Entry No. 43 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: hands-on
Nomad Neon
Neon-bending is one of the rarest hands-on crafts you can actually try, and Nomad Neon runs small workshops where you torch-bend glass tubing and take home your own glowing neon sculpture. The 6-hour abstract sculpture workshop is the beginner path, with color choices like light blue, orange-red, or light purple, and a two-person rate. Serious tinkerers can book a 12-hour weekend intensive to design and bend a custom piece end to end. It is about 65 miles south, so this is the big day-trip splurge of the list.
The story
Neon sign bending is an endangered craft, kept alive by a dwindling circle of tradespeople who know how to balance ribbons of open fire, vacuum pumps, and noble gases. You don't just buy the gear at a craft store. To bend neon, you have to spin glass tubing directly over an open torch until it softens to the consistency of warm pasta, bending it by hand without crushing the thin hollow walls inside.
Most commercial glass studios keep their doors locked to the public, but Nomad Neon operates as a private teaching space running intimate, small-batch workshops. Located about 65 miles south of Fort Collins in Denver, they don't even broadcast their street address—you only receive the location once your appointment is locked in through their contact form. You're paying for rare, direct access to the fire and the knowledge required to make gas glow inside bent glass.
What it's like
Expect a hot, hands-on session spent staring down gas burners with protective eyewear. You'll select your color palette—choices include light blue, orange-red, or light purple—and start practicing heat transfer on raw glass tubing. The 6-hour beginner workshop is designed for pairs, meaning you and a partner share heat time and walk out with a working, custom-bent glowing abstract sculpture. The catch is the upfront planning: booking is strictly by appointment, custom color options add a small fee, and it requires a dedicated day-trip drive down I-25.
The move: Heat and bend glass tubing over a torch together and walk out carrying a glowing neon sculpture you made by hand.
📍 Before you go By appointment only via the contact page; the 6-hour beginner workshop is about $575 for two, custom color adds $30, and the weekend intensive is $850. It's roughly 65 miles from Fort Collins.
- 📍 Denver
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Denver, CO (address shared on booking)
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Kiss My Glass — Trade open gas torches for kiln-formed glass techniques at this tiny four-person studio tucked west of Horsetooth Reservoir.
- Forge with Intention (David Norrie Blacksmithing School) — Keep the high-heat, hands-on craft theme going along I-25 by learning open-fire blacksmithing on a historic farm in Berthoud.
- Lyons Classic Pinball — Double down on retro buzzing luminescence by breaking up your drive home with 70 vintage pinball machines under the arcade lights in Lyons.
Good to know
Where exactly is the studio?
It is in Denver, roughly 65 miles south of Fort Collins. The exact street address is shared privately after your booking is confirmed.
Do I need prior glassblowing or neon experience?
No. The 6-hour abstract sculpture workshop is structured specifically as a beginner entry point into torch work and glass bending.
How much do the workshops cost?
The 6-hour beginner workshop runs about $575 for two people (custom colors add $30). The 12-hour weekend intensive for custom end-to-end design runs $850.
How do I book a spot?
Workshops are scheduled by appointment only via the inquiry page on the Nomad Neon website.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site
last checked: 2026-06-23