Glittering Glass

Artists and craftspeople have been using high temperatures to melt silica sand into glass for centuries. The first glass Christmas ornaments were made in Lauscha, Germany, in the early 1800s. At that time, Christmas trees were decorated with food, not colorful reusable spheres. According to folklore, the first glass ornaments—shaped like fruits and nuts—were made by a poor glassblower who couldn’t spare the food for decorations!

The way handmade ornaments are made hasn’t changed much since then. “We refer to it as flameworking—working glass over a torch,” says Goldschmidt. Cylinders of premade glass are heated until the glass starts to melt. The artist then forms shapes like animals and Santa Clauses. 

Artists and craftspeople have used high temperatures to melt silica sand into glass for centuries. The first glass Christmas ornaments were made in Lauscha, Germany. They were created in the early 1800s. Christmas trees were decorated with food at that time. No one used colorful spheres. People say the first glass ornaments were made by a poor glassblower. The glassblower couldn’t spare the food for decorations. So he made fruits and nuts from glass.

The way handmade ornaments are made hasn’t changed much since then. “We refer to it as flameworking—working glass over a torch,” says Goldschmidt. An artist chooses a cylinder of premade glass. Next, the artist heats the cylinder until the glass starts to melt. The artist then forms shapes like animals and Santa Clauses.

Today, the museum lets visitors try their hand at making their own ornaments under expert guidance. Supervision is extremely important because melted glass—which must be kept at 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit—can be dangerous if you don’t have much experience. 

“If things don’t go smoothly from the beginning of the process to the end, you have to start things again,” says Goldschmidt. “There’s a constant pursuit of perfection. It’s a great challenge.”

The museum lets visitors make their own ornaments today. Experts help guide each project. Supervision is extremely important. Melted glass must be kept at 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. It can be dangerous if you don’t have much experience.

“If things don’t go smoothly from the beginning of the process to the end, you have to start things again,” says Goldschmidt. “There’s a constant pursuit of perfection. It’s a great challenge.”

How many shapes did you use in your design? Which shapes did you use most often?

How many shapes did you use in your design? Which shapes did you use most often?

What fraction of the total shapes was your most-used shape? Express it in simplest form. 

What fraction of the total shapes was your most-used shape? Express it in simplest form.