Making stained glass creations is a skilled and time-consuming craft, and stained glass courses can help beginners develop their skills and experts hone their craft. Choosing stained glass courses should be done judiciously to ensure you will gain the expected skills from the course. Before choosing a course, it is best to consider the expertise of the instructor, the studio's location and the cost of the course. For students who want to continue learning, studios which offer advanced-level stained glass courses and teach specific techniques should be weighed during the selection process.
Stained class courses should be selected based on your current skill level and ability. Beginners need to master the basics of selecting, cutting and grinding glass before they will be able to create a stained glass project. More experienced glass workers will want to select a class suitable for their expertise, one which challenges them by teaching new skills, but does not bore them by teaching basic techniques they have already mastered. The cost of the stained glass courses, as well as the materials and tools needed to complete them, should also be weighed.
For safety and creativity, stained glass courses should be taught by instructors who are knowledgeable and well-versed in many aspects of the craft. You should meet the instructors beforehand and be sure you will be comfortable working side by side with them. Stained glass courses feature many potentially dangerous machines and materials, such as sharp edges on cut glass and fast-spinning glass grinders. It is important to feel that the instructors will maintain order in the studio during the course, as well as enforce strict safety guidelines and procedures. You also should have the assurance that if something did go wrong and you were injured, the instructors would ensure you were quickly and properly cared for.
Many stained glass courses allow students to pick their own projects from an acceptable list, so if you are interested in making a stained glass lamp shade, you certainly would not want to sign up for a course focusing on making jewelry boxes. Course projects are typically required to be similar in scope in order to keep all students progressing at the same basic rate of speed and mastering the same skills throughout the course.
When picking a stained glass course, consider the location, time and day the course is offered. If you are planning on attending after work, be sure you have adequate travel time as the instructor will not want to hold up the class time for the other students in order to wait for you to arrive. The same is true pertaining to the day of the week it is offered, as traffic may be heavier on a weekday than on a weekend.
Stained glass courses offered at a full-service studio which sells glass, tools and supplies is a plus. Your instructor can help you select the correct materials for your project and offer first-hand advice for purchasing the best tools of the trade. This could potentially save you time and money from purchasing unneeded or low-quality items.