How to make a pumpkin

Learn in classes and through an apprenticeship how to make glass pumpkins.

First I need some color for my pumpkin.  I use glass frit, crushed up colored glass, that sticks to the hot glass like sprinkles on ice cream.

Next I shape the glass and start to blow up the body of the pumpkin.

Meanwhile my assistant makes gathers hot glass to make a stem.  We stick the two pieces of hot glass together...

...And madly wrap the hot glass around a pipe to give it it's distinctive curls.

 I give the pumpkin a little more heat just to make sure everything is where I want it. 

And, voila!  a finished pumpkin.  It is still too hot to touch, about 1300 degrees so...

We put it away in a kiln so it can slowly cool off.  Tomorrow we can open the kiln and see what we have!

PUMPKINS!!!