Stained Glass Dream Fairy

towel
copper foil
razor/craft knife
fid or bone folder
16-gauge copper wire
pliers and wire cutter
work board*
pushpins

lead-free solder
flux and brush
soldering iron
fishing line
permanent marker
stained glass cleaner
stained glass polish
grade 0000 steel wool
instant glue
memory wiremedium weight copper sheet
metal sheers
rubbing alcohol
two-part epoxy
jump ring
decorative charms
safety glasses
*Use a fire resistant work board that is flexible enough to attach pushpins.

Steps:

1. Wearing safety glasses, cut stained glass into a triangle for the fairy's body. Tip: Draw the triangle body shape with a permanent marker if needed.

2. Grind the edges of the cut glass.

3. Select a glass nugget for the head.

4. Wash the pieces with general cleaner and dry.

5. Wrap each glass piece with copper foil and rub the bubbles out with the fid or bone folder.

6. Cut and bend the copper wire to make a pair of arms and a pair of legs with pliers and wire cutters.

7. Flux the two glass pieces and two pieces of wire.

8. Tack-solder the wire arms to the top of the triangle and the wire legs to the bottom.

9. Tack-solder the head onto the top of the triangle.

10. Build up a smooth bead of solder on the whole piece including the front, back and sides.

11. While the body is cooling, trace and cut out a pair of wings from the copper sheet.

12. Fold the wings, if necessary, to cause them to lay properly.

13. Form a loop with copper wire using pliers and wire cutters to hang the fairy.

14. Clean the body with general cleaner and dry it.

15. Clean the middle of the back of the fairy, the middle of both sides of the wings and the wire hanger that you just made with rubbing alcohol.

16. Mix two-part epoxy on a piece of scrap paper.

17. Apply a small dab of epoxy to the back of the fairy then press the wings into place. Apply a small dab of epoxy to the back of the wings and place the wire hanger in the glue. Let dry. Refer to the directions on the epoxy for cure time.

18. Once the glue has cured buff all the solder with steel wool, clean with stained glass cleaner and polish with stained glass polish.

19. Using pliers and wire cutters cut a length of memory wire and bend one end to loop around the hanger on the fairy. Bend the memory wire as necessary to get it to hang correctly. Once that's done bend a loop at the other end of the memory wire and attach a piece of fishing line to hang it from. Put a small dot of instant glue on the knot of the fishing line to secure it.

20. Attach a charm to the hands of the fairy using a jump ring for decoration.

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