud to take on the neutral movement with my color rebellion. So let me oversaturate {maybe overstimulate?} your feed with these photos! They were truly so fun to make. 

But first, a history
You’ll want to refer back to some of these if you’re just getting your toes wet in the world of stained glass. I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the entire process so that you know what I’m talking about below. This post will merely serve as an outline form, while the in-depth process can be found in the links. I’ve covered them thoroughly in the past, so I’ll be hitting the points briefly in this actual post with the needed links for further reading:

• Check out all the supplies I listed + a little take on getting started, here.

• We covered the basics of stained glass, here.
It’s pretty in-depth with good videos referenced as well, so be sure to check it out.

More projects to check out: 

Pattern: I drew some simple triangles in Illustrator, and resized them to my liking. 
The original patterns can be found here.

Here are the rough sizes finished for each individual triangle, in their finished form, to make a whole tree. 
Simple patterns :
• Small – 3 x 6 {whole size = 6 x 6}
• Medium – 3.75 x 7.625 {whole size = 7.5 x 7.625} 
• Large – 3.25 x 9.5 {whole size = 6.5 x 9.5}

Multi patterns: (it’s the same pattern, twice, just resized)•
• Medium – 5.75 x 9 {whole size = 11.5 x 9}
• Large – 5.5 x 11.5 {whole size = 11 x 11.5}

What makes these a little different is that because they were larger, and I was going with the Cricut method, so I skipped the laminated base guide of the pattern altogether. I just saved the outline from the cut vinyl to use as a guide, but I’ll share more on that below. These are pretty easy, no matter which approach you take. The assembly is a little complicated, since they are free-standing. But I also have a step-by-step for that, below. 

Want to make one of your own? Here’s what you’ll need:

• Select the glass that you’ll want from this project. I have a plethora left over from the past few years, so you may recognize a lot of the colors, with a few scraps, too.

Other than the new + improved tools, along with my usual list above {if you’re new to all this} I used:
• Anything from my stash when it comes to stained glass – check it out here. 
• 3/16 tape – this one is smaller than my usual, since I wanted a more delicate look with the lines.
• Copper reinforcing strip

• Print and laminate your pattern- Usually, I do this. You can still do this. But when you see my photos and wonder what happened, I opted out this time. The shapes are simple, and since I used the cricut method {below} it was easy enough to follow along on the cut lines here – for larger projects, I run to FedEx. See sizes listed above for what I used + links 

• Tracing – There are three ways to trace your pattern: You can see more of that process in detail, here.

1. Transparency film + sharpie + glue stick – Lay your transparency over your shape, trace + cut. Then lay it over your glass, and repeat to achieve the same shape.

2. You can also just lay your glass on top of the pattern, trace, and cut. Depending on how well you can see through the glass.

3. The Cricut method: I load the same pattern into my Cricut and cut it on vinyl. –This only works with smaller projects, but once you get the hang of it, it is a nice time saver. Check it out in more detail with this star ornament post, here. 

• Cutting + Grinding – Again, I definitely outlined it in more detail, here.  

Whichever way you choose, make sure you get that shape as tight as possible. Simply cut and grind it down, fitting each shape into place as you go. As always, when grinding, use protective eyewear, and I’d recommend a mask, too. 

Once I had all my pieces laid out, I roughly checked to make sure that they would all fit. 

But I didn’t stop there. Because the more I went, the more I realized that NINE would make an ideal table arrangement. I may or may not have issues. But the end product made it all worth it.  

Honestly? I love whatever is wrong with me. I then checked each piece well and cleaned it with alcohol and paper towels. 

• Foiling + Burnishing

Once all your pieces are fitting oh-so-perfectly, {It’s okay if they’re not perfect, especially if this is your first time} it’s time to foil and burnish. I’ve always used a table foiler, but I’ve decided they might be more trouble than they’re worth. This step went just fine this way, too. 

Again, you can find all of that outlined as thoroughly as possible, here. Be sure to read up on this post. I tend to clean up and grind each piece again, so that there are no shiny edges. It helps get that fit just right. 

Assembly: 
For your next step, it’s time to solder ALL of this together. Here it all is with the assembly play-by-play — I’ll try to keep it succinct because this comes with a huge learning curve and a lot of information. I was basically an expert at the end with a few casualties along the way in the form of a cracked piece of glass and my poor fingertips.

For more viewing options you can also check out our video, here!

I’m starting with the more complicated pattern, and it will be the same for the simpler trees, minus the initial step of putting all those little pieces together. Lay out your first two pieces of the tree, so that they make a complete triangle. Place them tightly on your boards with the tacks, so that they all line up neatly. 

And these had a big… you guessed it! HiNgE PoInT! If you were around for our angel project then you know that one was kind of a nightmare. But the more I work with said hinge points, the less I resent them. What’s a hinge point you may ask? Any large part of a design that could snap right off without a little reinforcement.

So, once you have your pattern laid out, wrap it securely with your copper reinforcement strip, all the way around the outside. If you look carefully at the last photo, you can see it was secured with the strip and tacks, as I went, getting it as tight as possible. See a quick video that may be helpful, here. 

• But first, a little review on Soldering: 
Again, I’ve outlined it all here.
{Please follow all safety precautions from open windows to ventilation systems here.} 

Here’s my little fume extractor. I had the windows up {and it was freezing} but that with the filter definitely helps keep fumes out of the way. 

Solder as much as you can, securing it all together {including the restrip} and then remove the tacks. Quickly go over the sides, as well {adding ruby fluid as you go, of course.} It does tend to separate if you spend too much time, so let it breathe before working on it some more. 

Flip it over, and do the same. I’ve mentioned it before {and you can see it in the corner of the photo below} but these trivets with divets are a game changer for catching that extra solder. I used every bit, as I’d rather DiE than Go BaCk tO HoBbY LoBbY OvEr ThE HoLiDaYs. No, I’m not being dramatic. Nashville doesn’t have a stained glass supply, delivery would take too long, and that place is an apocalyptic NIGHTMARE. GROSS. 

But alas, I digress. Solder the second side, clean it up, and set aside. 

Add your next individual triangle {triangle three} for your tree, putting all the pieces into place tightly as you go. 

Cut a generous length of restrip, long enough to include your fourth triangle when you attach it to the final piece {below}. Add it here, starting on the bottom left corner, working your way on the outer edge, leaving plenty to connect the FINAL {fourth} triangle. You can leave the inner piece free of restrip. Just two of the three sides. Ideally, it will wrap around completely when you assemble your tree. 

Simply add tacks and adjust as you go. 

See? The straight edge on triangle three is re-strip free. 

You’re ready to solder this piece. 

Flip it over and repeat. Go ahead and get the edges, too.
Tip: Be quick about it. When the restrip overheats, it tends to separate. Clean and let cool. 

Go ahead and solder your fourth piece of the tree together. This one will not need restrip, as it will be added with the remaining generous amount you pulled for the third triangle. 

Solder and quickly clean. Move this one out of the way. 

Next, grab the first large piece and lay it flat.
Grabbing the third triangle, add it to the center. 

Helpful tip: You may want an extra set of {gloved} hands for this {helpful to work with heat}. I pre-seperated a few pieces of solder with the soldering iron, and put them to cool in the crease, so that I had access to them when ready. Prep the center seam with Ruby Fluid, then tilt the piece so that the seam where they will join is accessible. With my extra pieces of solder, I melted them into the seam in sections to stabilize the piece. 

Again, move quickly and just focus on “tacking it all together” so that its stable enough to work with. 

Note: I did purchase one of those stands that are supposed to help you work with your glass hands-free. It’s all fun and games until you need restrip. This would have been extremely helpful, and that was my plan. But the restrip made the glass too bulky to fit in the supportive slots. BOOOOOO. So working with a gloved hand it is. This one is a heat-resistant one that helped protect my fingers from burns. I’ve also found that my skin is sensitive to the chemicals {yay!} so these are game changers. 

Here are some more angles of me working with that seam. Once secure enough, set your glass up, flip the restrip over the rest of the piece, and secure it at the top. Doing this at the top and bottom of the third triangle piece will provide enough stability so you can work more effectively with your piece and finish soldering. 

Don’t forget to take plenty of breaks in between, as I actually overheated my glass at one point. WOMP WOMP. It’s fine. I was twitching at that point, but it’s totally fine. 

With restrip flipped over, you’re ready to add your fourth and final triangle. You can probably do this with your glass standing. 

For the fourth piece, focus on attaching the edge of the restrip to the glass to stabilize.
Then you can work on attaching it from various other points. 

Continue working on your piece with soldering, smoothing out any rough areas, and you’re good to go! 

Note: If it’s your first time, like mine, this piece will probably have areas you aren’t happy with. Remember your end goal. Happiness and color. It’s going to be beautiful. Trust. 

A word on gaps: I’m just a girl who likes pretty things. Because of some of these angles, and my lack of expertise, I had a few gaps at the top. They were pretty heinous. I couldn’t decide if I should finish myself off by taking a trip to hobby lobby and perusing their rows with zombie hoards, or throw it through the window. Alas, I decided on option three: to Google instead. This tutorial was very helpful, and it did, in fact, save the day a little. 

I just neatly folded my copper tape and wedged it in some of the bigger areas. Then I built up the solder as I went. Feel free to tilt your piece so that you can manipulate with gravity as you go. Again, work quickly. Know that it won’t be perfect. That’s the beauty of handmade. 

• Clean it up {see more detail here}

Breaking it down, the order just goes like this for each side: 

1. Flux + Solder {You’ve already done this} 
2. Kwik Clean {rub it on and clean the glass / solder
3. Clarity – It’s a stained glass finishing compound {it really makes everything shine – technically it is wax – oh so satisfying} 

Rotate, cleaning each side as you go. 
   

Assembly, one more time: And if you can get it with this complicated one, you can certainly get it with the simpler pattern. It actually seems pretty basic after tackling the one with all the pieces. {You only leave out the step where you solder all the pieces in the beginning. }
  

Add two triangles together, flush sides mirrored. Add the restrip and tack down as you go.
Add ruby fluid, and prep to solder.

Solder, flip, repeat + set aside. 

For your third triangle, add restrip with tacks. Keep it long enough to include the fourth triangle.
Solder, flip and repeat. Sides included. Keep it quick. Set aside.
{Feel free to wipe these down in between, first… if that helps cut down on polishing in the end.} 

Add the third triangle to triangles one and two. Add ruby fluid to the center on each side, and add solder as you go, tacking it down. Secure at the top with the re-strip, and then add all the solder to make it stay. 

Add the fourth triangle by securing the remaining restrip on the edges, and then get your solder just right. Tada! You’re ready for a little fine tuning, patina and cleaning. 

• Patina

• Then you’ll break out your Super Brite {finishes in black, copper + just leaving it silver} – I do find that the patina covers a multitude of sins. This piece in particular needed a full on exorcism but alas I digress. My piece is clearly imperfect, and the patina, if you choose to do so, really helps that look. 

• I use a combo of Q-tips + paper towels to rub it on, making sure to include all the sides. Remember that magic coloring book you had as a kid that had the clear marker, and when you drew on top, it made things change colors? This is that, for adults. 

Clean + polish again: Kwik Clean + Clarity again. Just rub until it shines. 

• Flip {carefully} + repeat the exact steps above from that first side. These final steps {soldering + patina + cleaning} can take a full day with a large window on both sides. I’m sure I’ll speed up over time, but just know it takes some time to finish. 

I’ve never made anything like this before, so it was a lot of work with a whole lot of reward. In the middle, I worried too much about gaps in the glass or even a piece that broke. But at the end of the day, the impact was well worth the sweat equity. No one is looking at the gaps. Or bumps. They’re looking at the glass. Isn’t this a nice little metaphor for life? Maybe I’m delirious. But this was fun. So I took a few too many photos to commemorate. I hope that if some of you want to make your own, you go for it. 

Perfect for these colder winter months, with a good audiobook.

As always, we’d love to hear! 

Have an inspired day!