Glass Fusing Classes in England
Glass fusing is very popular at the moment - enabling people to easily create fabulous pieces of jewellery, glass ornaments/coasters, mobiles, wind catchers, light catchers and even Xmas tree decorations. Glass fusing is simply bringing together a small collection of plain and coloured glass, with other objects, then placing the glass into a hot kiln until it all melts together. You can learn sufficient skills in a one-day glass fusing workshop to be able to continue learning and creating at home, using a small microwave kiln, or you can use a one-day class in glass fusing to get up to speed before you tackle a longer course, or a week at a summer school.
There are many places where you can do glass fusing classes in England, which is a great way to start a new hobby, or even start your own business making glass coasters, or even glass fused jewellery such as pendants, bracelets or glass fused earrings. Some workshops offer glass bowl making, bottle slumping and the creation of glass splashbacks.
You can teach yourself from books, but in a glass fusing class you not only get some expert tuition, but also access to ideas and materials you'd never have known existed!
Glass fusing classes, glass fusing courses and glass fusing workshops can give you hands-on experience of making glass fused jewellery, glass coasters and glass light catchers - skills that you can further expand and explore for yourself. A good grounding in the techniques sets you up to explore your creativity either for fun, or to start your own business.
With glass fusing, what you make needs to be fired in a kiln - if you're on a 1-day course, or on the last day of a longer course, anything you make will be finished long after you've left. It's customary for the course provider to give you a choice of collecting your items at a later date, or they'll post them off to you.
Glass Fusing - Other Names or Terms Used
There are a few different terms you might encounter when looking for glass fusing courses; other terms for this activity are:
- Hot glass
- Kiln fired glass
- Hot work
- Kiln formed glass
I've compiled the list below to help you find a glass fusing class that's in your town, or county. Something that's close to you, so you can get started with this fun, creative and rewarding past-time.
Glass Fusing Classes in London
Below is a list of private glass fusing studios and colleges where you can sign up for glass fusing classes:
Organisation
| Brief Details
| Costs
|
|---|---|---|
Rainbow Glass Studio, North London
| Classes are run on Saturdays, 10-4.30pm. Once you've attended a Saturday glass fusing course you can attend evening sessions to develop your own projects and use their kilns. Rainbow Studio featured in Kirsty Alsop's Channel 4 TV Programme, where they taught Kirsty to make a glass bowl..
| £140
|
Lead & Light, London, NW1
| 2-day weekend courses. Evening workshops on Wednesdays. Courses are run three times a year. A 5 day summer course is run in August. Courses run from 10am to 5pm.
| £175 (2 days); £30/evening; £320 (1 week).
|
London Stained Glass, Camberwell, London, SE5
| 4-day Introductory Courses are run a few times a year, from 11am-5.30pm with free parking.
| £560
|
Glass Fusing Classes in East Anglia/East of England
The East of England is a region that includes East Anglia. East Anglia comprises of: Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The East of England additionally includes Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Essex.
Below are some glass fusing courses in East Anglia and the wider East of England regions:
Glass Fusing Classes in East Anglia/East of England
Organisation
| Brief Details
| Costs
|
|---|---|---|
Auia Originals, Billericay, Essex, CM11
| Fuse glass and turn it into jewellery. Max of 4 students. One-day Glass Fusing Workshop. 10am-5pm on the last Saturday of most months, lunch provided.
| £80
|
Burlingham Hall, Acle, Norwich, Norfolk
| Occasional one day, Saturday courses in glass fusing. 10am-4pm.
| £70 + £10 Materials
|
North Lights, Hertfordshire
| No fixed dates, you express an interest and once they have 4-5 people who want a course, a course date is arranged. Residential courses can also be arranged for small groups.
| £TBA
|
Samuel Whitbread Community College, Clifton, Bedfordshire, SG17 5QS
| Evening classes, starting in January, April/May and September. 7-9.30pm.
| £TBA
|
Tempsford Stained Glass Fusing, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2AW
| One day taster courses in glass fusing (10am - 4.30pm). Max 3 students. You'll make some dichroic pieces, 4 coasters, a large bowl (or 2 small ones).
| £97
|
Glass Fusing Classes in the South West
The South West is a large area, covering Gloucestershire, Bristol, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire and Dorset. Below are some colleges and private glass studios that run regular courses on glass fusing:
Organisation
| Brief Details
| Costs
|
|---|---|---|
Creative Glass Guild, Bristol, BS2 0XJ
| Offering courses in Fused Glass Jewellery, Fusing and Slumping and Glass Fusing Taster Days. Many Saturday and weekend glass fusing courses. Courses also run on Thursdays. Discounted local hotel deals available.
| Taster Days £89, Weekend courses £165.
|
Plymouth College of Art, Plymouth, Devon
| Beginners' evening classes, starting in early October each year, 20 weeks from 6-9pm.
| £400
|
Cornwall Adult Education, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 9AP
| NCFE Certificate in Creative Craft - Glass Fusing. This course is run as a part-time day class, starting in early October annually. 60 hours: 20 weeks of 3 hours/week.
| £168
|
Studio 2, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 8FG
| NCFE Certificate in Creative Craft - Glass Fusing. A part-time day class, starting in early October. Run in conjunction with Cornwall Adult Education. 60 hours: 20 weeks of 3 hours/week.
| £168
|
Bill Robson, Newent, Gloucestershire, GL18 1LL
| 2-day glass fusing and slumping courses. 9.30-4.30pm. Basic refreshments included, materials extra. These glass fusing and slumping courses are aimed at people wishing to make bowls and panels, not jewellery.
| £200
|
Glass Fusing Classes in Southeast England
The South East of England wraps around London and includes the counties of Berkshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and Oxfordshire.
Below is a list of studios and colleges who run glass fusing courses and glass fusing classes. Some are evening classes, some are weekend workshops.
Glass Fusing Classes in the South East
Organisation
| Brief Details
| Costs
|
|---|---|---|
Siobhan Jones, Basingstoke, Hampshire
| One day courses in Kiln Formed Glass. 10.30-4.30pm. Max of 4 adults. Courses are run 3x every month, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
| £135
|
Making Space, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 5BN
| This custom-built craft centre runs various courses. Occasional one-day Saturday courses in glass fusing. A 5-week Glass Fusing Course on Tuesday evenings (6-9pm)
| £45 (1 day); £150 (15 hours: 5 evenings)
|
The Glass Workshop, Southsea, Portsmouth, PO4 8DR
| One day courses, you pick the date.
| £140
|
Glass Jewels, Wolvercote, Oxfordshire,
| Various glass fusing courses and workshops, including glass fused jewellery specific courses. Courses run on Saturdays and are 1-day glass fusing courses. Most refeshments and materials are included in the price.
| £65
|
Glass Mania
| Glass fusing courses Kent. Glass fusing and stained glass. Private tuition and small groups. Weekdays cheaper than weekends.
| £155-175 one person, private; 2-3 people £125-145
|
Glass Fusing Classes in North West England
The North West of England consists of some very large cities, providing ample opportunity for finding glass fusing courses. The counties in this region are Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire.
Glass Fusing Classes in North West England
Organisation
| Brief Details
| Costs
|
|---|---|---|
40 Beech Road, Manchester, M21 9EL
| Various glass fusing courses run. Once you've been on 2 you can attend the Open Studio sessions to create your own designs and use their studio facilities. Mid week and weekend sessions on various dates.
| £TBA
|
Craft Studio Glass Works, Cumbria
| Courses held throughout the year. Half day courses, 1-day courses and evening classes. Various classes run Mondays to Thursdays and Saturday/Sunday at weekends. Half days are 10-1, or 1-4. 1-day runs 10-4pm and evening glass fusing workshops are 7-9pm for 5 weeks. Full days include lunch.
| £TBA
|
Fused Glass Class, Lancashire
| Saturday and Sunday 1-day courses throughout the year. 10am - 4.30pm.
| £TBA
|
Glass Fusing Classes in North East England
The North East covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside (including parts of North Yorkshire). Cities and towns in the region include: Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar, South Shields, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne.
Glass Fusing Classes in the North East
None found yet!
| ||
Glass Fusing Classes in the West Midlands
The West Midlands includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands conurbation. Cities and large towns include Birmingham, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Dudley and Coventry.
Below are some glass fusing classes, workshops and courses you will find in the West Midlands.
Glass Fusing Classes in the West Midlands
Organisation
| Brief Details
| Costs
|
|---|---|---|
Exemplar Glass, Leominster, HR6 8DQ
| Individual tuition, or classes of up to 4 people. Classes run from 10am to 4.30pm. 1-day classes are to make one specific item, with various projects available. Weekend Courses. 3-day Workshops. Lunch included.
| £90 (1 day); £225 (weekend); £295 (3-day workshop)
|
The Purple Stained Glass Studio, Loughborough, LE11 5SF
| One day glass fusing workshops on various dates (10am-4pm) - you'll make coasters, a glass hanging, a bowl and jewellery. Also, glass fusing evening classes from 7-9pm. Evening classes work on a "per term" basis, so they start 3x each year. A small, additional, charge is made for materials.
| £90 (1 day); £90 (one term of evenings)
|
Glass Fusing Classes in Yorkshire and the Humber
This area covers Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Humberside.
Below are some courses for glass fusing within Yorkshire and the Humberside region.
Glass Fusing Classes in Yorkshire and the Humber
Organisation
| Brief Details
| Costs
|
|---|---|---|
PVS Glass and Fusing, Pudsey, West Yorkshire, LS28 5RZ
| Occasional 1-day courses. Lunch and materials provided.
| £TBA
|
Southey Green Primary School, Crowder Avenue, Southey Green, Sheffield, S5 7QG
| Evening classes. 8 sessions Glass Fusing for Beginners: learn to make beautiful decorative items like panels, dishes and jewellery using fused glass. Tuesdays or Thursdays, 6.30-9pm. Or Mondays 10-12pm. Various dates.
| £63
|
Have I Missed Any?
There are dozens of glass fusing classes once you start looking, so I'm bound to have missed some. Let me know about glass fusing classes near you and I can add them to the list!
