Half Moon Bay Art Glass

Excellent experience! Doug was fun and was very accommodating to my boyfriends disability. Although the pumpkins were small, the experience was amazing. Such a great anniversary treat. Please give this nice man your business. We went back the next day and our pumpkins were all ready to take home.

Bought Groupons for my daughter and her friends to make glass pumpkins. Everyone had a good time and enjoyed the process. Even though everything was prepaid with the Groupon, I was surprised I was billed at the end of the class for sales tax! We’ve done glass making in Oakland and Seattle using Groupons, but never got charged extra for sales tax. Although the class is 2 hrs long, technically it’s really 20 minutes per person because it’s 6 people per class. Very expensive experience — $ 90 per pumpkin!

Five stars and then some more. Great experience lots smiles and a fun piece of art when it is all said and done. Because of annealing you have to stay overnight some where in the area or else pay to have it shipped. Really nice activity for a weekend get away. We did not take advantage of the wine tasting, but that too is offered on site.

Trully a fun experience, you have to do it as least once in your lifetime. It doesnt take too long to get the glass done and the teacher was really informative. I like how you get a one on one hands on experience with the teacher to make sure the glass is done perfectly. I highly recommend this class to everyone.

I’m really not sure what kind of experience other people had to warrant a five-​star review. I purchased a livingsocial voucher for the class for close to $ 60. The regular price of the class is $ 120. Let that sink in for a while. $ 120. And they advertise it as a 2 hour class. You’d probably expect to learn quite a bit about glass blowing and get a decent sized product. Wrong. When we arrived, we were asked to pick colors for pumpkins. Let me tell you, these pumpkins are TINY. They are max three inches tall. Then, we were given some safety instructions and told about the steps we would take that day. We really didn’t learn too much about glass blowing works. Then, we each had our turn at «making» our pumpkins, which is really just following the guy around. Then we went. In total, our experience was about a half hour. So, if you want to pay $ 120 for 30 minutes for a tiny pumpkin worth maybe $ 20-​$ 30, go ahead. Finally, I paid them to ship my pumpkin to me and never got it. It is now 4 weeks later. I called them, but got their voicemail. The voicemail said not to try to leave a message because it won’t get returned. So, I emailed them. No response. So, in summary, I’d stay away from this place unless you want to be thoroughly ripped off.

My girl friend and I had a day out planned, and this was our first stop. We found it through Groupon, bought the Groupon, scheduled a date, and loved it! I found the Groupon deal to be pretty good, and there were plenty of dates to choose from (sometimes that is a problem with Groupon deals — not enough openings, but here there were plenty of options). We showed up just on time, got signed in and waited just a bit. The classes all seemed to be structured the same — 6 people, you go in the order that you show up.
Doug goes through some safety items with you first, then he goes through a lot of instructions. It got me nervous, especailly dealing with such hot equipment and glass, but when it came to be my turn, he ended up being great at guiding me through every step and letting me participate. It was my first glass-​blowing class, but he made it do-​able. It was a learning experience, and fun for a girls’ day out. I highly recommend trying this!

This was a great groupon deal and fun thing to do with my BFF. We came here and made mini pumpkins in November for her birthday. It was such a fun activity, I’d like to do it again!

I have taken glass blowing classes at San Jose Glass Institute and here at Half Moon Bay Art Glass and I love them both.
HMB Art Glass is a much smaller studio and a more intimate experience. (Just make sure you don’t come here at a 90+ summer day because the studio will be very steamy)
Doug and Andrea are wonderful teachers and totally enthusiastic with their craft. I came here during harvest season and they have a fantastic display of glass pumpkins in an overwhelming array of colors and shapes. Do arrive early to browse and make your choice.

Fun classes that help you learn and keep you involved from start to finish when making and designing your own glass projects.

Doug is a fabulous teacher. It is obvious that he loves his craft. I took a class in San Jose and even though I tried very hard to make a bowl, in the end the instructor there did most of the work and I came home with a beautiful bowl that was 25% my doing and 75% his. Today was so different. Andrea was so bubbly and helpful, she was able to answer most of my questions prior to getting started and Doug gave such clear instructions as to the whole process and safety measures to our ‘pumpkin’ class that he prepared us very well for this adventure.
Doug is with you the entire process with a gentle voice reviewing each step as you make your project. There is little room for error.
Today I surprised one of my friends with the class. Best time spent ever. We did about 90% of the process in making the pumpkin and now I’m hooked and can’t wait to come back. Such a wonderful experience. There is so much to learn. So many wonderful things to make.
Thanks Doug and Andrea

Having taken several classes in San Jose, I thought my experience would be the same. I was SO MUCH better than anticipated. Douglas is a wonderful teacher. He’s patient, doesn’t rush through, will answer questions and doesn’t look at you like you’ve got a third eye if the question has an obvious answer. He’s very thorough as to what is happening in the glass at the stages and as to why you’re doing different things. You’re not going to get lost in the instructions and if you do, he’ll gently guide back on track. I’m a person who asks alot of questions. Suzy answered every one without ever getting short with all the inquiries.
Having a family member that’s wheelchair bound, you need to know that there’s two big steps you’ll need to take; the first to get up to the work area and the other to put your glass in the mold. The mold one can be manipulated around but the one into the shop area is 12″.
THe thing I like about this place vs. some of the other classes is you have so many choices of color of glass. You’ll be offered almost any color combination, so think about where you’ll want your pumpkin to go before you make your choice.
What can I say? I’m highly stoked on the quality of instruction I got and I LOVE MY PUMPKIN!!! I’m ready for the next class…

This class was SO MUCH FUN!!! Not only enjoyable, but really neat to get to see all the steps & skills involved in making glass pieces. Also, Doug is an amazing teacher! (My mom & I took the class together — my gift to her for Mother’s Day. We are both elementary teachers & we both agreed Doug is hands down The Best teacher!!) He explains everything so well, makes sure you try it w/​o molten glass first, & is very calm & patient. If you are looking for something different, something fun, & something that will leave you with great memories, try a Half Moon Bay Art Glass Class! :)

Doug and his staff have tremendous patience with teaching and guiding each individual through the process of making a glass artwork. He also makes sure you are safe doing it. Combined with a great deal from living social, you have a very unique and worthwhile experience.
The only thing I would add is that I’d love to learn more about the chemistry and the process of making glass work, which I know can be hard given limited time and different interests of individuals.

Had a great time with friends and Doug was very patient and helpful. He walked everyone through the process as a dry run and then expertly guided each person through making their unique pumpkin. He was very good at gauging each person’s ability and ensuring our masterpieces came out great. I would definitely do it again and try other techniques.
The living social deal really made this cool artistic medium affordable!

My fiancé and I came here to try something new and crafty and we were so impressed with Half Moon Bay Art Glass. Even without a voucher or coupon, I think the price of the classes are well worth it. Doug is an AMAZING teacher… One thing I really appreciated is he answered all our numerous questions! He is very patient. So, you get to pick out the exact colors you want, they give a class overview, walk you through every step, and then you end with a beautiful piece of art! Highly recommend for a unique and fulfilling experience.

I came here for a work event and we made some of those glass pumpkins. Its definitely an experience. Doug is the owner of this shop and does amazing work. Greg assists him with the classes. Both were really knowledgeable about the process of blowing glass. They go through the whole process for everyone. Honestly, I didn’t pick up anything that they went through in the training. But its ok, because they are with you every step of the way helping you to make your pumpkin. All of my coworkers had fun and really enjoyed the whole morning taking the class. It does take some time to make each pumpkin, so allot some time for that if you are going in a big group. Our pumpkins all ended up coming out really cool. They were all a little different, which was neat to see. Definitely a must do in Half Moon Bay.

Went with a group from work and had so much fun. Douglass and Greg are wonderful, they take the time to show you what you will make and how to do it. It’s almost like a dance, you are moving from the kiln to the bench to blow and roll your glass and back to the kiln. The end results are amazing. I still can’t believe I made a glass blown pumpkin. Great experience!

As guided by Douglas Brown; the class at Half Moon Bay Art Glass was very rewarding for both my wife and myself. This is a great local adventure that locals should take visitors to when driving along Half Moon Bay. We will definately be back!

Wow! Glass blowing my own pumpkin was such fun! This was my first time blowing glass, and believe me, I am not artistic, but Doug is a patient teacher who first provides a demonstration of the entire process, then guides you through creating your own. There are plenty of glass pumpkins available for sale which also serve as ideas for colors and patterns, since you get to choose the colors and style you want for your own pumpkin.
This is worth every penny and I couldn’t be more pleased with the beautiful pumpkin I created! This experience is worth repeating time and time again!

Artistic or not, you have got to try this. Honestly, when I was told I would be doing this, I thought that it wouldn’t be my thing… well, actually, I thought I might burn the &*%$ out of myself. However, the owner of the studio and the teacher, Douglass Brown, made the experience enjoyable and SAFE.
I went to this class with my brother. He had tried it before and fallen in love with glass blowing. We paid for a session and it was a private session — just us. It was reasonably priced as well. First, there was a demonstration and a safety presentation. Because it is the first class, this class is based on glass work, not glass blowing, which comes after you have acquired more skills. We picked our project. Even though it was my first class, there were options. It’s Half Moon Bay, so I had to make a pumpkin! It actually came out looking like a pumpkin and like some of the ones you see in the stores in Downtown HMB. I was astonished! Now I can’t wait to go back and make it a pair of pumpkins!