A Guide to Giving Handblown Glass: Floats, Ornaments & Unique Gift Ideas
We'll help you pick the right glass art for that special person.
Buying art as a gift can feel a little intimidating. What size should you choose? What colors will they like? Will it fit their home? And what do you buy for the person who already seems to have everything?
Handblown glass makes a wonderful gift because no two pieces are exactly alike. Even when an artist uses the same colors and techniques, every piece comes out of the studio with its own little differences.
Whether you're shopping for a holiday, birthday, housewarming, anniversary or simply looking for something special to bring home from the Oregon Coast, here are a few of our favorite ways to choose the right glass gift.
For the Oregon Coast Lover: A Handblown Glass Float
There's a reason glass floats have become such an iconic part of the Oregon Coast.
Originally inspired by the glass fishing floats once used by fishermen around the world, today's handblown floats bring a little bit of that coastal history indoors.
They're also an easy piece of art to give. A glass float doesn't need to match someone's dishes, fit a particular wall, or even have a permanent home. They can be displayed on a shelf, tucked into a collection, placed in a garden, or paired with a stand.
You can select an art glass float, the ones we make in our studio, or a traditional Japanese float if you know they'd appreciate the history behind it!
Gift idea: Choose colors that remind you of the recipient; a favorite color, the ocean, a favorite season, or even a place you've visited together.
Shop Japanese Fishing Floats - - - - - Shop Our Art Glass Floats
For the Collector: A Handblown Glass Ornament
Ornaments are one of our favorite gifts because they become part of someone's traditions.
A handblown glass ornament can come out every holiday season for years and unlike mass-produced ornaments, each one has the small variations that come from being made by hand.
They're also a great choice when you want to give handmade art but aren't quite ready to choose a larger piece. Our ornaments are 3.5" in diameter, great for the person with a larger tree.
If the recipient has a smaller home, we suggest grabbing an ornament stand to hang it on, that way it can be a year round piece, or have its own home during the holidays.
Shop Handblown Ornaments - - - - Shop Ornament Stands
For the Person Who Has Everything: A Glassblowing Experience
We all have that person.
They don't need another mug. They don't want more stuff. And when you ask what they want, they say, "Oh, I don't need anything." I'll be honest, I'm that person to my family and friends.
Instead of giving them another thing, give them the opportunity to make something themselves! As long as you know they're alright with the heat, because I'll be honest it's hot in the studio.
During a glassblowing experience, guests work alongside our glass artist, Amanda Williams, to create their own piece of handblown glass. The finished piece becomes both a keepsake and a reminder of the experience itself.
It's an especially fun gift for couples, families, birthdays, anniversaries or anyone visiting the Oregon Coast. Keep in mind our experiences are one-on-one, so each guest will need their own item to make, but we have a sitting area where friends and family can watch and cheer them on!
You can book the experience for them from our booking page. Though you can also hit the link below to send them a glassblowing experience gift card so they can book the experience when the time works for them.
Book an Experience Here - - - - Send them an Experience Gift Card
For a Housewarming or New Home: Glass They Can Display Their Way
Choosing artwork for someone else's home can be tricky.
That's one reason smaller glass pieces make such good housewarming gifts. Instead of committing the recipient to a large piece of artwork, you're giving them something they can incorporate wherever it feels right.
A small or medium float can sit on a shelf, table or windowsill, while a larger float is great for gardens, porches, or near potted plants.
If you're unsure about color, look for combinations inspired by nature like ocean blues, greens, warm earth tones or even our plain 2" Japanese floats, though color hue varies between teal or green, the glass is very transparent, and the size is perfect for easy decorating.
Shop Japanese Fishing Floats - - - - - Shop Our Art Glass Floats
What Size Glass Float Makes the Best Gift?
There's really no wrong answer, but think about where the recipient might display it.
A smaller float is an easy choice when you aren't sure how much space someone has. Larger floats make more of a statement and work beautifully as centerpiece or shelf décor.
And if you're completely unsure?
Choose the one that makes you think of them.
That's one of the advantages of buying handmade art. The "right" piece isn't necessarily the one that perfectly coordinates with someone's couch. Sometimes it's simply the piece that makes you say:
"Oh! That's so them."
You can order our glass floats and ornaments in three sizes!
3.5" diameter is around ornament size, but you can get it with a 'foot' to sit on instead of a hook to hang it. We also offer 5" diameter they're a perfect middle ground, not too big but not too small.
Finally we have our 6" diameter floats, these are great for the person with a big home or garden to display them in.
*NOTE* The wood base in all three photos is exactly the same, the floats displayed vary in size.
For Someone Who Loves Truly One-of-a-Kind Gifts: Shop Local Art
Handmade glass isn't the only option.
Our gallery on the Oregon Coast represents more than 60 local artists, with work ranging from glass and jewelry to paintings, knitting & crochet plus so many other locally made pieces.
Shopping from a local artist means you're giving something with a story behind it and you're supporting the person who actually made it.
Stopping by the gallery, open seven days a week, is the best to see and feel the piece you love, but we do offer a small selection of local and one-of-a-kind pieces through our website!
*NOTE* Photos with numbers are one-of-a-kind pieces and may no longer be available.
Shop our local Oregon Artist work here!
The Best Gift Doesn't Have to Be the Biggest One
A meaningful gift doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate.
Sometimes it's a small ornament that comes out of its box every December. Sometimes it's a glass float in someone's favorite colors. Sometimes it's an afternoon spent trying glassblowing for the first time.
What matters is finding something that reminds you of the person you're giving it to.
And if that gift happens to bring a little bit of the Oregon Coast home with them, even better!