Try your hand at the art of glass making at Bristol Blue Glass with this fascinating practical glassmaking experience where you will learn some of the skills required to fashion molten glass into beautiful objects.
This class are designed for beginners to learn about molten glass work, the tools involved and how to shape, gather and blow glass. Courses are usually booked for Sundays or Mondays to enable a private studio setting. Items made during the Course are yours to keep.
Instant download voucher. Just add to cart and as soon as you have checked out a link will be provided for you to download your glassmaking experience voucher, which you can use to book your visit by giving us a call on 0117 928 0818. If you are giving this as a gift to another person , please print off and fill in the 'BG CODE' confirmation order number as the will need it to book.
Please contact us by email with any queries.
Cost : £350 per person
Available dates:
-Sunday 9th February
-Monday 17th February
-Monday 17th March
-Sunday 23rd March
Hours: 11am - 3.30 pm with a Lunch break at 1pm.
Order of the day:
- At the start of the day you will be given a health and safety briefing followed by a short demonstrations on how to gather glass from the furnace. You will be shown how a glass maker gathers, blows and manipulates a piece of hot glass.
- Working in small teams of 2 or 3 for most of the day, you will be given the chance to practice gathering glass using a pontil iron. This will give the skills to assist each other as the day progresses, with our glassmakers always on hand to support and direct you.
- Next you will be given an introduction to the Glass makers tools. This will give you the opportunity to use and get accustomed the tools of the trade.
- Our master glassmakers will then assist you in making a solid object at first, such as a small animal or paperweight.
- The next step will be blowing.
- Making a blown paperweight or bauble. At this point you will shown how to add various different colours to your piece of glass and will be given a choice of what colour mix you would like to create.
- Within your team you will progress next to a blown Wine glass or Vase.
- Towards the end of the session we will conclude the experience will a demonstration of how one of our larger production pieces is made.
- The glass you make needs to anneal (cool slowly overnight), but is then yours to keep. This can either be collected or posted out to you.
Please note:
- As a craft that involves the use of molten glass and related equipment, there are some hazards involved. If instruction is followed you will be very safe - but care should be taken always to minimise the risk of injury to yourself or others. Please listen carefully to any instructions from your tutor.
- Please wear suitable clothing with no loose sleeves (no synthetic fibres), sensible shoes with no heels or open toes and long hair must be tied back.
- The blow pipes used for blowing glass are tipped with a brass alloy to prevent transfer of bacteria. This takes advantage of the oligodynamic effect whereby certain metals are self-sterilising.
- Refreshments will be supplied, but please feel free to bring your own - as well as any necessary food.
- Courses are available on Sundays & Mondays.
- Due to the nature of glass and the annealing process cracking of your glass object may occur.
- For health and safety reasons we regret that are not able to attend this experience if you are pregnant or have lung or heart conditions.
- If you are unable to collect your Glass we are able to dispatch it to you for a small extra charge.
If you require any more information - or have any questions, please contact the Bristol Blue Glass team on 0117 972 0818
