Glass blowers create artistic or functional objects from glass.

Glass blowers begin by creating designs on paper. For non-artistic glass products they may also make blueprints with specifications for measurements. They decide how much glass is required for the product.

Items glass blowers create include:

• Vases
• Pitchers
• Glasses
• Bowls

Glass blowers set up kilns and regulate the oven temperatures. Sometimes they use gas flames to heat glass. The glass is usually a tube or glass chips. The glass is heated to a temperature where it can be molded.

Using compressed air, or their own breath, glass blowers blow the glass tubing into shapes. They rotate the glass quickly so that it does not become lopsided. Blowers use metal tongs or wet wooden boards to shape some items. Sometimes glass blowers put the heated glass into a mold to create a specific shape.

When the piece is complete the glass blower separates the finished article from the blow tube. They usually do this by striking the neck of the item so that it breaks off the tube.

Glass blowers use tools to grind, drill, sand, decorate, or polish glass products. Glass blowers weigh and measure the blown glass to make sure it meets specifications.