Blowing glass was discovered by accident when a pauper striving to show opulence iced out his grill on a budget. Verify the disparity between diamonds and glass with today's Groupon: for $20, you get a beginner-friendly blow-your-own-glass session at Uptown Glassworks (up to a $40.73 value including tax), located in Renton. Groupon holders also get a $25 credit toward a more advanced Hot Shots class.
The 10 experienced glass-blowers at Uptown Glassworks teach the enigmatic act of forging liquid glass into ornate, multicolored artworks. No experience is necessary for a blow-your-own-glass session, where you join a group of students to learn the basics of the craft, and walk away with individualized pieces of hand-blown glass. Choose in advance between options such as a precious tree ornament, a delicate flower, or a light-catching concave bowl, which makes a stylish place to store your most bittersweet chocolate or tears. Purchasing today's Groupon also merits $25 off a Hot Shots class ($99), a three-hour session for students looking to become more experienced in the medium. In classes of three, the studio's blowers teach advanced acolytes to gather heat themselves and shape the liquid glass into a paperweight. Uptown Glassworks's ambience itself awakens artistry, too, set within a 100-year-old building with vaulted ceilings, generous open space, and beam rafters.