Stained glass cost calculator

• Add up the edges. Foil wraps the edge of every piece, so the amount used is the total outline of all your pieces. Measure each piece on the pattern with a flexible tape measure or a piece of string, then add them together.
• Quick estimate. Measure the total length of the lines on your pattern and double it, since every inside line has glass on both sides. Add the outer border once.
• Add a little extra for the overlap where each wrap meets, about ¼ in per piece.

• Measure as you cut. Write down the length of each piece you cut and add them up.
• Leftover method. If you start with a full stick (for example 6 ft), measure what’s left when you finish and subtract it.
• Count the trimmings. Short ends you cut off and throw away were still used, so include them.

1. Weigh the spool on a kitchen or postal scale before you start.
2. Weigh it again when the piece is finished.
3. The difference is the amount used. Choose oz or g to match your scale.

If you switch spools partway through, weigh each one before and after and add the differences.

Use whichever method fits the piece. Square inches = width × height.

1. Whole piece. For a single color, measure the finished piece: a 10″ × 12″ panel is 120 sq in. For round or odd shapes, measure the rectangle the shape fits inside.
2. By color from the pattern. Use one glass line per color. Draw a rectangle around each piece of that color on the pattern, multiply width × height, and add them up. Three pieces of about 2″×3″, 2″×2″, and 1″×4″ = 6 + 4 + 4 = 14 sq in.
3. Grid count. Lay 1″ graph paper or a clear grid ruler over the pattern and count the squares each color covers, counting partial squares as halves.
4. By weight (most accurate). Set the amount-used unit to oz or g, then weigh a test piece of the same glass you can measure easily, like a 4″ × 4″ scrap (16 sq in). Weigh your cut pieces and the calculator converts weight to area.

If you weigh the whole sheet before and after cutting, scraps are already included, so set the waste allowance to 0%.

• Liquids (flux, patina). Pour what you need into a small measuring cup or medicine cup and note the amount. Bottle sizes are printed on the label.
• Per-piece estimate. If you know a bottle lasts about 20 pieces, enter 20 as the package size with “each”, and 1 as the amount used.
• Wax and polish. Weigh the tin before and after, or use the per-piece estimate above.
• Hooks, chain, frames. Count them and use “each”. For chain sold by length, use in or ft.
• Brazing rod. Measure the length you cut, including trimmings.

• Log each session. Write down your start and stop times, or use a stopwatch app you pause during breaks.
• Count every step: designing and printing the pattern, cutting, grinding, foiling or leading, soldering, patina, cleaning and polishing, and photographing or listing it if you sell it.
• Add it up and enter the total as hours and minutes.

1. Add up what you spend in a year on things that aren’t part of one piece: cutter wheels, grinder bits, iron tips, safety gear, extra electricity, and any studio rent.
2. Divide by the number of pieces you make in a year. That’s your flat amount per piece.

Not sure yet? Start with 10–15% of materials and adjust later.