A jig is a form that holds your stained glass project in place while you work. The first step in any stained glass class or project (besides figuring out what you are going to make) is making sure you have a jig - a place to put the pieces together.

You can create a permanent reusable jig from heavy-duty plywood. Select a piece of plywood a little smaller than your anticipated work area. Attach two furring strips at 90 degrees from the upper left hand corner (if you are left-handed, you may find it easier to work out of the upper right hand corner). The furring strips will be the edge you will be keeping your project pushed up against.

You can also build a less permanent jig but just as sturdy jig with 90 degree metal strips, also known as drywall corner bead, and push pins into a homasote board. Homasote board is a specialized fire-resistant wallboard available at almost any hardware store. The bonus to this type of jig is that you can reconfigure the metal strips and push pins into other shapes, such as an octagon or a triangle. With some cutting and bendin, you can also bend the metal strips into circular shapes.

Since both types of jigs requires a trip to the hardware store, pricing is hard to estimate. Either type of jig should not take much more than $20 in materials to put together.