Whether you’re wanting to make something specific or are building your skillset, dive into the amazing worlds of glass, ceramics, leather, and soap with these fantastic in-person and online resources.
Local Resources
Decatur Glassblowing
Just a stone’s throw from the Decatur Square, Decatur Glassblowing offers blown & hot-sculpted glass, decorative, functional, sculptural, abstract, lighting, & custom pieces. They also offer workshops that let you try your hand at seasonal glass creations from ornaments to flowers, hearts to pumpkins as well as learning to create useful drinking glasses and more. Find out more today!
MudFire
MudFire is not just another pottery school. They are an open studio playground for imaginative adults. Even if you have never touched clay before, you can find your path at MudFire.
Instead of traditional classes, MudFire offers instruction available when you want or need to learn. That allows you to grow at your own pace, whether your goal is creating a specific piece or just learning about clay and having a good time. They have instructors here every day to help you meet your goals! Discover MudFire’s unique membership model - perfect for experienced ceramicists looking for studio space or people just getting started with clay.
MASS Collective
MASS Collective provides a cutting-edge, safe, and collaborative space for makers, projects, and concepts to evolve. Through their membership, apprenticeship, education, and production programs, MASS Collective empowers Atlanta’s makers and businesses with affordable access to the tools, knowledge, and training required to grow and thrive.
ATL Glass Works
Georgia’s only art glass retail store and your one-stop-shop for stained glass education and supplies. Owned and operated by glass artist Day Kennedy, ATL Glass Works will help you fall in love with the colors, reflections, and textures of glass and the process of creating stained glass treasures.
Green Girl Basics
From soaps and bath bombs to lotions, creams, and salves, now you can learn to make skincare solutions just for you with all clean ingredients. Save yourself the headache and waste of money that trial-and-error DIY skincare can bring. With so many bad recipes and misleading internet info out there, it is best to learn from experience. Join Colleen as she shares her 20+ years of handmade body care trial and error with you, so you can be set up for success!
Tandy Leather
Tandy Leather was founded in 1919 with the dream of sharing leathercraft with the world. Today, we’re proud to continue this legacy as trusted source of quality leather, tools, and teaching materials for leatherworkers everywhere.
With two locations in Atlanta (Norcross & Lithia Springs), you can take workshop and get all of your leather supplies in one place. Plus, they also offer wonderful online educational resources to get you learning whenever it’s convenient for you.
Atlanta Clayworks
ACW’s mission is to provide a safe, congenial work space and gallery for its member artists, educational facilities for adults and children to learn the craft of pottery, and a retail space for buying local, handcrafted pieces of art where patrons can meet and see the artist working.
Check out their classes as well as their gallery for great gifts made by local potters.
Online Education
Leathercraft Masterclass: This online program covers everything from basic leather tools and skills all the way up to crafting luxury leather goods.
ClayShare: This monthly membership site gives you access to over 250 full length classes and over 2,000 videos on everything from hand building and glazing to equipment reviews, wheel workshops, and exclusive experiences with well-known instructors.
Everything Stained Glass: Like the name says, this website is one artist’s effort to provide a comprehensive introduction to everything stained glass. Discover lead came and copper foil approaches as well as glass cutting techniques.
Corning Museum of Glass: Hear from renowned artists, historians, and glass experts in this New York museum’s public lectures and seminars.
Soap School: Soap School provides professional soap making and natural cosmetics courses whether you want to make gifts for our loved ones or are considering starting a business.
Homestead Favorites
BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices have historically been under-represented in the craft and homestead movements despite being leaders in them. Check out some magical folks bringing the goodness - and let us know if there’s someone you’d like to see included!
Herb’N Eden: This local soap company’s mission is to create holistic bath and body products that help maintain skin health. Their all-natural products are plant-based, beneficial for all skin types, handcrafted, and non-toxic.
Tree Fairfax: Tree Fairfax offers minimal leather goods that are long-lasting with timeless designs that will hopefully change how you move about the world. Each piece is hand cut and stitched using locally sourced, high-quality leather.
Hilltop Artists: Co-founded by Dale Chihuly, Hilltop Artists uses glass arts to connect young people from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds to better futures.
Lolly Lolly Ceramics: Lalese Stamps is a ceramicist and the founder of Lolly Lolly Ceramics. Lolly designs objects that are functional at their core, simple in shape, and capable of withstanding the test of time.
Utility Objects: Don’t miss this gorgeous local line of minimalist ceramic home goods created by Aleisha Ellis. She enjoys using materials to enhance the texture of her monochrome forms in order for them to appear more stone-like.