The Torch Garage is a real, working torch studio built for two kinds of people: the friend who wants a great night off the couch, and the artist they don't know they're about to become.
Come make something fun on a night out, no experience or commitment needed — or stick around, take a class, and eventually become a member of the shop. Both paths start at the same torch.
Both are "glassblowing" in the loose sense — but they're different crafts, different equipment, and a very different first-timer experience.
What most people picture: a team gathering molten glass from a roaring furnace on the end of a long steel pipe, blowing and shaping it in the air.
Lampworking — sometimes called flameworking — uses a compact tabletop torch to melt glass rod, right at your own station. Same material, human scale.
You sit at a bench with a small, controlled torch and a rod of colored glass. Heat it, turn it, shape it — a bead, a pendant, a little flame-worked animal, a marble. No prior art experience required, and no, you won't be handling anything molten with your hands.
Show up, get a full safety walkthrough, and finish something you made in under two hours. Glass needs a full day to anneal in the kiln, so you'll swing back to pick up the finished piece.
Same first class — but it's also lesson one of a real skillset, with a clear (optional) next step whenever you're ready.
From a one-time night out to the first rung of a real skillset — pick your entry point below.
Our most popular one-off. Pick a color palette, work the torch with an instructor beside you, and make your own hand-worked plant stake. No pathway, no pressure, no return visit required (just a quick pick-up once it's annealed). Same class as Plant Stake Paddles on our full class list — book it here or there.
The real foundation: torch control, glass behavior, basic bead and pendant forms. Small class, hands-on every session, built to lead somewhere if you want it to.
For artists past the fundamentals: complex forms, borosilicate techniques, and studio-critique-style feedback. A direct step toward Torch Time eligibility.
A monthly 4-hour open studio for anyone who's been on a torch before — no class or membership required. At least one borosilicate and one soft glass instructor are on the floor the whole time to answer questions, but this is your bench, your project, your pace.
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Those two things aren't in tension here — they're the same design.
Resident artists work here daily. You're visiting a real shop with real output — not a staged craft-store demo.
One class is a complete experience on its own. Nobody's upselling you a pathway you didn't ask for.
Every instructor is a working glass artist, not a script-reader. Questions get real answers.
Catch the bug? There's a mapped, unintimidating route from tonight's piece to your own bench.
Date nights, birthdays, girls' nights, team outings — the format flexes without losing the craft.
Concrete floors and real equipment, run by people who like showing beginners the ropes.
Nothing below is mandatory. Most visitors stop after step one, and that's exactly the point of the studio.
One session, one piece to take home. Most people's whole Torch Garage story — and that's great.
Caught the bug? Build real torch fundamentals over a few weekly sessions.
Progressive, skill-building series that stack toward independent studio work.
Open studio access to work independently, on your own schedule, as a working artist.
Curious what Torch Time or a full pathway looks like before you commit to anything? We'll walk you through it — no obligation.
Ask About Pathways →Once you're comfortable on the torch, membership gets you ongoing studio access on your own schedule — no class required, just your own bench time.
Studio hours, new Experience nights, and pathway openings — straight to your inbox, no spam.
Class bookings, gift cards & retail are handled securely at checkout.
800 Roosevelt Road, Bldg D, Suite 1
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Open 7 days
Full hours & online booking
info@thetorchgarage.com
General inquiries
