Bay Area Glass Institute

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Location
    • History
    • Mission & Vision
    • Press
    • BAGI in the News
    • Demonstrations
    • Funding
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Logos
    • Glass Resource Links
  • Opportunities
  • Hours
  • News
  • Mobile Hot Shop Campaign
  • Flameworking Campaign
  • Online Coupons
    • Groupon - Floppy Bowl, Glass Beads, Party of Four
    • AAA Member Deal - Shape a Bowl, Floppy Bowl, Glass Beads and Party of Four
    • Amazon - Garden Ball
    • Amazon Deal - Glass Beads
    • Amazon Deal - Shape a Bowl
    • ebay Deal Shape a Bowl & Glass Beads
    • Google Offer Shape a Bowl & Glass Beads
    • Google Offer Shape a Bowl & Party of Four
    • Groupon Shape a Bowl & Party of 4
    • HomeRun Shape a Bowl
    • Living Social Shape a Bowl & Party of 4
    • Mercury News Deal - Shape a Bowl
    • Signpost Shape a Bowl & Party of Four
    • Yelp
    • ZOZI
  • Classes
    • General Information
    • Private Events
    • Discover Glass
    • Glass Snippets
    • Glassblowing
    • Fusing/Kiln Working
    • Flameworking
    • Cold Working
    • Kids Classes
    • Our Instructors
  • Previous Events
  • Support Us
    • Donations
    • BAGI Donors
    • Our Wish List for a better studio experience!
    • Special Funding Campaigns
  • Gift Like No Other
  • Studio and Kiln Rentals
  • Inside City Limits Video

Soft Glass Flameworking Classes

For BAGI's Glass Snippet flameworking classes click here.

For BAGI's Discover Glass flameworking classes click here.


Introduction to Glass Beadmaking

Learn to make glass beads in a vibrant array of colors using Effettre glass rods and an oxy-propane torch. This class will introduce you to the tools and equipment needed in glass flameworking, and cover a variety of techniques. You will learn how to create a classic bead shape, while exploring patterns in surface decoration. Depending on your level, we will cover using stringer for dot and line application, as well as how to create twisted cane such as latticino. We will also go over annealing and bead cleaning, to make your beads ready to use in your jewelry designs!

Tools and glass will be provided.

Fee: $350
Pre-Requisite: 
Max # of students: 6
Min # of students : 3
Click here to sign up

Date

April 14, 21, 28, May 5 & 19

Time

10am-1pm

Instructor

D. Theofanous


Mother/Daughter Beadmaking


This 1 day class designed especially for Mothers and Daughters. Spend the day together, and get a taste of the ancient art of flameworking – creating glass beads using a bench torch. You will learn to make beads and get an introduction to surface decoration. We will use a wide range of colors, to create beads you can later use in your jewelry designs. Enjoy a special day with Mom! 

Tools and glass will be provided.

Fee: $140 per couple
Pre-Requisite:
Max. # of students: 6 (enrolled as 3 couples)
Min. # of students : 4 (2 couples)
Click here to sign up

Date

TBA

Time

10am -1pm


Instructor

V. Pohorsky


"Adding Sparkle to Your Glass Beads:  Dichroic Glass and Goldstone"

In this class we will focus on how to make your beads sparkle and shine by using strips of glass with a super-reflective coating called Dichroic (aka "dichro").  We'll learn how to apply dichro to a bead base and encapsulate it in clear glass.  We'll also spend some time working with goldstone, which has a crushed gold look and is beautiful when applied as frit or stringer.

This is an intermediate level class.  Students should have taken a beginning glass bead making class and be comfortable using tools and creating a basic bead shape.

Fee: $175
Pre-requisite: beginning beadmaking or equivalent
Max # of students : 6
Min # of students : 3
Click here to sign up

Date

May 25

Time

10:00am-2:00pm

Instructor

J. Peacock
Picture

Soft Glass Sculpture Basics

In this beginning class you learn how to create simple sculptures using a torch. You'll learn how to control heat and sculpt glass with tools and you can discover the challenges and excitement of working with glass on a small scale in this way. We'll create a face, a fish, a penguin and a few others shapes as time permits.

This is a beginning level class.  Some flameworking experience is helpful, and those students who have experience can work on more complex shapes.

Fee: $225
Pre-requisite: none
Max # of students : 6
Min # of students : 3
Click here to sign up

Date

June 29 & 30

Time

10am - 2pm

Instructor

D. Theofanous
Picture

Next Steps in Beadmaking


For those that have an introduction to bead  making under their belt, this course offers the next steps, in developing more complex patterns on your beads.  We will cover barrel and cone beads, encasement, raking, flowers, and other techniques based on the class experience level.

Pre-requisite:         
Open to those that have completed introductory beadmaking or the equivalent.

Fee: $255
Pre-Requisite: 
Max # of students: 6
Min # of students : 3
Click here to sign up

Date

June 2, 9, 23, 30

Time

12:30pm-3:30pm

Instructor

A. Zilber

To Register: Either register online, call 408-993-2244, or send an e-mail to studio@bagi.org. Payment is required upon registration. We accept Visa, MasterCard & personal checks if received 2 weeks prior to the scheduled class.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made at 7 days prior to the first day of a class will receive a 100% refund. Cancellations made 3 days prior to the first day of class will be issued a 50% refund. In the event that BAGI were to cancel a class(es) a full refund, for the class(es) will be issued.
Liability: Students must be 9+ years of age for glassblowing related classes. Students must be 12+ years of age for flameworking & kilnworking related classes. Students under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign a BAGI issued liability release form. Students must inform BAGI, at the time of registration, if they have special requirements due to health related conditions.