Blow Your Own Glass Ornament at This Glass Studio in Oklahoma City

I expected a quiet little studio and maybe a quick look at some pretty glass. Instead, I found a glowing furnace, a patient teacher, and an ornament with my own breath inside it.

Few places in Oklahoma let you hold molten glass on the end of a pipe and turn it into a keepsake. If you want a holiday memory your family will talk about for years, keep reading.

A Working Glass Studio on NW 81st Street

Tucked along a plain stretch of north Oklahoma City, Bella Forte Glass Studio sits at 1012 NW 81st St. From the street, it looks like a modest workshop. Step inside, though, and you walk into a fully functioning glass blowing studio with a hot furnace and shelves of shining art.

Visitors come here for more than browsing. The studio offers hands-on glass blowing classes, live demonstrations, and a gallery filled with glass pumpkins, vases, and sculptures.

The most popular choice for many families is the ornament class, where you get to make a real glass ornament yourself.

Getting there from most of the metro is an easy drive. The studio is close to the Broadway Extension and the Britton area, so folks coming from Edmond, Norman, or even Tulsa can plan a simple day trip.

One couple mentioned they live two and a half hours away and would gladly make the drive again.

Keep one detail in mind before you hop in the car. Everything here works by appointment, including classes, demonstrations, and gallery visits.

A quick phone call first saves you from arriving at a locked door and a very disappointed carload of kids.

The Father-and-Son Team Behind the Furnace

Family businesses carry a certain warmth, and you feel it here right away. Bella Forte is run by Chris McGahan and his son, Micah, a father-and-son team who share both the craft and the teaching.

Visitors also often mention Chris’s wife, Mary Ann, who helps make guests feel at home.

Guests talk about the owners almost as much as the glass. People describe them as kind, patient, and welcoming, the sort of folks who remember your name and cheer you on.

One family of six drove down from Wichita and left feeling like old friends.

Their talent reaches well beyond Oklahoma City. One visitor described seeing art glass pieces the studio created for a church in Florida, made using broken pieces of glass to build meaningful sculptures.

That story shows a deeper side to the work, where shattered pieces become something whole and beautiful.

The personal touch matters in a place like this. Working with hot glass can feel scary for beginners, but a calm, friendly teacher changes everything.

Here, you are not just a ticket number. You are a guest in a family workshop, and they treat you that way from hello to goodbye.

Watching the Ornament Take Shape First

Before anyone touches a blowpipe, there is a show. Chris usually walks guests through the whole process by making an ornament from start to finish while they watch.

It is a smart way to calm nerves and build excitement at the same time.

Picture a blob of glowing glass slowly turning on the end of a long metal pipe. With a puff of air and a few careful turns, it swells into a round bubble.

Guests often say one of the coolest parts is watching the glass change colors as it heats and cools.

The explanations are clear and easy to follow. Visitors say Chris explains each step so well that even first-timers understand what is happening and why.

You learn how much skill goes into every piece, which makes your own ornament feel even more special later.

Kids especially love this part. The furnace glow, the spinning pipe, and the sudden bloom of the bubble feel a bit like a magic trick.

By the time the demo ends, most people are grinning and ready for their turn. Honestly, the demonstration alone could be worth the trip, but the best part is still coming.

Picking Colors and Blowing Your Own Bulb

Red and gold for a classic Christmas tree? Deep blue for a Sooners-free zone, or maybe a swirl of purple for Grandma?

Choosing colors is where the fun truly starts, and guests say there are plenty of options to pick from.

Once your colors are chosen, you get hands-on with the real thing. With guidance every step of the way, you blow air into the pipe and help shape the glass as it grows.

The instructors stay right beside you, so you never feel lost or unsafe.

Many visitors describe lots of laughter during this part. Blowing glass takes a steady breath and a little patience, and the first puff can surprise you.

One guest even made three ornaments in a single class and loved watching each one come to life.

Here is a helpful tip. Your ornament will not go home with you that same day.

Glass needs time to cool slowly so it does not crack, so guests usually return later to pick up their finished pieces. Visitors often say that pickup moment feels like opening a present, because the ornaments turn out even prettier than they remembered.

Paperweights, Sculptures, and the Gallery Shelves

Ornaments get most of the attention, but they are not the only thing on the menu. The studio also offers paperweight making classes, and some guests have created sculptures during their sessions.

Returning visitors say they enjoy trying something new each time.

One guest admitted feeling very nervous before a paperweight class. By the end, the teacher had put her at ease and made her feel creative, something she had not expected.

That kind of encouragement keeps people coming back for another round.

Then there is the gallery. Shelves hold glass pumpkins, vases, and sculptures made by the artists themselves.

Several visitors say the owners happily show off pieces during a visit, and one called it a great place to shop for beautiful glass.

A glass pumpkin makes a lovely fall decoration, and a handmade vase can brighten a kitchen table for years. If you are hunting for a gift that did not come from a big-box store, this is a good place to look.

Just remember, the gallery works by appointment too. Call ahead, ask what is on display, and give yourself extra time to wander and admire.

Families, Field Trips, and Date Nights

Few activities work equally well for a teenager, a grandparent, and a couple on a date. Somehow, this studio pulls it off.

The guest list here is wide and wonderfully mixed.

Teachers have brought students for field trips, including a gifted and talented group of high schoolers who immediately asked to come back. Another teacher praised the care and patience shown while students learned to blow and shape glass.

It is a hands-on science and art lesson rolled into one morning.

Families make up a big share of visitors. Parents mention how well the owners work with teens, and larger groups say they felt welcomed from start to finish.

Making Christmas ornaments together has become a holiday tradition for some households.

Couples love it too. Several visitors called it a fantastic date night, and one husband booked a session as a birthday gift for his wife.

It is a refreshing change from dinner and a movie.

Age limits and group sizes were not listed publicly, so ask when you call. Other ornament studios in the region often welcome participants as young as eight, but checking directly with Bella Forte is the safest move before bringing little ones.

Booking, Seasons, and What It Might Cost

Timing is everything with hot glass. Oklahoma summers are brutal, and standing next to a roaring furnace in July is nobody’s idea of fun.

For that reason, the studio typically pauses glass blowing classes during the warm months.

Sessions usually pick back up around the third week of October, just in time for ornament season. The gallery tends to stay open by appointment through summer, so you can still browse artwork when classes are on break.

Schedules can shift, so confirm before planning a trip.

To book, call Chris McGahan at 405-659-6169. Classes can fill up quickly, especially once the holidays get close, so calling early is wise.

The studio website, bellaforteglass.com, is another spot to check for details.

Pricing for Bella Forte’s ornament classes was not listed publicly. For comparison, similar ornament classes at other studios in the region often run around $35 to $75 per person.

Ask about current rates, how many ornaments come with a session, and when pickup will be ready.

Dress in comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes, which is a good habit around any hot workshop. Then just bring your curiosity and a steady breath.

Why This Keepsake Is Worth the Drive

Store-bought ornaments come and go. The one you blew yourself, with colors you picked and a bubble shaped by your own breath, tends to earn the front spot on the tree year after year.

That feeling is what makes Bella Forte stand out. It is not flashy or fancy.

It is a family-run workshop where patient artists share a skill that takes years to master, and they do it with genuine kindness.

Visitors keep saying the same things in different ways. They laughed a lot, they learned more than expected, and they want to come back.

Some called it a once-in-a-lifetime experience, while others have already returned several times to try paperweights and sculptures.

For Oklahoma families looking for a fall or winter outing that feels personal, this one makes a strong case. Pair it with a lunch stop around town, and you have an easy day that ends with a treasure in hand, or at least a pickup trip to look forward to.

So grab the phone, pick a date after mid-October, and gather your crew. Chances are good your tree will thank you, and so will everyone who asks where that beautiful ornament came from.