My First Glassblowing Class: How I Made a DIY Paperweight and Rekindled My Creativity
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Hey again!
It’s been a minute—well, a year and a half, if we’re counting. Between depression, ADHD, and a new job in fashion, my creative brain’s been under lock and key.
But recently, I realized—whoa!—I’m making things again. So here I am, back at it with a glassblowing adventure and a lot of ideas to share.
I also recently earned a certificate in 3D fashion for my day job as a technical designer in the city. If you’re ever looking for pattern or design help, I might include that in a future post. But for now—let’s talk about glassblowing.
🎂 A Retirement, a Birthday, and a Glassblowing Class
A couple of months ago, my mentor announced her retirement. Her birthday was also coming up, and we all wanted to do something fun together—so we decided to take a glassblowing class.
We carpooled down to the studio. Some of us—okay, just me—are carless. But I made it there, excited and a little nervous about what we’d get into.
🔥 Hot, Heavy, and Surprisingly Therapeutic
Each of us picked the object we wanted to make. I chose a paperweight, while my friends made bowls.
We started with a safety overview (thank goodness), and here’s your first pro tip: do this in the winter. This is not a summer hobby. The heat was intense, and I was also dealing with some skin irritation. My dermatologist recommended Vaseline, which honestly saved me. I slathered it on the irritated areas, and it made the experience way more bearable. (Of course, check with your own doctor first.)
My project didn’t involve blowing—I was not in the mood for all that. Luckily, my instructor stuck with me the entire time, guiding me through each step.
The central furnace where the instructor would get the molten sand to start our project and latter add for the top layer.
🌀 Rolling Like It’s the Renaissance
We started by heating up the molten sand mixture and then rolling it with what looked like a medieval wooden spoon. Very rustic. Very Middle Ages.
(Editor’s note: Glassblowing in its modern form actually began during the Renaissance. The first glass discovered? Over 3,600 years ago. (insert astonished emoji face here😳))
It looks medieval to me.
After that, we went back to the furnace to gather color. I chose purple and orange for a sunset vibe. The colors had to be reheated and rolled in again—and let me tell you, glass is heavy. I’ve been doing Olympic lifting with my trainer lately, and even I was surprised how hard it was to roll that glowing mass around.
Tennis players, this might be your time to shine. Screw Aces!
Pick up to 2 colors.
🌬️ Bubble Magic & Eyebrow Survival
At one point, the instructor had me insert the end of a tube into the center of the molten ball—this created the bubble inside the paperweight. We kept rolling it, shaping it with the old-school wooden cup/spoon, and putting it back in the fire between each round.
Workstation furnace where we would heat up our project and later swirl in the colors.
I asked my instructor how she handles the heat. She’s young (and not in perimenopause like I am (insert sweltering emoji here). She said she lost her forearm hair and eyebrows at the beginning.
That’s when I decided I’m just dabbling in this art form. I like my eyebrows, thank you very much. I’m not into that trend. Lady Gaga can keep it.
At the workbench rolling the glass in the spoon.
⚒️ The Smash, the Chill, the Reveal
After the final rolling session and gathering a clear outer layer of glass, we transferred the piece to another table. There, she handed me a baseball bat (yes, really) and told me to whack it to release the paperweight from the rod. It broke off cleanly and went into a slow-cool chamber to rest for the week.
It took us a few weeks to all get back together to pick up our creations, and it was like opening a mystery box. The whole time you're working, it’s just a glowing red-orange blob—so the final result was a surprise.
I had hoped for a more vibrant purple, but I grew to love it. (Though I did get a little obsessed about how to display it properly.)
💡 The Lighting Saga
Because the paperweight is a ball, I wanted a square stand to balance it—and I knew I wanted LED lights to make it glow. After falling into a full-on online rabbit hole, I found one that looked perfect. But it only cycled through colors, and most didn’t work with the piece. The white light looked best, so I stuck with that.
This is when I knew I wanted a light display.
Still, if you know how to make a custom light stand or have suggestions, let me know in the comments! Naturally, this is now giving me an idea for another project. 🙃
This is the final look. I took the picture before realizing I would blog about it. nervous sweat face emoji.
🔥 What I Learned from Glassblowing:
Vaseline might be your best friend near a furnace (ask your dermatologist)
Glass is heavy—tennis players and gym rats will excel
Summer + molten sand + premenopausal = no, just no.
Ancient tools + modern fire = very cool (and very hot) See above.
Eyebrow loss is not a vibe I’m into
The final piece won’t always be what you imagined—but it’ll surprise you
💬 Over to You
Have you ever tried glassblowing or any kind of glass art? Would you? Tell me your story in the comments—or just say hi if you're glad to see The Dabble Spot back in action.
Until next time…
Keep it glassy. ✨
Bex
