I attended the glass mosaic workshop on Saturday and I'm obsessed. The class was led by Deb--she's an incredibly patient and talented teacher. I loved the process and really enjoyed creating my own piece. Rest of the staff was also amazing. I'll be back for more workshops, it's hard to get a spot since they are popular and get booked as soon as they post their workshop. read more

Stained Glass Garden - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

Recently took a class w friends w instructor Julie Orchard - mere words cannot capture her awesomeness.. She'sthat rare combo of extremely experienced & able to communicate everything clearly & calmly, while making you feel like you can totally do exactly the same thing she did... & then she made good on it! Srsly, everyone in the class was thrilled e their results. Honestly I was shocked at what we all were able to achieve in just a few short but super sweet hours. If you're a serious nose to the grindstone student you'll appreciate Julie's expertise & clarity. If you're a total beginner looking to just have fun Julie will help you do just that - AND make a super beautiful piece. Win/win! HIGHLY recommend Julie read more

Stained Glass Garden - Mosaic serving tray - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

The staff here is stellar. 5 stars! They just desperately need a new manager. A woman in our glass class packed up and left due to "bad vibes". The manager walked in and said, "A hammer... Really?!" about a tool she used due to an arm injury. During open studio, Julie placed a tray of sharp glass shards on top of my project. When I gently let her know she said, "Well then you should move." I'd been working there for 45 minutes. The worst of it: we agreed on a kiln fire, so I purchased glass here and pre-paid for a kiln shelf. All of my pieces - faces and letters - got scratched up in her care. The packaging somehow disappeared. Sharp glass had been placed on top. "[She] must think I'm sabotaging her work," Julie said. What an unsettling thing to say. She requested a 24-hour turn-around for me to re-do all of the decal work. I agreed. It took seven hours and more of my own money. Julie interrupted my class to ask me to load the kiln. As I held out my pieces she said out-of-the-blue, "I just decided to cancel it." She needs to be cancelled. I was there when she told the store to lock up because there was a "suspicious kid" riding a bike outside. As one of the few non-white women here, her behavior towards me felt extra. "Your cutter isn't going to work," "You bought the wrong oil," "Your tool will seize up." Two staff members reassured me her words weren't true. Melinda is an excellent teacher. Matt is awesome. Marcela is welcoming. Jess is incredibly knowledgeable. This studio has beautiful glass and beautiful people in it. Given the positive staff, I'm certain the manager is who Jacqueline F. and Carla M. experienced. The owner can't possibly know. If so, it's not okay to enable. Due to the manager's unprofessional and unethical business practices, some people won't ever return. As an Oakland and SF teacher of 15 years, I was shocked. "It's not just you," said another woman in studio. "She's so negative." Multiple women said she was rude and disrespectful to them. It was nearly impossible to get work done. We cut glass and soldered at home. Here's an extensive review letting you know. Though she wouldn't say it herself, it's obvious that Jess should be the manager. She's kind, knows everything about this place, and has worked here for 10 years. May this review be helpful to women. read more

Stained Glass Garden - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

I was so impressed with the staff and environment at Stained Glass Garden. I had a tiffany lamp that had broken glass panes, and they cut new panes for me. Of course, installing the panes proved more difficult than I thought and when I took the lamp in to show the staff- they helped get the panes sized correctly and installed. Erica was patient and so helpful! The manager pitched in as well and the lamp is back in operation! The studio is full of beautiful glass and glass art! I highly recommend visiting to check it out! read more

Stained Glass Garden - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

Stained Glass Garden is where it all began for me. I took a mosaic stepping stone class here in 2019, and that single experience lit a spark that eventually grew into my full-time art practice. Now, as the artist behind Down to Earth Mosaics, I still return regularly for glass, inspiration, and the deep sense of creative community this store nurtures. Their selection is excellent, and the staff--especially Jess and Julie--bring genuine warmth and care to every interaction. Whether you're new to glass or have years of experience, this place offers something rare and meaningful. read more

Stained Glass Garden - Mosaic created using glass from Stained Glass Garden--my go-to place for radiant color and inspiration. - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

My husband and I took the introductory stained glass class ($155 each, materials included) and really enjoyed it. The class is quite long and thorough. It takes you from the beginning steps like picking a design and glass color/texture to shaping and soldering. The class went from morning to afternoon so it was difficult to fit in lunch. I actually skipped lunch that day in order to finish. For now, I think stained glass is too time intensive of a hobby to take up, but I would definitely get into if I retire! read more

I haven't done stain glass is 30 years and my daughter wanted to learn how to work with glass. We went to this store and were pleasantly surprised with the beautiful glass and even more with the amount of product they carry . I was helped by 3 different people ! Only got 2 names , Marguerite and Jess ! They were awesome in helping my daughter Lucy colored glass for her project ! We were also able to pick out patterns for $2.00 . The only problem I had was an overcharge on one piece of glass that I didn't catch . The employee was new so I totally understand the error . Everyone can make an error . I was quickly refunded my money ! I will be returning soon ! Oh and did I mention they have glass you can take ! Love it ! read more

I took classes here many moons ago and was very glad that they were still around! The store had so much inventory to make your own stained glass pieces and there were also many pieces on display to purchase. The three workers who were there each greeted me and answered my questions. I saw that there were people working on projects in a space apart from the retail area. If I get back into stained glass, this will be my place! read more

Love making ornaments here at christmas time. Only wish I lived closer. Love their workshops as well! read more

Stained Glass Garden has become an important learning community for many of us who love fused glass and all the amazing things that can be done with it. Julie has been a stellar teacher, with so much knowledge and the ability to communicate it. In the classes, she teaches and demonstrates a new technique each week, then makes the rounds helping us, as we all work on our projects. I was so disturbed by the negative review she got a few days ago. Of course, I don't know if there's any truth to it, but this is what I'll say: We're all sensitive people and it's easy to get our feelings hurt and feel wronged. It's especially easy for this to happen in a complicated environment like this one, with lots of moving parts and people. Misunderstandings and hurt feelings can build one upon another. Anyone who has been around SGG a lot knows that Julie's job is a big one and she juggles many tasks. I've also learned something important about Julie that may not have been expressed here. I've had hurt feelings before and talked to Julie about it. She was more than forthcoming, caring, and reassuring. She made a point that she's not perfect but that creating a safe learning environment and a celebration of glass are at the top of her priorities. She wants people to come to her with any problems or ways she can improve, and she is committed to ongoing improvement. Being around Julie for the last couple of years, I have all the confidence in her genuineness, skillfulness and caring. For those of you who had a bad experience, I encourage you to try again and be honest with Julie. I believe she would try her best to understand and meet your needs. read more

This is a nice little gem of a place for stained glass artist. Also, I noticed that they had a class in session when I was there. I was in need of some came and couldn't wait for it to be shipped. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable given me tips on how to work with the material. I only wish I had got pictures of the place because it had beautiful artwork for sale and a variety of glass material read more

When I started my journey to learn stained glass, I was fortunate enough to find Stained Glass Garden. I've been taking classes here for about five years and I cannot say enough about what an amazing place this is. The variety of classes helped me to try things I likely wouldn't have pusued on my own. The staff is incredible. The teachers, and shop staff are knowledgeable, kind, and incredibly helpful. The glass and supply selection give you everything you need to make glass art. Stained Glass Garden is not a store, it's a community of people who make glass art, and appreciate glass art. I highly recommend stopping in to purchase a unique piece of art or better yet to take a class! read more

A wonderful shop in a fun area of Berkeley. They have a good selection of craft items for those that work with glass, both fused glass and stained glass as well as mosaics. For fused glass they have both 90 and 96 COE. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. I have taken 1/2 dozen classes there. The instructors were good. The classes were fun. The prices were right for the item and instructions. I strongly recommend taking a class there. They also have a gallery where they display artists items. It is fun to see the talent. Whether you are a crafter, interested in taking a class to learn a new hobby or just want to see pretty things The Stained Glass Garden is a great place to visit. read more

When my mom was alive, we used to come down to this area and peruse the shops. I loved it. My mom even took a class and made a beautiful stained glass item that is hanging in my window. I went in and the people were so nice. So, I was in the area and wanted to look around. I wasn't greeted. I thought the person was busy, but she greeted the couple who entered after me and the couple who entered after that. I realized that I wouldn't want to spend my money there because the people working there, either don't want black people in their shop or they just don't see me, even though it was day time and I was the only person in the store. So, no more trying to prove to jerks that I belong. Never again! read more

These people are the superstars of the sheet glass industry. Sure you may go in there asking for the moon, like I did the other day. I was looking for an exact match on some gold mirror backed glass that I bought there over a decade ago. While it was unfortunate that this glass is no longer manufactured, and therefore in the unobtanium category of materials, I was still interested in what the helpful staff had to offer in the way of beautiful and shiny alternatives! In the end I managed a brilliant yellow from the scrap bin, with such an embarrassingly low price I had to keep looking for more glass. I next went to their well stock dichroic glass section and fell in love with almost every piece, but I stuck to my budget and only got a lustrous copper with a blinding shine in the light, somewhat reminiscent of my old gold. I will be back for more glass soon, and I have learned my lesson, always buy more than I need so that I can use it on other projects like i did for that gold. read more

Stained Glass Garden - Yellow glass and orange dichroic glass - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

Really cool stained glass shop! Holding classes as I type on Sunday morning! We needed some glass for our EPIC cabinet refinishing project and this is the place that has tons of options and can cut to size exactly what you want! read more

Stained Glass Garden - 7 years in the making. That's a LONG time! - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

The staff at SGG have truly changed my life in so many positive ways. As a disabled person with very few outlets for creativity due to MCAS/chemical sensitivities, the staff has always been very accommodating. Glass fusing in itself, utilizes no chemicals unless you decide to pursue painting or etching. Also, I suffer from terrible brain fog and Julie has patiently, helped me understand things, even when it requires multiple explanations. I cherish the community of friends I have made in my time taking classes. I have learned so much. I can't imagine my life without these wonderful people. read more

My bf and I have taken the beginners and the intermediate stained glass class. The studio space is nice with plenty of working space and all the tools you'll need. The tools (grinders and saws) are kept in pretty good condition. The instructors are really great and both classes were very informative. The staff are all super friendly and helpful as well. Our last session of the intermediate class was sometime early 2020. We ended up missing it (can't remember if it was cancellation or we chose to stay home). 3 years later, the studio was really accommodating with helping us set up a time with Julie to get a refresher on soldering and a quick lesson on framing. We were able to rent studio space as well and everyone was super nice when we lost track of time and needed a few extra minutes to clean and pack up even though the store was closed. Some of the classes and supplies can be a bit pricey, but I'm really glad we have this studio in the Bay Area! read more

Stained Glass Garden - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

I have been taking fused glass classes weekly and buying glass at Stained Glass Garden now for 18 months. I can't say enough about what a wonderful business Julie runs. The classes are always interesting, constantly offering different techniques that really stimulates creativity. Over the years Julie has attracted many glass artists to her shop and created a community which is welcome to all and who openly share what they've learned. For anyone wanting to learn fused glass, mosaics or fused glass this is the place and for those with experience you will expand your creative horizons in this community. And a bonus is both the wide array of glass to purchase from very experienced and friendly staff. read more

I love this studio. Very friendly, great supplies and instructors. Only issue that I have is how far away it is from where I live so it takes longer to finish my work. This is almost done though. read more

Stained Glass Garden - Summer Panel - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

I visited this store recently with a friend. We were there to buy a gift, and there was a lot to choose from. The store had beautiful things for the home, and decorative objects, all extremely pretty and well presented. We walked over to a counter that had earrings and some jewelry, and the woman behind the counter asked me if I wanted to see anything and to let her know if I did. But after a few minutes when I asked her to show me a pair of earrings she made no move to open the cabinet and asked me, "Did you see the price?" I found the question odd, and said, 'Yes'. Which I guess she couldn't hear because she then proceeded to ask in a louder voice while gesticulating towards the tag, "Did you see the price?" By now of course I was completely offended. I am a brown person, she is white, she has assumed I cannot speak english, and that I can't afford the $150 object in question. So I sarcastically told her that yes, I could read and the it was quite clear how much they cost. At which point she FINALLY showed me the earrings. Horrid person. I'm never going back and recommend that all brown people READ THE PRICE OUT TO HER before you ask to see anything. read more

Bought some lead came the other day and was shocked to be charged $14 for 6ft, which is twice what I expected. When I asked, the clerk told me that the price of metal had doubled. Since I know that the pandemic / supply chain disruptions / labor shortages have caused prices of some materials to rise sharply, I believed him and paid for the lead. But I've since checked other stores and nowhere else charges nearly as much. (I included the price so that folks who are familiar with how much lead came costs can judge for themselves.) read more

They cut glass for our new cabinets accurately and swiftly! Love how the new glass looks in our kitchen. read more

Stained Glass Garden - Art Supplies Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have been a loyal customer of this store and spent a lot of money ( taking classes including my first class, buying all of my equipment, tons of glass and supplies for all of my projects). I am moving to Europe in the near future and had to sell my equipment as I won't have the space to continue my workIng in stained glass. As I was getting ready to pack up my pieces, I noticed one corner of the framework of one panel had the solder pulling away. . (This would have taken a small amount of lead solder and approximately 5-10 minutes to fix had I not sold my equipment.) So I called Stained Glass Garden to ask if I could come down and either have someone there resolder the corner or if I could use some of their supplies (which I would pay for under either option) and I was told that their repair person wasn't there and wouldn't be able to help me. As to my offer to pay for the minuscule amount of supplies and time for me to do the work, I was told I couldn't do that either but I could sign up for one of their next class which starts in August and possible fix it then. This will not work as my household is being packed at that time. I guess I'll have to get it fixed in the country I'm moving to. This doesn't seem like good customer loyalty to me. If I were to stay in the Bay Area and continue doing stained glass work, I'd stop patronizing this business as it left a bad taste in my mouth!!!!! read more

I could not love this store/class more.. I just took a beginners class here for the first time. This community has been so welcoming, kind and informative. I'm so thankful to have had this opportunity and can not wait to come back!!! Will definitely be coming back for all my stained glass classes/needs!! read more

When I got the estimate for fixing my bought-on-Amazon-made-by-Chinese-prisoners stained glass lampshade - my jaw dropped. But then - I was told about the classes and totally excited. Signed up for a 1 day class and found it super enjoyable -- working with sharp glass and molten metal is not nearly as intimidating or difficult as you might think, just a bit time consuming. Great class - wonderful instructor. All in all - very inspiring. read more

Oh I have this thing for glass. It's a love affair actually. I love the way the light hits the glass, the colors, the patterns, the bubbles, the artistry of it all just amazes me! Walk into my home, and surely you will notice my love affair. The hubby knows that I love glass vases. Its an addiction. So, walking into this store is heavenly for me! Now, I just need a purpose for sheets of lovely glass, and I would buy this store out! Bravo for offering classes! I am totally signing up for one! oh and BTW: preggo casts of the belly, they show one that gets tiled and is all pretty... great idea, because otherwise, what the heck are you going to do with a cast? read more

This is a wonderful place to take stained glass classes. I recently furnished the 4-week (1 day a week for 4 weeks) stained glass class, and I loved the whole experience. I've been wanting to try stained glass again after a terrible experience in HS. Many years later I'm still thinking about stained glass... so I decided to take a class. I live in SF but didn't mind the drive across the bridge, it's also nice to grab food in the east bay before going back into the city. The glass place is in Berkeley and there's lots of good foods within a 15-minute drive. Back to the class, the time went by rather quickly, we had 3 hours plus an additional optional hour each time we met for a total of 16 hours to dedicate to the project. It's a lot of hands on learning but with guidances so it's a very helpful environment. I think with stained glass since you need to think about physics of the glass along with materials it's important to take a class (probably a few classes) before going out on your own. Plus there's so much to explore, and simply because learning from someone who has done it for years and years gives you some insider knowledge and tips and tricks you may not easily find if you were doing your own research and hands on practice without any assistance. This is a wonderful place that's been around for decades, and I highly recommend taking glasses and supporting this important business! Plus the staff are wonderful people willing to help. read more

Don't come here for custom glass work. The staff gave me conflicting explanations of how the work would be done and what to expect. I specifically instructed them to NOT use the paper plate as the template which is why I brought the chandelier, The glass cutter told me she was instructed to use it as a template. When I expressed my disappointment at the results when I picked it up, the staff seemed not to care at all and took a defensive position about it. read more

Had my coffee table glass cut there previously and the woman was polite and professional and everything went well. I brought another piece of glass in today to have cut and The woman was unsure if they cut outside glass at the store, had to ask somebody else. She was unhelpful and rude. I was already there and was told that they do but I must I have a template. Today I was told the template paper was too thin and not thick enough. They should've told me that the first time around. Now they say the glass I brought is too thick for them to cut. Also should have told me that before I came back in. I recommend finding a more professional glass company as these people are mostly amateurs read more

I haven't been in this place for decades, probably because I think of it as somewhere that offers classes, which it does. I love art glass, but don't have the artistic talent to create at the level that I appreciate, so I've walked by w/o going in. Many times. Today Alan and I were down on 4th Street for Jazz on 4th, the yearly free jazz festival that raises money for the Berkeley High Jazz Programs. We found a parking space in the lot behind Stained Glass Garden. The Berkeley High Jazz Combo was just winding up their set on Stage 1 and I decided to check it out. This location is different from the old one. In addition to the classroom area and the pieces of glass they sell to people crafting their own projects, they also have a gallery and that's what won my heart and attention. I had expected maybe student or staff art, but they have art glass from studios around the country and much of it was lovely. Prices seemed reasonable for the excellent quality of the work. I saw many pieces that would look beautiful in our home. Some looked like pieces I do have. I managed to admire w/o buying anything, although there were certainly pieces I would like to see and savor again. read more

Stained glass garden looks to take every penny you have without much common sense...if you fleece me & treat me poorly I will not return. Took a class here with my boyfriend. We don't have a car so they made us pay for a drawer to store our materials (why not provide this to students for a limited time)? Most drawers were empty. We had some personal emergencies and had to miss a few classes...they wanted us to pay to make those up. Full price for both of us. I asked one of the store clerks to show me a simple technique that took her 5 min & the manager charged me FULL price for a "class." What the hell??? I was so Angry I was shaking. That's A LOT of money for 5 minutes. Also the materials kit they had us each purchase was redundant for two people and did not include some of the most necessary materials. The actual instructor was lovely & tried to help us out by being flexible, but the manager was rigid, unkind, and greedy. Good luck with that business model stained glass garden. I learned how to finish my project on YouTube & bought my materials (not provided by you) on Amazon. I want to support local business & artisans but not when they are surly & money-grubbing. read more

For someone who grew up admiring stained glass (window panels, Tiffany lamps, etc.) having SGG teach me how to make a panel on my own was amazing. I took two classes here: suncatcher workshop and introduction to stained glass. Both classes were hands on, the teachers were always helpful and were eager to teach and share their craft. SGG made me a stained glass artist. In fact, I have all the tools (you have to purchase your own tools for the class) and even a glass grinder. I hope to someday soon go back for intermediate stained glass. SGG is awesome. read more

I went to this place probably 13 years ago and found their customer service lacking. I called them today and found the same thing - very unaccommodating and not helpful. Definitely not going to step foot in this place or call for anything ever again. read more

Absolutely amazing. Beautiful space, most wonderful and helpful staff! I had a piece that needed a last minute repair and Jess, Julie, and Cindy made it flawlessly!! Will 1000% be coming back next time I'm in the bay. read more

It is truly disappointing to see that they are still robbing novice customers of their hard earned money. If you are interested in taking classes, do your research on the necessary tools before letting them charge up your account with their overpriced & undersupplied inventory. read more

Wonderfully nice staff with great customer service! I went in to find some different stained glass than what is offered at my near by hobby store and had an amazing experience with Kat (Cat?). She helped me out with some techniques I've been struggling with and did some demonstrations for me! Made the whole experience super inviting and I walked away with some stellar glass and a lot more confidence! Great experience, highly recommend a visit. read more

DO NOT TAKE A CLASS THERE unless you live in a bubble and you are sure you won't get sick!!! I took a class there on Saturday and was supposed to take another class on Sunday. On Saturday I was starting to get sick but showed up for my class anyways. After the class, I told the staff i was feeling too sick to take another class the following day.. My temperature was 102 so yeah, i was really sick. I was told that no but they would try to fill my spot by advertising on Instagram and Facebook. I was hopeful that would work cause when you are sick, it's usually something you don't plan...and you cant cancel being sick. Anyways, on Sunday, a lady called me twice in the morning to tell me they couldn't fill my spot. She told me: "I hope you drank a lot of broth to boost your immune system". I said that I was very sick BUT this class costs me a lot of money so I'd make it anyways. The lady said: "you shouldn't have to do that. Let me call you back as soon as I talk to my manager about it cause we are gonna try to find someone, don't worry I'll call you back before the class". The class was at 2. Nobody called me back I was super hopeful they filled my spot but somebody called me after 2 pm telling me: "hey sorry you couldn't make it so we can't refund you or anything sorry about that! " I asked why nobody called me back before the class. The new lady i talked to said "oh i didn't know about that. Let me talk to my manager and I'm gonna call back you this afternoon. It's after 6, the store is closed. Nobody called me back. I'm disgusted. I don't have a lot of money and I was at least hoping for a store credit so I could take another class but I was told it's not the store policy. By the way, nobody disclosed the store policy with me the day I went there and paid for my 2 classes. When you're sick and you are told or you didn't cancel seven days ago so we can't refund you the money, that kind of sucks because usually when you have the flu you don't know seven days before when you're going to have the flu. Duh. I feel really upset by the level of unprofessionalism and dishonesty I faced. I called today and asked why nobody called me back yesterday and once again, I spoke with another wall. But hey, I was free to go and get a lamp they made yesterday if I wanted to!! Me: "No I don't want your lamp." Her: "My manager is gonna call you back". Whatever, it after 12, nobody called. Keep the money. If that's the way you're doing business and you treat artists, if you're happy with it, knowing you're stealing from people, keep the $125. read more

Went in looking for supplies and to compare them to their competitors. Staff was indifferent towards me (I know I don't look the part, but I am middle class and have a little disposable income). Prices were on the high side. Displayed work was of mediocre quality. Could be an interesting shop/studio if they took an interest in it themselves, but they don't seem to. A big "Meh" from me. I've never taken a class from them so cannot speak to the instruction there. read more

Just took my first Mosaic class with Julie. She is just wonderful, very patient, helpful, totally competent, artistic. Started the class feeling very insecure as it was my first class. by the end of the class, my Mosiac turned out beautifully. I will take more classes at the Stained Glass Garden. I loved it and the whole process so creative. Sparked the hidden artistic side of me . Thank you, Julie !! read more