A fun way you experience this 'craft' and leave with a glass. Be aware that you will have to come back to pick up your object later after its time in the annealing oven. Suggest that it would be best on a really cold day since the area near the glory hole is so hot -even 6-8 ft away is intense. My finished glass was fun but a little thicker than I expected. That will make it difficult to break, I bet. The instructors were helpful and very attentive. Good when there are so many hazards in the studio. Keeps us beginners out of trouble. read more

What a pleasure meeting with Prax at his studio/workshop today. I had always wanted to take a class in glass blowing, but for some reason or another, it never happened. That changed today. Not only did I get to enjoy a hands on experience, Prax guided me through the steps needed to make a beautiful drinking glass. His method of teaching, at least to me made it almost seem like I had done this before. I look forward to taking a more advanced class here soon. What a great afternoon! read more

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Prax is a great instructor. I've been blowing glass for almost five years, and I was looking for a little more focused instruction and refinement of my skills. I spent a few sessions working closely with Prax, who really drilled down on the technical components of my glassblowing. In just a few sessions, I vastly improved: my gathering, marvering, jack lines, and wall thickness -- the little details that ultimately set me up for a very successful piece. I'm looking forward to returning again and again. read more

What an amazing experience! The owner was super kind and explained everything perfectly so everyone would understand. Would recommend to anyone! read more

Prax was an amazing host for my team event. Everyone enjoyed themselves, got to be a bit creative, and chatted. We felt safe and engaged. Highly recommend! read more

Glass Hand Studio - Glass ornaments and paper weights my group made. A good team bonding event, highly recommend! - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

We've come twice as a family. Our family is made up of 2 adults and an almost 7 year old. The first class we took in December was an ornaments class. We each got to make 3... actually our kiddo made 5, and my hubs and I each made 2. It was an absolutely wonderful experience. We all left saying we couldn't wait to come back. The second class we took was a glass (a vessel you drink out of) class. This class was definitely more challenging than ornaments, but just as much fun. We can't wait to come back to make vases next! Prax is a WONDERFUL teacher, he gives just the right amount of help to everyone, the littles and the bigs alike. I cannot recommend his classes enough. For COVID safety: 1) everyone is masked, 2) there is no glass blowing with your mouth, Prax has rigged an air compressor that blows the glass, 3) a large garage door is open at all times. read more

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Update! We've been back a couple times now and continue to learn so much! The experience is always wonderful. Forgot to post pictures before, so here are our first class glasses and a bowl we made at a subsequent session. Still highly recommend! read more

Glass Hand Studio - The cups we made at our first class. - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

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I've always wanted to try glass blowing, so I decided to drag my boyfriend + my best friend and her partner here for a double date. While the website said to budget 3 hours, we finished in 2.5 hours (40 min of instructions and then the rest were spent making our glass 1 by 1). Prax was a great instructor and patiently answered all of our questions. He was very friendly and ensured we were all comfortable and having fun. Thank goodness for Prax's help with my glass or it would have been very lopsided. I did walk away wishing I could have been more hands on, but that would have also mean a lopsided glass. It's a glance between how hands on your get to be vs how nice your glass is heh. Overall would definitely come back again. So fun! read more

Glass Hand Studio - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

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Prax and Tai were great instructors! We were a group of six trying glassblowing for the first time. We had an amazing time and a memorable experience. Definitely highly recommend you try it! read more

Glass Hand Studio - We each made our own whiskey cups - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

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Fantastic Father's Day experience! So glad we found this online and booked. Practice is patient and attentive. All four of us had fun creating our own glass. I highly recommend for families or friends. read more

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Great experience!!! Prax was outstandingly patient and answered all my dumb questions with grace. We had a great time! Prax is a true artisan and expert glass maker. He took time to explain every aspect and never missed a beat when my project broke due to my inexperience. Prax's glass hand studio is a diamond in the rough. Great date night! read more

Glass Hand Studio - Prax rolling glass. - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

Prax was an amazing educator! His studio is clean and he makes every effort to get to know you as a person. The glass blowing was so fun and he has over 25+ years experience so you are in good hands. I would definitely return and highly recommend! read more

Glass Hand Studio - Final Product (Drinking Glass) - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

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If you're looking for a unique experience that will not only allow you to learn something really cool, but go home with something that you'll actually be proud to display, the Introductory Class to Glass Blowing at Glass Hand Studio is a serious must-try. My daughter and I had the pleasure of learning from Prax. Prax was patient, pleasant to talk with, and extremely knowledgeable. He worked with my daughter and me, one at a time, and walked us through the entire glass-blowing process of making a drinking glass. Although we were working with molten glass, the process was very safe and Prax was very hands-on until he felt that we were confident enough to work solo with him observing closely nearby. I liked how he worked so patiently with my daughter when it was her turn, and would encourage her to do things herself, such as heating the glass in the glory hole (the giant cylinder-shaped kiln with the opening at the end), but assisted her when he noticed she needed a little more guidance, such as when it was time to roll the blowpipe while holding the wooden shaping mold. Throughout the time we were there, Prax was able to answer our many questions and explained how we could progress should we want to learn more down the line. While we couldn't take home the glasses immediately with us when we were finished - they take 10 hours to cool down in the kiln to avoid cracking - pick up of the completed glasses was as easy as giving a call and picking them up from the studio a few days later. If you don't want to bother with the pickup, the glasses can also be shipped directly to you for an additional fee. For those who are worried about the classes being too large or crowded, the beginner class is capped off at four people and will only include the people from your own group. If you want to host a team-building event or party, apparently the studio can host up to 8 guests, so it's definitely something I'll be considering for my groups. Overall, this was just a really neat experience to do and such a confidence builder for my daughter. She's so proud of her finished glass and is already trying to convince me to take the "Next Steps in Glass" class. It's a fascinating art that we will likely be doing again! read more

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We had a very positive experience over the holidays with a glassblowing workshop with Glass Hand Studio and Prax. Prax was an excellent instructor and spent time helping my niece, nephew, sister and myself verbalize our creative ideas and help them come to life! This was our first glassblowing experience and I think the day will stay with us for a very long time ~ we learned cool techniques, felt the hands-on experience of melting glass and witnessed the highly complex techniques required to be successful. Our glasses would not have turned out so well without Prax's "just the right amount of help" and we all felt like we played a part in the creation. Thank you Prax! read more

Prax was excellent. He ran the course smoothly, and not only showed us how to work with glass, but he excitedly explained what was happening, what we should be looking for, and the benefits and ramifications of each action. He showed a great passion for the work, and was excited alongside us at our creations. He quietly and subtly stepped in when the piece needed attention, but didn't hover, and he made sure that it really felt like we made it with our own efforts. The one-on-one dynamic meant that he really focused on us and catered to our unique experience. He made the process special, and we highly recommend it read more

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The owner was very friendly and let us do more hands on work than other glass blowing places I've been to. Prices were very reasonable. Will definitely be returning again. read more

Was just a great experience. Thoughtful instruction, while doing as much hands-on work as we could. We look forward to coming back. Highly recommend, and seems to be a far better experience than any other glass studio offers. read more

Amazing experience. My 13 year old daughter and I loved our time in the studio. If you have ever wanted to learn how to blow glass I highly encourage you to sign up for a class at Glass Hand Studio in Alameda. I will definitely go back! read more

We had an outstanding experience here! Prax was a patient, kind, and thoughtful teacher who went above and beyond to help us create our pieces. He takes 1:1 time with each student, spending 30-45 minutes with you for your piece. He gives his students the perfect balance of guidance and autonomy, so you can feel confident in the hot shop while still being safe. We were all so thrilled by the finished pieces and will definitely be back again for more glass blowing! read more

Amazing class and experience! I took the first time glass blowing class with a group of friends and cannot recommend Prax and his studio enough. He is kind, patient, funny, and a great instructor. We were all able to ask a ton of questions and experiment with the colors and techniques of glass blowing in a super safe environment. I appreciated the balance of hands-on and hands-off assistance he gave us through the process, and I can't wait to see our final products. Highly recommend checking out this cool studio in Alameda :) read more

Third time coming to Glass Hand Studio! The experience is always great, which is why I keep coming back This time we had family visiting over the holidays and one family member had a birthday .... Holiday family visit + birthday = let's do something SPECIAL!! What to do? Glass ornament class with Prax! As always Prax was amazing. He's super patient, explains things really well and makes sure you the creator are an active participant. Can't recommend this place and Prax enough. read more

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Prax was a fabulous instructor - very friendly and eager to help everyone create the object of their dreams. He offered suggestions to help us make the best pieces possible. We all had a fun time with this. read more

Glass Hand Studio - glass blowing - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

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My boyfriend and I had a great experience here! Prax is a fantastic instructor and took the time to explain everything to us. We both made beautiful drinking glasses. It was a fun project, I would definitely recommend this studio to anyone! read more

Glass Hand Studio - Drinking glass - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

On Saturday I had the best date night ever at Glass Hand Studio on Clement Ave., trying glass blowing for the first time. It was a 2 hour session with Prax helping us through the process of each of us creating our own unique drinking glass. A fascinating interactive learning experience with the added bonus that we got to take home our very own glassware. Prax was an amazing teacher and made our birthday date unforgettable. I highly recommend this experience. read more

I took my boyfriend and me here for our anniversary and we had such a fun time. Prax is very friendly and talented. We ended up staying an extra hour to chat for fun. Will definitely be back! read more

This was worth every minute of my time and every penny I paid. I learned so much and had so much fun. Prax is a great instructor and a talented glass artist. He is welcoming, friendly and easy going. read more

What a great class! Prax was so patient and knowledgeable. We really enjoyed our first glass blowing class. We can't wait to see our cups. Thank you Prax! We hope to come back again soon. We will definitely tell others to come too! read more

Love this place! Went here on New Year's Eve with my family. The proprietor is a true artist, a great teacher, and a really nice person to work with. As was his assistant. We had a GREAT time! And we made beautiful blown glass ornaments. I HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone looking for a good time, something to do with the family, something new and interesting to do, artsy types, or just anyone who wants to have fun! read more

A beautiful calming environment with an amazing instructor. Prax was an excellent instructor and we enjoyed the class tremendously. It was not only fun but we felt like we gained a new skill and can't wait to create more. This is one of the best classes we have taken in a while. read more

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I went there for the 1 hr beginner class with 2 friends and we had an amazing experience. We each get to pick up a piece we want to make. I made a clear glass cup and my friends each made a colored glass. All three pieces turned out to be really good looking and functional. The instructor Prax has good humor and is very patient! Highly recommend. read more

Prax is a great instructor, he explains the process with great patience and knowledge. I have always been intrigued with glass blowing and didn't realize this gem of a place was so close to home. I highly recommend! read more

Prax was an incredible and cool instructor in his glass blowing studio! My son surprised me with a class as a birthday gift that we could do together. (Nailed it, btw:). We both ended up creating stunning and useful drinking glasses that were wildly different from each other. We both learned so much, and felt safe and received excellent feedback that made the process smooth. 10/10 read more

I went with my sister and girlfriend for a late night glassblowing session. The studio was tucked away in an industrial-looking part of Alameda. Our instructor, Prax, took the time to explain some common sense rules about working with molten glass and helped us design our piece from the color choices available to us. Unlike previous experience I had with other glassblowers, Prax let us be more hands-on, trusting us to move and shape our pieces with just some guidance from him. As a result I felt a greater sense of ownership about my final piece. It turned out pretty great! read more

My husband and I came for a private lesson. The studio is large and airy with everything you need. Prax is a fantastic instructor with an excellent manner that is calm, precise, and fun. He communicated really well so we would know just what to expect and what to do. As a result, he enabled us to do a great deal of the work but guided the experience so that we would be sure to have a good outcome. We were there for a little over 2 hours. I love the cups we made and I'm already thinking about coming back. Thanks, Prax! read more

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We happened upon this studio when we were looking for a fun family activity to celebrate our son's 24th birthday. It was everything we had hoped it would be and more! He made a beautiful vase and the rest of the family were his assistants. We all had so much fun. Our instructor Prax was great, a natural teacher. He taught us all so much and was very patient. He helped when needed but did not take away from from the pleasure of actually making the vase himself. I think I'll go back and make myself something next time! read more

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I had a great time yesterday with Prax. We made a pumpkin and an ornament. He is amazing. He is such a great teacher. He explains things in an easy to understand way and helps you to create a wonderful piece of unique art. I would recommend him in a hot second! read more

Glass Hand Studio - Beautiful pumpkin and glass ornament that Prax helped me to make. - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

Had fantastic time, can't recommend enough. Came with my wife and Prax spent time with both of us to ensure we completed a project that we both wanted. He was informative and extremely helpful throughout the process, a really great experience that we won't forget. If you are interested in glass sculpture/lessons, don't hesitate, this is the place to go. read more

Glass Hand Studio - Glass Hand Studio, Alameda- one of our projects - Glass Blowing Near Me - Alameda, California

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An absolutely must! Friendly and patient and very knowledgeable. Excellent place for lessons or to rent space. 5 stars well earned!

Great studio to rent glassblowing time in. Perfectly melted Spruce Pine batch in an electric furnace and one really white hot glory hole! What more do you need? read more

We took the beginner workshop and had a fun time. Prax is a skilled teacher. He provides a great balance of guidance and letting you do it yourself. And we ended up with a pretty pair of drinking glasses. read more