What is Craftsy and Do You Need It?

What is Craftsy?… Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a patterns marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a projects section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting, Craftsy has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more. If you’re a creative type, you will fall in love with this community, I promise. Like, pinky promise…

Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Craftsy Class

Before filming even begins on a class, {like the amazing family photography course above} – hours and hours are spent determining what content will be covered in each class, and how to best teach specific techniques to the camera. Instructors work with an instructional designer to create an in-depth outline of each lesson, and decide how to best prepare props or “step-outs” that show what your project should like at different steps. Instead of a scripted class, instructors follow their outlines on camera to create an authentic and engaging teaching experience.

Most Craftsy classes are filmed in one of five Craftsy studios in Denver, CO, assuring that every part of the production process goes off without a hitch. They fly in instructors from all over the world to spend several days filming, then spend several weeks turning hours of footage into a two to three hour class experience that has been watched, rewatched, and reviewed by industry experts. The final result is an HD-quality video that takes you in-depth into specific topics in any given craft category- from cooking and fine art to sewing and knitting. I have not been disappointed in the quality of any classes I’ve taken so far!

What IS the Craftsy experience?

Craftsy classes are designed to have all the benefits of an in-person class, with none of the drawbacks. Available online and on-demand, you always have world-class instructors at the tip of your fingers. You can retake the class as many times as you want, and the 30-second repeat feature allows you to watch the same section over and over again until you get every technique just right. You don’t have to worry about finding a sitter, or fitting a class into your schedule… This was perfect for me, because I’ve tried TWO times now to take a Wilton cake decorating class at our local Michael’s Craft Store, but always ended up missing courses due to my busy schedule. So, I’ve been taking the Entire Wilton series with Beth Somers on my OWN time table. Next on my wish list is this one above – Simply Modern Cake Design. Fabulous!

Watching a Craftsy class is like having a first-row seat with some of the best instructors in the world. Even better, classes have a 100% money-back guarantee, so you can be confident that what you’re signing up for is going to be worth it to you. Try online learning today with a free mini-class from Craftsy! Choose from 23 Free Craftsy Classes ranging from drawing and painting to sewing and quilting, from knitting to cake decorating and more. It’s a great way to get a feel for what it’s all about.