In Hesiod’s story of Pandora, Hephaestus formed her body from earth and water. Zeus ordered the divine smith to create the first woman as part of his punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire.
Works and Days says that Zeus instructed Hephaestus to make a beautiful woman, giving her the outward form of a goddess. Other gods then contributed qualities or adornments: Athena taught her crafts, while Aphrodite supplied charm and desire in later summaries of the account.
Hephaestus is the Olympian god associated with fire, metalworking, craftsmanship, and invention. His role in Pandora’s creation connects the myth to the idea of a figure deliberately manufactured by divine skill.
This detail differs from the question of who created Pandora’s character or name. Hephaestus made her physical form, while Hermes is associated with giving her speech and a deceptive temperament in traditional interpretations.