If you want to hang your lovely new stained glass project, you’ll need to attach some kind of hanger to it. Let’s talk about how you can make your own hooks, hangers, & jump rings for your stained glass art!
DIY Hooks & Hangers for Stained Glass
The cool thing about making your own hooks for your stained glass project is that you can make them pretty much any shape ya like.
You can make them swirly, triangle shaped, in the shape of a hippopotamus…whatever the heck ya want.
Because hooks & hangers have tails that are embedded in your solder, they’re the strongest way to hold your project.
Tools & Supplies You’ll Need:
*At no cost to you, I may receive a small commission on tools & supplies purchased through links on this page. I’ll never recommend anything I don’t truly love or know to be of good quality because, integrity😃
16 Gauge Pre Tinned Copper Wire
Pre-Tinned & easy to wrap, but strong enough for small suncatchers.
OOK Utility Wire
Strong wire for making hangers. Great for heavier stained glass projects.
Rosary Pliers or Round Nose Pliers
Inexpensive & won’t mar the surface of your wire.
6″ Flush Cut Wire Cutters
Cheapie wire cutters.
Klein Tools Wire Cutters
Reaaally freakin’ good quality wire cutters.
Here’s a video for ya!
DIY Jump Rings
I have no idea where the term jump rings came from, but they sound like they’d require at least some level of athleticism to make. They don’t. They are simply wire in a circle shape.
Jump rings don’t hold as much weight as hooks & hangers so they’re best used on lightweight suncatchers.
Pre-made jump rings are pretty cheap. But in a pinch, or if you can’t find the size you want, you can make your own with either pre-tinned wire, or recycled copper wire.
I don’t make them with zinc because it’s just too darn hard to hand bend around a marker. You may be able to if ya have hulk hands😁.
*At no cost to you, I may receive a small commission on tools & supplies purchased through links on this page. I’ll never recommend anything I don’t truly love or know to be of good quality because, integrity😃
Tools & Supplies:
- Wire cutters (see links above)
- Pre Tinned Copper Wire (see links above)
- Marker, pencil, or small dowel
They’re crazy easy to make. Simply:
- Grab a cylindrical object with diameter about the size you’d like your jump rings to be (a pen, marker, dowel, etc)
- Wrap the wire around the cylinder repeatedly
- Pull the wire off of the cylinder, smoosh it together a bit
- Cut straight through the coil with a wire cutter (you’ll probably need to snip only one or two wires at a time, depending on how sharp your cutter is/how strong your hands are)
Here’s a video: DIY Jump Rings
Note: If you’re using copper wire, pre-tin it before you wrap it. It’s much easier than trying to tin it after it’s been made into a circle.
How to use recycled wire for stained glass hooks & hangers
You probably have some things laying about the house or garage you can use for hangers, hooks & jump rings. If ya don’t, sweet talk a local electrician! They always have scraps of copper wire on the job sites.
The most important thing to consider is the strength & hardness (how bendy is it?) of the wire vs the weight of your finished stained glass piece.
If you plan to regularly use recycled wire, this is a handy dandy tool to figure out what gauge it is:
Wire Gauge Measurement Tool
Zinc Wire
Zinc is stronger than copper, so it can handle higher weights. I use it for any project larger than my hand. For zinc, I usually use 16 gauge (linked above).
Copper Wire
If you have some copper electrical wire laying around, you can absolutely recycle it for your project. But, as noted above, tin it before you bend it. For any stained glass project hand sized or smaller, I’ll use copper wire in 14 or 16 gauge.
How to Tin Copper Wire for Stained Glass:
- flux the ever lovin’ crap out of it
- add a thin layer of solder to it in a back & forth swipey motion
Making Hangers for Stained Glass with Paper Clips
Paper clips aren’t my favorite, simply because they’re “U” shaped & I like the look of a round or swirly hanger. But that’s straight up personal aesthetic preference.
You can use whatever ya like because it’s your art!
They’re thin, so it’s best to only use them for small suncatchers.
To make a paper clip hanger:
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Peace, Love, & Stained Glass,
-Shannie