Welcome to the fascinating world of lampworking! This class is designed for beginners who want to learn the fundamentals of melting and shaping glass into beautiful, handcrafted beads. You’ll get hands-on experience with a torch, glass rods, and essential tools while exploring basic techniques to create your own unique designs.
What You’ll Learn:
Safety First: Understanding the workspace setup, ventilation, proper eyewear, and handling of hot glass.
Tools & Materials: Introduction to torches, mandrels, bead release, glass types (soft vs. borosilicate), and shaping tools.
Basic Techniques: Lighting and adjusting the torch flame
Melting and applying glass to a mandrel
Shaping and smoothing beads
Adding basic decorations (dots, swirls, layering colors)
Annealing & Cooling: Understanding thermal stress, kiln annealing, and proper bead cooling techniques.
Finishing & Stringing: Cleaning beads and ideas for using them in jewelry or art projects.
Class Structure:
Introduction & Safety Briefing (15-20 min)
Demonstration of Basic Bead Making (20 min)
Hands-on Practice with Instructor Guidance (1-1.5 hours)
Cooling & Discussion on Annealing (15 min)
Q&A and Wrap-up
What to Bring: Closed-toe shoes and cotton clothing (avoid synthetics)
Hair tied back (if long)
Notebook for sketches and notes
Enthusiasm and creativity!