Create a truly special family heirloom – a handmade glass advent calendar that will become a treasured part of your Christmas traditions for years to come.

This wonderfully festive day has you decorating 24 individual glass squares with gorgeous Christmas imagery – think snowflakes, robins, stars, Christmas trees, and festive patterns. You can personalise each square with numbers, names, or special designs, then watch as they’re transformed in the kiln overnight. Finally, you’ll mount all 24 sparkling glass tiles onto a beautiful wooden Christmas tree-shaped calendar frame (included in your course fee).

The result? A stunning, completely unique advent calendar that becomes more precious each year as it marks the countdown to Christmas. And here’s the brilliant bit – each little door is big enough to fit a Lindor chocolate (or similar treat), so you can fill it with surprises every December. Far better than disposable cardboard calendars – this is a keepsake your family will treasure forever.

Please use the calendar above to select the course date and book

Can’t make the date? Please email us to register your interest at jen@cheshireschoolofglass.co.uk and we can let you know when further dates are added

What You’ll Learn

• Glass fusing fundamentals – cutting, shaping, and arranging glass
• Christmas design techniques – creating festive imagery that works beautifully in glass
• Working with decals and patterns – add intricate details easily
• Personalisation skills – incorporate names, numbers, or special touches
• Assembly techniques – mount your glass tiles professionally onto the wooden frame

What You’ll Make

You’ll create 24 unique glass tiles, decorated with Christmas designs of your choice, then once they’ve been magiced in the kiln you can collect them & mount them at home onto a wooden tree-shaped advent calendar frame provided. The frame can also be painted at home – green is a popular choice.

Design options include:

• Traditional Christmas imagery (robins, holly, stars, bells)
• Winter scenes (snowflakes, snowmen, icicles)
• Personalise tiles with family emblems
• Abstract festive patterns
• Mix and match – each tile can be different!

Your finished calendar is approximately 30cm tall – perfect for displaying on a sideboard, mantelpiece, or anywhere you want a beautiful festive focal point.

Perfect For

• Families wanting to create lasting Christmas traditions
• Anyone who loves unique, handmade decorations
• Those seeking an alternative to disposable advent calendars
• Grandparents creating special gifts for grandchildren
• Friends doing a festive creative day together
• Anyone who gets excited about Christmas!

Why This Course is Special

Unlike cardboard advent calendars that you throw away on Boxing Day, this glass calendar becomes a cherished family tradition. Imagine bringing it out year after year, remembering the day you made it, watching children grow up with it as part of their Christmas rituals.

And the best part? You get the best of both worlds – a beautiful handmade decoration AND the excitement of daily treats. Each little wooden door is perfectly sized for a Lindor chocolate, small toy, or tiny gift. Fill it with surprises every December, and the anticipation builds just like traditional advent calendars, but this one you keep forever.

Many students personalise their calendars with family member names or significant dates, making them even more meaningful. Some make them as gifts for parents or grandparents – creating instant family heirlooms.

⚠️ Popular Course Alert: This course was so popular last year that both dates sold out within hours of being announced. We strongly recommend booking early to avoid disappointment!

Collection & Firing

Your 24 glass tiles need to be fired in the kiln to permanently fuse the decorations. They’ll be ready for collection approximately one to two weeks after your course date – perfect timing for early December display!

You’ll collect your wooden frame at the same time and then take everything home to assemble yourself (it’s easy – we provide full instructions).

Collection strongly recommended rather than postage, as 24 glass tiles are fragile. However, postage is available at your own risk (£8 minimum).

The Festive Studio Experience

Our barn studio is transformed for these Christmas courses! Expect:

• Festive decorations throughout
• Christmas music playing
• Mince pies and seasonal treats
• Warm, cosy atmosphere
• The scent of cinnamon and clove
• Thoroughly festive vibes!

It’s the perfect way to kick off your Christmas season in early November with creativity, warmth, and a bit of glass-working magic.

Experience Required: None – complete beginners welcome

Course Duration: Full day (10:30am – 4:00pm)

What’s Included: All glass materials, wooden Christmas tree calendar frame, decals and decorative materials, tools, kiln firing, festive refreshments including mince pies!

What to Bring: Comfortable clothes, closed-toe shoes, and lunch if you don’t want to pop out

Collection: Glass tiles ready approximately one to two weeks after course (early December)

Your Instructor: Jennifer Barker – 30+ years experience, loves making Christmas magical!

Perfect Christmas Gift

This course makes an exceptional gift for:

• Craft-loving friends or family
• Grandparents who treasure handmade keepsakes
• Anyone who goes overboard for Christmas
• Partners who love creating together
• Those who have “everything” but would treasure an experience

Gift vouchers available – give the gift of creating a family heirloom!

Make It a Group Outing

This course is perfect for friends to do together! Book multiple spots and make it a festive day out. Each person creates their own unique calendar, but you share the wonderful experience.

Many groups head to a local pub afterwards to continue the festive spirit!

Care & Use of Your Calendar

Your glass advent calendar is designed to last for generations with proper care:

• Each year, fill the little doors with Lindor chocolates, small treats, or tiny surprises
• Store carefully in tissue paper during the off-season
• Handle glass tiles gently (they’re glass, not plastic!)
• Display away from where it might get knocked
• Clean with a soft, dry cloth
• Pass down through the family as a treasured heirloom

The wooden doors are perfectly sized for Lindor balls, Ferrero Rocher, small toys, rolled-up notes with activities, or any little surprise you can imagine. Some families use it for chocolate, others for daily Christmas activities – it’s your tradition to create!

Some students have even made matching ones for each family member – imagine the tradition of filling them all each December and bringing them out together!

Your Tutor: Jennifer Barker – Lead Instructor & Founder

Jennifer has been working with glass for over 30 years, having discovered her passion for the medium while studying at Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Universities, where she completed a BA and MA in Glass.

Her expertise spans the full spectrum of glass techniques – from delicate kiln-formed pieces to large architectural installations. Jennifer’s specialist areas include kiln-formed glass, surface manipulation, and kiln-casting, but she’s equally passionate about traditional techniques like stained glass and copper foiling. For 12 years, Jennifer was Head of the Glass Department at Glyndwr University, where she discovered that teaching glass art was almost as addictive as making it.

What sets Jennifer apart as an instructor is her genuine love for sharing knowledge. She believes that anyone can learn to work with glass beautifully – it just takes the right guidance, encouragement, and plenty of hands-on practice.