Entry No. 17 — the Austin file — filed under: glassblowing
Ghost Pepper Glass
A working glassblowing hot shop that CultureMap called "the only glassblowing studio in Austin" when it opened on the east side at Springdale Station — a female-owned studio (founded by Katie Plunkard, Shara Funari, and Lauren Hunt), now relocated to a North Austin space on Metric Blvd, where a roughly 2,000°F furnace, not a kiln, is doing the work while you stand a few feet away.
The story
When Katie Plunkard, Shara Funari, and Lauren Hunt opened Ghost Pepper Glass at Springdale Station on the east side, local media dubbed it Austin's only public glassblowing studio. Running a female-owned hot shop in an ancient trade long dominated by male apprenticeships is tough enough, but keeping a furnace running in Texas summer heat is an ordeal bordering on lunacy. They've since packed up their blowpipes and quietly shifted operations to an industrial flex space off Metric Boulevard in North Austin, but the core arrangement remains intact.
This isn't a quiet ceramic workshop where cold clay sits on a wheel. At Ghost Pepper, a central furnace keeps clear glass liquefied at roughly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit around the clock. You aren't kept behind safety glass during workshops; you stand right up near the heat, gathering molten gobs onto heavy steel blowpipes, rolling them through crushed color frit, and shaping the red-hot glass using wet newspaper pads and wooden jacks. Because glass shatters if cooled too fast, everything made here sits in an annealing oven overnight to bring its temperature down gradually.
What it's like
Expect to sweat the minute you walk past the roll-up door, regardless of what the AC is doing outside. Synthetic clothing will melt against intense heat, so show up strict in 100% natural fibers like cotton or linen along with closed-toe shoes. In crash-course workshops, you'll work one-on-one with an instructor in tight 15-minute rotation blocks while the rest of your party observes and takes photos from a safe bench nearby. Remember the cardinal rule of hot shops: you cannot take your glass piece home when class ends, as everything must sit in an annealer overnight to cool slowly without cracking, requiring a return trip on a following business day.
The move: Book a Private Lesson (1-2 students) or the Taste of Glassblowing crash course together — you'll each gather molten glass on a blowpipe and shape your own piece side by side, then come back to pick it up once it's annealed.
- 📍 North Austin (Rundberg/Georgian Acres)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 10300 Metric Blvd, Suite 550, Austin, TX 78758
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Botanica San Francisco Ifa Lade — Shift less than a mile down Rundberg from industrial thermal craft to a deeply rooted spiritual supply store stocked for Santería and Ifá practice.
- Pioneer Farms — Hot Metal Bladesmithing — Double down on ancient fire-driven trades three miles away by swapping molten glass for red-hot coal blading.
- Lala's Little Nugget — Cool off three miles south inside a Crestview dive bar where it has been non-stop Christmas with tinsel and fake snow since 1972.
Good to know
Can I take home my glass creation on the same day?
No. Hot glass will crack or shatter if exposed to room air right away. Every piece must sit in an annealing furnace overnight to slowly cool down, meaning you have to return on a subsequent business day to pick up your completed piece.
What is the dress code for a glassblowing class?
Closed-toe shoes and 100% natural fiber clothing (like cotton or linen) are mandatory. Synthetic materials like polyester or nylon melt when exposed to high radiant heat.
Do I need prior glassblowing experience to participate?
No prior experience is necessary. Introductory options like the 'Taste of Glassblowing' crash course and private beginner lessons pair students one-on-one with an instructor who guides the gathering, blowing, and shaping process.
Where in Austin is Ghost Pepper Glass located?
Originally located at Springdale Station on the east side, the studio operates in North Austin at 10300 Metric Blvd, Suite 550, near the Rundberg and Georgian Acres corridor.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · austin.culturemap.com
last checked: 2026-07-20