Glass Arts
Torchworking: Blown-Glass Ornaments
Learn to make blown-glass holiday ornaments at the torch.
Member$206.00 (any noted materials fee included) |
Guest$250.00 (any noted materials fee included) |
Tuition Assistance and Other Policies
Meeting Times
- Sat, 12/20/2025 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sat, 12/20/2025
About
Learn to blow hollow borosilicate glass ornaments at the torch. You’ll work with hollow tubing, pull points, inflate bubbles, and decorate your ornaments with stringers and dots.
Pulling points, the initial preparation for many hollow glass forms, is a skill that takes practice to master. In this class you’ll be provided with a few points to inflate and decorate, but you’ll also learn how to pull them yourself so you can continue to make ornaments in Open Studio.
You’ll have time to make 5 to 10 ornaments during class depending on how complex a design you choose to add to your bubbles.
Pulling points, the initial preparation for many hollow glass forms, is a skill that takes practice to master. In this class you’ll be provided with a few points to inflate and decorate, but you’ll also learn how to pull them yourself so you can continue to make ornaments in Open Studio.
You’ll have time to make 5 to 10 ornaments during class depending on how complex a design you choose to add to your bubbles.
Materials
A $31 materials fee, included in the price of the class, covers everything needed.
Prerequisites
- Classes like Torchwork Basics, Introduction to Torchwork: Borosilicate Marbles, Introduction to Torchwork: Beadmaking, or equivalent experience gained elsewhere plus a few sessions practicing skills in a torchworking Open Studio are the minimum required to take this class.
- You should be confident setting up and taking down a torch, familiar with the torchworking tools BARN provides, and able to pull borosilicate glass stringers.
Class Policies
- Long pants and closed-toe shoes are required in the Glass Studio at all times. Long hair should be tied back.
- All-cotton clothing is recommended for torchwork.
BARN Policies
- View BARN's Cancellation and Refund Policy.
- Tuition Assistance is available. Fill out the application before registering.
- BARN is committed to accessibility. We try to make accommodations when requested; the earlier you contact us, the more likely we can help. Fill out the Accommodation Request Form before any class for which you require an accommodation. Email accessibility@bainbridgebarn.org if you have any questions.
- Sensory Statement: Makerspaces like BARN can be noisy and cluttered, smell strongly, and have bright or flickering lights. BARN is not an allergen-free facility. If you have concerns, please email info@bainbridgebarn.org.
Instructors or Guides
Laura Arns
Although she's a computer scientist by day, Laura Arns has been working with glass in various ways for more than 20 years during her free time. As a lampworker, she is somewhat unusual because she hasn't specialized but instead works with both borosilicate and soft glass to create beads, marbles, blown ornaments, sculptures, goblets, and more. She particularly enjoys collaborative projects with artists and artisans who work in other mediums. Over the years, she's had the opportunity to learn from numerous well-known lampworkers. A former college professor, she's looking forward to more teaching in BARN's Glass Arts Studio.
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