Stained Glass Pattern Templates

Original, editable studies

A starting point for your next panel

Choose a finished study to load its working geometry. Change the piece count, inspect a shape, or export directly from the workshop.

From an idea to a numbered cutting pattern

1. Choose an example or upload a local image. Set the real panel size, then request 10–120 pieces and make the pattern. Begin with 24 pieces when comparing detail with cutting effort.
2. Select a numbered piece and read its dimensions. Review narrow widths and deep corners, merge only neighboring regions where useful, and compare the remaining risks after each repair.
3. Choose the construction heart, glass materials and print setup. Preview the tile grid, download a free file, and measure its printed ruler. Save the editable project before closing the tab.

Templates are starting geometry, not a download gallery

Choose the kingfisher, Victorian rose, Art Nouveau lily, mountain sunset, honeycomb or cat memorial, then regenerate at the piece count you intend to cut. The same template can produce 24 or 36 actual closed pieces. The colors and boundaries are recalculated, so increasing the count is more than adding labels to a static illustration. Each gallery example loads a working design that you can continue editing.

The kingfisher uses a blue wing, warm breast and strong branch against a pale background. The rose starts from radial color rhythm; its petal parameter changes the source symmetry. The lily uses broad light petals above green leaves. The sunset separates sky and overlapping ridges. Honeycomb emphasizes repeating color, while the cat memorial spends detail on ears and the body silhouette. At low counts, inspect which details remain rather than choosing by name alone.

Choose rectangle, circle or arch deliberately

A circle uses diameter, not radius. An 8 inch circle is 203.2 mm across and has 324.29 cm² of panel area before seams. Its polygonal working boundary approximates the curve with many short segments; the displayed panel area uses the circular formula. Cutting files preserve the boundary approximation, so inspect the edge against your actual frame and final fit.

The arch uses a semicircular top whose diameter equals panel width. A 250 × 350 mm arch has 225 mm straight sides below a 125 mm radius top, with 807.94 cm² of outer area. Height must be at least half the width. A rectangular border and an arched top are different boundaries, not decorations placed over an unchanged rectangular cutting file.

Use repetition to make a manageable workshop pattern

Start a rose with 6 petals and compare 8 petals at the same 24-piece count. More symmetry can spend pieces on smaller repeated areas, so look for acute tips and narrow slivers. At a small physical diameter, increasing the minimum width may prevent further splitting. The actual count then stays below the request rather than introducing tiny regions to satisfy a counter.

For a border, leave enough physical width for the selected seam heart and the pieces inside it. Increasing visible line weight is not a frame allowance. The centerline defines the intended panel arrangement; compensation moves each cutting edge inward. Select representative edge pieces and verify their actual bounds, especially after changing panel size, rose petals or construction.

Centerlines, cutting lines and actual glass

A centerline cartoon describes how the panel fits together. A cutting contour describes the smaller piece of glass that fits beside the seam. Keep the two files clearly named in the workshop: tracing the centerline as a cut line would leave too little room for the chosen heart. The preview seam finish is cosmetic; black patina, copper and silver grey keep the same physical boundaries.

The material table integrates the compensated polygons, then groups their areas by glass ID. A 25% waste allowance multiplies the net area by 1.25; it does not turn irregular shapes into a guaranteed shopping list. Sheet nesting answers a different question by placing actual cutting contours inside a selected sheet, with a 5 mm edge margin and 3 mm gap by default. A piece that cannot fit is reported rather than silently omitted.

A project you can inspect and keep

Select any numbered shape to see its cut width, height and net area. The bounding dimensions help you find a blank large enough for that piece; net area measures its polygon, so a triangle is not counted as its full enclosing rectangle. The glass list is separate from the piece numbers: two blue pieces can have different IDs but use the same material.

Save a local .sgpattern.json project before leaving the page. There is no automatic browser draft or cloud gallery. Reopening the file restores the millimetre geometry, numbering, palette, material and cutting settings. An invalid project or failed image decode leaves the last valid pattern available. A maximum of 200 imported pieces and 512 vertices per piece keeps inspection and file generation bounded.

Match the file to the workshop task

For a small suncatcher, use the free single-layer inset SVG and the paper cartoon together. For a larger panel, keep the tiled PDF at actual scale. If you are preparing layered sticker dies, matching pieces to stock sheets, or selling teaching packs, the three workshop ZIPs provide those specific production documents.

Use the copper foil guide for the 0.8 mm heart and tape-width calculation, the lead came guide for 1.6–2.0 mm hearts and frame allowances, and the printing guide for measured 1:1 tiles.

Cutting difficulty and glass quantities are based on planar geometry and the selected waste allowance. Adjust the real cutting plan for glass texture, material and the tools you use.

More ways to start the same workshop