Entry No. 31 — the Charleston file — filed under: glass-fusing
La Petra Studio — Fused Glass Workshops
A one-woman fused-glass studio (Liz La Petra, 'Fused Glass Artist and Teacher') running named single-session workshops like the 'June Coral Bowl Workshop' or a Frit Bowl class, plus 4-5 week intensive courses mixing beginners and intermediates in the same kiln room.
The story
Before launching her own studio, Liz La Petra spent 18 years working as a speech therapist. Her pivot to kiln-work started on a whim with a single fused-glass class at the Phoenix Center for the Arts, which spun into a full career transition. Today, she runs La Petra Studio out of 1290 Hogans Alley in Mount Pleasant, operating as both fine artist and instructor.
Unlike glassblowing, which relies on long blowpipes and molten vats, glass fusing is a game of cold composition and high-temperature thermal bonding. You sit with cold sheet glass, glass cutters, running pliers, and jars of frit—crushed glass graded from coarse pebbles to fine powder. You score, snap, layer, and stack your glass on a ceramic shelf, relying on chemical reaction, gravity, and heat inside a kiln to melt the pieces together.
The studio keeps things deliberately focused. La Petra runs single-session workshops targeting specific shapes—like webbed 'coral' bowls built from crisscrossed glass strips, or dense frit dishes—alongside four- to five-week courses that mix absolute beginners and experienced glass-makers in the exact same kiln room.
What it's like
Tucked away on Hogans Alley, you are stepping into a true working artisan setup rather than a polished retail craft chain. You'll spend your workshop hovering over a workbench littered with glass shards, cutters, and powdered frit, meticulously assembling your layers. The catch? Instant gratification does not exist in fused glass. Fired glass takes hours to melt in the kiln and even longer to anneal and cool down safely so it doesn't shatter, meaning you won't walk out with your finished project that day. You'll have to return a few days later to collect your fused, slumping creation after the kiln unlocks.
The move: Sign up for a same-day bowl workshop together — you each layer glass frit and color in the kiln room, then wait on the fuse; it's the kind of slow, glowing-hot craft date that ends with two mismatched, genuinely handmade bowls.
- 📍 Mount Pleasant
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1290 Hogans Alley, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Charleston Adventure Forest — Blacksmith Forge — Double down on high-heat handcrafts by following your kiln session in Mount Pleasant with a stint at the anvil in nearby Awendaw.
- glowspa — Soak away the wrist tension of scoring glass and hunching over workbenches with a weightless Epsom salt float right in Mount Pleasant.
- The Haven Center for Healing heARTs (MorningStar Life) — Keep the small-batch Mount Pleasant maker crawl going by ducking behind the purple door off Shem Creek.
Good to know
Where is La Petra Studio located?
The studio is located at 1290 Hogans Alley in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Can I take my finished glass home on the day of the workshop?
No. Once your design is arranged, it must undergo a firing and slow annealing cooling cycle inside the kiln, so pickup is scheduled for a later date.
What kinds of classes are offered?
Liz La Petra offers single-session thematic workshops (such as coral bowl or frit bowl classes) as well as 4- to 5-week intensive courses.
Do I need prior experience working with glass?
No prior experience is required. Single-session workshops and multi-week classes welcome beginners alongside intermediate students.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · chamberofcommerce.com
last checked: 2026-07-20