Where the first glass marble once saw the light of day, glassmakers still master the art of transforming liquid glass into solid hollow spheres. We are located on the southern edge of the Thuringian Forest, where the Elias glassworks, also known as Farbglashütte Lauscha, has been based in the town of Lauscha since 1853. This is where our clear glass hand-blown garden baubles are given their colorful, vibrant appearance using the so-called granulate technique.

But let's start at the beginning, because making a garden ball takes time and a steady hand. It takes place in various steps - a whole team of experienced glassmakers is involved. First, the glass mass is melted overnight from sand, soda, potash and lime in the glassworks furnace. The next morning, the glassblowers work out the "stale" glass, as it is known in the trade. The manufacturing process begins with the cologne. A small amount of glass mass is turned into a hollow body about the size of a plum on the glassmaker's pipe, which is hung in the oven to cool. In the next step, the cooled Kölpel is dipped once into the melting furnace to take up more glass mass - not too much, not too little, the experienced glassmakers at Farbglashütte Lauscha have a feeling for this.

Now comes what makes the granulate technique so special. The cologne, which is made to glow by taking up glass mass again, is carefully rolled in the finest colored glass chips (the granulate). This creates the characteristic color streaks and gradients from which the individual decoration of the glass garden balls is created. Each ball is therefore unique. The cologne is "warmed" once more and the glass mass is made malleable again in this way. The glassmakers at the Farbglashütte use specialized tools made from beech wood - spoons and boards - to quickly process the glass. Occasionally, they blow air into their glassmaking pipe to maintain the hollow space inside the sphere. Finally, they skilfully let the still soft glass "run" down the pipe and place it in a two-part wooden mold at the same time. This is closed and the ball is inflated. Three things happen at the same time: the mold is moistened with water to cool it down (this is a steaming hot affair), and while air is still being blown in through the glassmaker's pipe, the garden ball is turned, turned, turned in the mold ... The glass owes its shimmering shine and captivatingly smooth surface to this work step. Not even the seam that is created when the mold is closed is visible at the end.

Finally, the finished garden ball is quenched and knocked off the pipe. Its next station is the cooling track, where the ball is first heated to 475 °C. It is then cooled to room temperature in small steps over a period of four hours. Finally, in the melting carousel, the edge of the ball shaft is melted round with the hot gas flame and the ball is tempered, i.e. the glass is hardened. In short - with our Thuringian garden baubles, you are bringing true craftsmanship into your home. The baubles can be left outside all year round and add a delightfully colorful accent to your flower beds even in the cold winter months. Note: Make sure that the supplied cork stopper with stem holder, which serves as a closure, remains protected from moisture.

Certain manufacturing steps are carried out by hand. Slight dimensional and color deviations may therefore occur.