Entry No. 16 — the Coeur d'Alene file — filed under: hands-on
Summers Glass
After 17 years on Sherman Ave, Summers Glass closed its storefront but kept teaching, moving classes to a new location and continuing at local craft shows and online. They offer hands-on stained glass, fused glass, and jewelry-making instruction. Because it's now a newsletter-and-online operation rather than a walk-in shop, it has a real locals-in-the-know feel.
The story
For seventeen years, if you wanted sheet glass, beads, or a crash course in scoring cobalt glass without shattering it, you went to 211 Sherman Avenue. Summers Glass was a downtown Coeur d'Alene fixture—part retail supply shop, part working artisan den. Then the storefront doors locked for good, pulling down the blinds on Sherman Ave and leaving tourists wandering past a ghost front.
The retail shop died, but the studio didn't. Instead of paying downtown rents to sell individual glass rods, Summers Glass went underground, stripping the business back to its pure hands-on core: fused glass panels, stained glass, beadwork, and jewelry making. They set up shop online, popped up at regional events like Sandpoint's annual Arts & Crafts Fair, and shifted their workshops to a strict locals-in-the-know operation.
That shift turned a standard craft store into something considerably weirder and better. Without a retail sign hanging outside, getting into a class feels like joining a private guild. You don't just wander in off the sidewalk anymore—you have to get tipped off, track down the schedule, and get on the list before the small-group torch and kiln spots fill up.
What it's like
Do not plug Sherman Avenue into your GPS and expect an open retail door. If you want to melt glass or learn stained glass, you need to call 208-665-0875 or get yourself onto their email newsletter to get the current class schedule and private studio location. Workshops are hands-on, small-group sessions where you'll handle glass-cutting tools, arrange fused pieces for the kiln, or craft jewelry. Expect to leave your work behind for a firing cycle or take home a finished custom pendant once the glass cools.
The move: Sign up together for a fused-glass session and each make a small panel or pendant to take home.
📍 Before you go Storefront is closed; you must contact them or join the newsletter to get the current class location and schedule. Call 208-665-0875.
- 📍 Coeur d'Alene
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 (storefront closed; classes at new location)
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Emerge CDA — Keep your hands-on art day going in downtown Coeur d'Alene by swapping glassworking for pottery wheels or printmaking.
- Gizmo-CDA Makerspace — If working with high-heat glass gets your hands twitching for more tools, head over to this campus makerspace for lapidary, metalwork, and laser cutting.
- Honey Eatery & Social Club (Social Club basement) — Head into the subterranean basement bar beneath Sherman Avenue for a dark, quiet drink after your glass session.
Good to know
Can I visit their storefront on Sherman Avenue?
No. The Sherman Avenue location closed permanently after 17 years. The business now operates online, at regional craft shows, and via scheduled private classes.
How do I find out where classes are being held?
You need to call 208-665-0875 or sign up for their email newsletter on summersglass.com to get current workshop dates and venue directions.
What types of glasswork can I learn?
They offer hands-on instruction in stained glass, fused glass panels, and bead and jewelry making.
Where else can I buy their glass artwork?
You can purchase directly through their website or catch their booth at local craft fairs across the region, such as the Pend Oreille Arts & Crafts Fair.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Facebook · Yelp · artinsandpoint.org
last checked: 2026-06-24