How to Make Glass Garden Stakes

Garden stakes are attractive ways to highlight plants in your garden or in containers inside your home. You can create stained glass garden stakes with seed bead descriptions to accent your plants and to add color to your landscape. The stained glass panels are simple to cut if you have the right tools. Look for all of the supplies that you need to make stained glass garden stakes in your local craft store.

Trace the outline for your garden stake design onto the stained glass with a grease pencil. Straight line designs such as squares, diamonds and rectangles are the simplest cuts to make for beginners.

Score one of the lines with your glass cutters. Snap the scored section in two by pressing down with the grozing pliers. Continue to score and snap the glass until the shape of your garden stake is complete. Make sure that you wear your safety glasses when you snap the glass apart.

File the rough edges of the glass smooth with a diamond file. Wrap the perimeter of your glass garden stake with copper foil. Copper foil has a self-adhesive back; just peel the protective cover and work it around the glass. Fold the excess copper foil strip onto the face and the back of the stained glass.

Drill a hole in the top of the glass garden stake with a diamond or carbide drill bit. Other drill bits will not work on stained glass. You can attach your bit to a drill press or you can use a hand-held drill.

Write the name of your plants on one side of the glass garden stake with a grease pencil. Go over the pencil outline with a line of clear, waterproof adhesive.

Cover the adhesive with glass seed beads. Tilt the glass up to release any seed beads that did not stick. Allow the beads to dry into the adhesive.

Cut a strip of 20-gauge craft wire twice the desired length of your garden stake stand. Wrap the wire around a dowel to make a spiral; leave at least 6 inches of the wire straight so you can insert the stake into the ground.

Drill a small hole in the tip of the spiral. Cut a 7-inch length of 24-gauge craft wire. Insert the wire through the hole in the spiral and through the hole on the stained glass. Wrap the ends of the wire together to secure the glass to the stand.