Glass beadmaking

Have you ever played with Play-Doh? Well, glass beadmaking is kind of like that, but with melted glass instead of Play-Doh.

First, the glass is heated up in a special furnace until it turns into a hot, gooey liquid. The glassworker then takes a special tool called a mandrel, which is a long metal stick with a rough surface. They dip the mandrel into the molten glass and twist it around until a small blob of glass sticks to the end.

Once the glass is on the mandrel, the glassworker can start shaping it. They can use small metal tools to smooth out any bumps or create specific shapes. They can also add different colors of glass to make cool designs.

As the glass cools, the glassworker will continue to shape it until it has a perfectly round shape. Then, they will remove the mandrel and pop the glass bead into a kiln to cool down slowly. This is important because if the bead cools too quickly, it could crack or break.

Once the bead is cooled completely, the glassworker can add a small loop made of metal wire to the top. This loop will be used to attach the bead to a necklace or bracelet.

And that's it! Glass beadmaking is a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun and the end result is a beautiful piece of jewelry that you can wear and show off to your friends and family.