Flameworking

Have you ever blown bubbles with a straw? That's kind of like what flameworking is, but instead of bubbles, you use a special kind of glass and heat it up with a really hot flame!

First, you start with a long, thin piece of glass called a glass rod. Then, you heat one end of the rod with a special kind of torch that gets really hot. The glass gets so hot that it starts to become soft and bendable.

Next, you can twist and shape the glass using special tools like tweezers and pliers to make different shapes and designs. You can also add different colors to the glass by melting special glass rods of different colors onto it.

Once you have the shape you want, you have to cool it down slowly so it doesn't break. This part is called annealing. The glass has to be slowly cooled down in a special oven called a kiln so that it doesn't shatter or crack.

Flameworking can be used to make all sorts of things like figurines, jewelry, and even glassware! It's like playing with clay, but with really hot glass instead. So, it's really important to be safe and have a grown-up around to help you use the torch and the kiln.