Bulgarian glass ornaments by disabled artists are winning hearts

Bulgaria is home to a small workshop in Plovdiv where people with disabilities make delicate glass ornaments by hand. Each piece starts with a simple tube heated over a burner, then shaped slowly as the glass is blown and turned. The team works through the year, but demand rises as Christmas approaches.

For many here, steady work has been hard to find. Learning this craft offers a routine, a skill and a sense of independence. The studio was created in 2018 with that goal in mind, guided by veteran glassblower Ivan Stanev, who has spent nearly five decades in the trade.

The ornaments are sold online and in a small shop in Plovdiv. They attract buyers from across Bulgaria and abroad, drawn to their shine and their fragility, but also to the care that goes into each piece.