Entry No. 55 — the Des Moines file — filed under: hands-on
Indianola Glass Creations
A small-town glass shop on the Indianola square, about 18 miles (roughly 25 minutes) south of downtown Des Moines, that doubles as a Wissmach glass distributor. Hands-on classes cover stained glass (suncatchers, panels, picture frames, ornaments) and fused glass (jewelry, platters, suncatchers), plus ceramic and canvas painting. It keeps limited hours (Thursday through Saturday) and schedules sessions directly, so call ahead before you go. Because it's an actual supply shop, you're learning to cut, foil, and solder real glass rather than assembling a kit.
The story
This isn't a pre-packaged craft boutique where you glue acrylic beads onto pre-molded zinc frames. Set on the square in Indianola, about 18 miles south of Des Moines, Indianola Glass Creations is an authorized regional distributor for Wissmach Glass—one of America's legacy glassmakers. That means you are walking into an active supply depot filled with raw sheet stock in every texture and opacity imaginable, meant for actual trade artisans.
The shop was built and run by local glassmaker Rachel Ann Hall as a working studio, regional supply house, and staple of events like Christkindlmarket Des Moines and the Iowa State Fair. Today, the space maintains that same unpretentious, trade-focused ethos. You don't assemble pre-cut kits here; you learn genuine cold-glass fabrication, scoring raw sheets, snapping clean breaks, wrapping seams in copper foil, and joining the pieces with soldering irons and hot alloy.
What it's like
Inside 119 N Buxton, the workspace smells like cutting oil and solder flux rather than retail air freshener. The shop operates on a tight schedule—Thursday through Saturday only—so don't just drop in unannounced expecting a free workbench. Call Lisa ahead of time at 515-961-1957 to book your table and clear project details, since pricing isn't listed online. You'll pick out a pattern, select your colored glass directly from the distributor racks, and handle real glass-cutters and soldering guns under direct supervision.
The move: Pick a suncatcher or small panel pattern and spend the session cutting colored glass, wrapping each piece in copper foil, and soldering your two halves into one finished piece.
📍 Before you go Open Thursday-Saturday only; contact Lisa at 515-961-1957 to schedule a class and confirm pricing, which isn't posted online.
- 📍 Indianola (~18 mi south of Des Moines)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 119 N Buxton St, Indianola, IA 50125
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Annett Nature Center observation tower — Just four miles down the road, pair your indoor glass-cutting session with a climb up a 30-foot dark-sky observation tower overlooking Warren County farmland.
- Malone Forgotten Arts (Greg Malone Blacksmithing) — Double down on hands-on trade skills by matching cold glass fabrication in Indianola with Greg Malone's home blacksmithing forge in South Des Moines.
- Briar Patch Amphitheater — After a morning of precise soldering on the square, take a 25-minute drive southwest to explore a natural-bowl amphitheater carved into an oak-hickory hillside by a local Deadhead.
Good to know
Do I need to book a class in advance?
Yes. Call Lisa directly at 515-961-1957 to schedule your session and confirm project pricing, as classes are scheduled directly and hours are limited to Thursday through Saturday.
What kind of projects can I make?
You can work on stained glass suncatchers, panels, frames, and ornaments, create fused glass jewelry and platters, or opt for ceramic and canvas painting.
Are these beginner-friendly or do I need experience?
Beginners are fine, but expect a genuine workshop environment. Because it functions as a raw glass supplier, you work with actual trade tools to score, break, foil, and solder real glass stock.
Where is the shop located?
It's on the downtown square in Indianola at 119 N Buxton Street, roughly 25 minutes south of downtown Des Moines.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · overtonfunerals.com
last checked: 2026-06-23