Glassblowing and lampworking are complex art forms that demand both practice and patience. One of the ideal ways to get familiar with these crafts and their various techniques is by creating many small, simple pieces.
Most beginners learn glassworking in studio classes or through apprenticeships. However, playing around at home (if you have enough space and the right equipment!) can help you speed up your learning process and distinguish yourself from fellow crafters.
This article highlights five beginner-friendly projects that are practical, stunning, and easy to complete using essential glassblowing and lampworking tools and methods. Each project can also be made for gifting or resale.
🔮 Essential Tools for Your Glass Blowing Projects
To create the following beginner glassblowing and lampworking projects, you will need key tools and materials such as a furnace or torch, blowpipe, blocks, jacks, shears, tweezers, papers, a punty rod, and an annealer.
This article features two lampworking projects, which use smaller amounts of glass compared to most glassblowing pieces. Examples of appropriate glass for lampworking include glass rods and kolbens. Always remember to use proper safety equipment—like eyewear, sturdy shoes, and gloves—while working with molten glass to protect yourself from burns. It’s recommended for beginners to work with a partner or instructor on some of the bigger projects discussed in this article for both safety and guidance.
✨ Updated List of Easy Glassblowing Projects for Beginners
1) Glass Ornament Globe
Using a torch and a kolben (a long tube with a bulb at one end), thoroughly heat the bulb until it turns red-hot. Then, gently blow through the tube and allow it to cool. Next, cut it off from the tube and attach a cap to complete your ornament.
This project is perfect for beginners because it primarily involves heating and blowing a single piece of glass. Kolbens can be purchased from numerous online glass suppliers. The original video tutorial for this project can be found here.
2) Glass Paperweight
First, heat your glass on a punty rod and twist and cut it with shears. Then gather more glass and use a block to shape it. Utilize jacks to form a neckline at the end of the glass. Remove the glass from the punty, and your paperweight is finished!
This is a wonderful project to practice working with colored glass. Don’t hesitate to use plenty of color and twist the glass liberally during the early steps for a striking final appearance. The original tutorial can be found here.
3) Glass Cup
Begin by gathering a small amount of molten glass on the end of your blowpipe. Use a block to cool the glass and form an even shape. Gather again, then cool the pipe so you can continue to work with a larger quantity of hot glass.
Use the block once more to get ready for making a bubble. Create the bubble, reheat, and then shape on a marver. Repeat these steps as needed. Make a jackline at the top of the piece to form the cup’s rim. Reheat the bottom half of the cup and hold it vertically, letting it stretch to the desired length. Flatten the base with a paddle so the cup can sit upright.
Next, attach a punty to the bottom of the cup and tap to release the cup onto the punty. Open up the rim of the cup using jacks, then break the cup off the punty to finish the project. The original tutorial includes excellent visuals of the process along with helpful pointers for beginners.
4) Glass Coil Pot
This creation is a smaller-scale lampworking project, so you’ll use glass tubing and a torch. Heat the tip of the tubing and open it up with jacks. Keep gathering and flaring the glass to form a coiling in the tube. Shape the outside of the tube with a paddle for a uniform look.
Gently blow through the tube while the end remains in the flame, then transfer it to a punty. Shape and flare again to achieve the form you desire. Repeat this process until your coil pot reaches the size you want. Finally, tap it off and shape the pot’s opening with jacks. You can watch the original video, which features detailed guidance, here.
5) Glass Vase
Start by gathering heated glass on the end of your blowpipe. Let it cool briefly to prepare for a second gather. As it cools, use a block to start shaping the glass. Gather more glass and let the pipe cool so you can continue working effectively.
Shape the second gather using a block, just like before. Gently blow into the pipe to create a bubble, then shape the bottom on a marver to begin forming the vase. Reheat, marver, and blow into the pipe as many times as needed. Use jacks to create a neckline and papers to cool the neck area.
Flatten the base with a wooden paddle. Reheat the vase and attach it to a punty. Use your jacks to tap the piece off the blowpipe and onto the punty. Heat the top of the vase and use jacks again to flare the lip. Finally, apply water to the punty and gently tap the vase off into an annealer. Your vase is complete!