Experience the mesmerizing art of lampwork – melting glass rods over a flame and shaping them into beautiful beads while they glow molten hot. This hands-on course teaches you to create your own glass beads, from simple rounds to complex patterned designs, in colours and combinations you choose.

There’s something utterly captivating about watching glass transform from solid rod to glowing liquid, then shaping it with simple tools while it dances in the flame. Lampwork is an ancient craft that feels almost meditative once you get into the rhythm – it’s you, the flame, and the molten glass responding to your movements.

Led by the wonderfully knowledgeable Gill Hesketh, you’ll spend the day fully hands-on at your own torch, creating a collection of beads you’ll actually want to use in jewellery. Plus, Gill shares advice on setting up safely at home, so this could be the start of a fascinating new hobby.

What You’ll Learn

• Safe torch technique – working confidently with flame and molten glass
• Glass rod manipulation – heating, shaping, and controlling molten glass
• Making basic beads – round beads in various sizes
• Creating teardrops – elegant elongated bead shapes
• Swizzle stick patterns – twisted, spiral effects
• Making stringers – thin glass threads for decoration
• Colour layering – combining colours for beautiful effects
• Dot and trail decoration – adding patterns to bead surfaces

What You’ll Make

A collection of lampwork glass beads in colours and styles of your choice, typically including:

Round beads – Various sizes from small spacers to focal beads Teardrop beads – Elegant drops perfect for earrings Swizzle sticks – Twisted, barley-twist effect beads Decorated beads – Dots, trails, and patterns Stringers – Fine glass threads you’ve made yourself

You’ll create enough beads to make jewellery pieces – a necklace, several pairs of earrings, or bracelet components. Each bead is unique because you made it with your own hands, watching it form in the flame.

Perfect For

• Jewellery makers wanting to create truly unique beads
• Anyone fascinated by fire and molten glass (it’s hypnotic!)
• Those seeking a more hands-on, immediate glass technique
• Bead collectors who want to understand the craft
• People looking for a potentially home-friendly glass art method
• Anyone drawn to ancient crafts with modern applications
• Those who love detailed, meditative work

Why Lampwork is Special

It’s Immediate and Addictive Unlike kiln fusing where you wait overnight for results, lampwork gives instant gratification. You shape the bead, cool it properly, and it’s done. The feedback loop is incredibly satisfying – you see immediately how your movements affect the molten glass, learn fast, and get better with each bead.

It’s Personal and Portable Lampwork is one of the few glass techniques that’s genuinely feasible to practice at home. You don’t need a huge studio or expensive kiln – just a torch, some basic equipment, and proper ventilation. Gill explains exactly what you’d need and how to set up safely, making it accessible if you fall in love with the process.

Every Bead Tells a Story There’s something magical about beads you’ve made yourself. When you wear them or give them as gifts, you remember exactly how each one formed, the colours you chose, the moment it came together. They’re not just beads – they’re tiny sculptures with stories.

It’s an Ancient Craft Lampwork dates back thousands of years. Learning it connects you to a tradition of glass bead makers stretching back through history. Yet it’s perfectly suited to contemporary jewellery – your beads can be traditional or completely modern.

Annealing and Posting

Your beads need to anneal slowly in a kiln overnight (this process relieves stress in the glass and prevents cracking). After annealing, Gill posts your complete collection of beads to you – postage is included in the course price, so no extra charges.

What You Can Make With Your Beads

Your lampwork beads are perfect for:

• Necklaces – string your beads on cord or wire
• Earrings – teardrops make gorgeous drops
• Bracelets – combine with other beads or use alone
• Keyrings – functional art you see every day
• Gifts – handmade beads are incredibly meaningful
• Selling – if you continue, lampwork beads have good craft market appeal

Each bead being unique means your jewellery is genuinely one-of-a-kind. No one else will have pieces quite like yours.

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

Cost: £165

Perfect Gift for Jewellery Makers

This course makes an exceptional gift for:

• Jewellery makers who want to create their own unique beads
• Bead enthusiasts who collect and want to understand the craft
• Craft sellers looking to add handmade beads to their range
• Anyone fascinated by fire and transformation
• Those seeking a potentially home-friendly glass art technique
• People who love meditative, hands-on work

Gift vouchers available