Chanukiah Fused Glass Workshop

When Austin Jewish Business Network was hosting a fused glass workshop with the opportunity to make one-of-a-kind chanukiyot, Alyssa and I were immediately interested. It was a multistep process. On the first night, our assignment was to layer and pile various colored glass. We cut glass shards, rods, dots, sheets, and all sorts of other things that felt dangerous.

When we returned the next week, our pieces had been fused together and were in one very pointy and sharp block of glass. We were taught how to use the grinder machines to shave off the edges to smooth out the lines and corners. This felt like something we weren't qualified to do.


When we determined that the sides weren't all even, the studio owner explained that the most efficient way to even it out was to use the professional tile saw. Again, this seemed like a questionable choice...


Next up, we used the sand blaster to help the smooth and shine!

At the end of Night 2, we had smooth blocks of glass, ready to be reshaped in the kiln and have candle holders glued on top.

And finally, we had completed works of art ready to add light to the upcoming holiday.