Tonbodama Workshop (Glass beadmaking)
Tonbodama(Glass Beads) are made by melting a glass rod with the flame of a torch and winding it around a mandrel. After making the beads, they are cooled for an hour and are assembled with metal parts to make them into straps or chokers (Our stuff are in charge of assembling).
As we use a torch for Tonbodama making, this workshop is not available for preschool children.
You can stroll around our shop for 1 hour and come back to pick them up, or come back later day. If it is difficult to come back to our shop, we can ship the finished pieces for you (extra shipping fee apply).
* It is by appointment until the day before. Please contact us for more of the day you wish.
| Contract | Please reserve by phone. Ishigaki: +81-980-87-5967 Mihama: +81-098-988-7307 |
|---|---|
| Price | 1 item ¥2,000 +tax |
| Time | 15 to 30 minutes for beadmaking, 1 hour for cooling |
| Assemble as | Strap, Choker |
| Pick up | 1 hour later |
Process of Tonbodama Workshop
1. You can choose the base color and decoration parts from our sample.
2. Heat the glass rod by turning round until you have a ball of hot glass on the rod.
3. When the ball become about the size of the bead, put the melted glass on a mandrel. Keep turning the mandrel to make a round bead.
4. Put decorative parts on the bead. Put it back into fire to let them soften.
5. Once the decorative parts soften and the bead become round, put it into vermiculite for cooling. (This is the last process of the workshop.)
6. Cool it for one hour and take the bead off from the mandrel. Finished after assembling with metal parts.