Craft Books vs. Craft Classes
Written by Anne Lagomarsino
Learning a new craft skill often involves some sort of instruction. Whether you’re learning how to sew from a family member, getting a knitting book at your local yarn shop, or signing up for a weaving class at a craft school, you will want to engage with someone who knows the craft. Having experience with all these types of craft learning, I’ll detail my pros and cons of each of these formats in this blog post.
As a child, I learned craft techniques from library books and the craft volume of my parents’ Encyclopedia Britannica set. Even as a young adult, I was learning to sew and quilt from books. I even had a quilt block of the month subscription that would come in the mail. Very old school and pre-internet…Later, I had subscriptions to online classes from Craftsy and Creativebug. Very infrequently, I am able to take in person classes in my hometown.
Craft books are my great love(obviously since I own a craft bookstore!). There are so many positives to using craft books to learn or expand on a craft. You can find a book on most any topic. Most books offer basic to advanced instruction as well as tons of visuals via photos of projects and illustrations of instructions. The price of a book is less expensive than taking an in-person class and access is available to a wider range of people. You can check out a craft book from the library for free or find a book online if you don’t have a physical bookstore nearby. Learning at your own pace is also a benefit of using a craft book. If you have a full time job or caregiving responsibilities, time for your own activities can be limited. Digesting small sections at a time might work best. Rereading and referring back to a certain part of the book is also helpful.
As much as I love a good craft book, there are some limitations I have experienced. You’ll be learning on your own without having access to a teacher to ask questions. Some books are really good at covering the basics in clear simple language. Others assume you have that base knowledge and skim over the basics, jumping right into the skilled techniques. Weaving is one of those crafts I’ve struggled to learn from a book. More on that later in this post…In a book, you can also feel limited by the author’s personal design style or color palette. It’s important to find one that fits with the type of design you want to create. Lastly, if you’re a social oriented person, learning from a book can be isolating. You’ll want to talk about your exciting new craft discovery and discuss it with other people.
Craft classes are great for those who love socializing and learning with others. You’ll have access to an expert and you can ask questions on the parts of the techniques you don’t understand. Craft teachers are often deeply entrenched in their craft and will have insider tips that have been honed along the way. If you’re a visual learner and need to see a person do the technique, classes are for you. Craft tools and materials are usually provided as part of your class fee so you won’t be hunting down supplies at the last minute.
I haven’t taken very many in-person classes although I have taught sewing classes to kids. Recently, I was gifted a class at Wildcraft Studios on Inkle Loom Weaving. I was also gifted a loom last year and struggled to learn the technique using the booklet that came with the loom and from several books I have in the shop. This class was so helpful and I realized that a very basic beginner step was unclear from the books I was using. Once I had this piece of information, I was zipping away on my first woven band.
Of course, there are some cons to taking an in-person craft class, mainly the cost. I was lucky to be gifted both the loom and the class from my kids. Otherwise, I don’t think I would have learned how to Inkle Loom Weave. It was also an all day Saturday class and at this point in my life, I have the time. Awhile back when my kids were young, I would not be able to take off for a whole Saturday. I’m also fortunate to live in a big city that offers creative opportunities like craft classes. There were two people sitting near me in the weaving class that were from other small towns a few hours away. So, there might also be travel costs involved, especially if you’re attending a craft festival such as QuiltCon or VogueKnittingLive which offer classes.
Another option for craft learning is online classes. I’ve had some wonderful experiences with both Craftsy and Creativebug back in the day. My youngest child is the one most interested in making things(although all three are creative types) and we did multiple online classes together when she was younger. We would get settled on my bed before bedtime and take a 30 day drawing class. Or the felt sewing class where we stitched 50+ stuffies and their outfits and then donated them to a holiday party at a women’s shelter.
The pros of online classes are that they are accessible at anytime of the day, less expensive than an in-person class, and have some of the same visual benefits. You will often get lifetime access to the video lessons so you can rewatch sections at a later time. You can often find a class from one of your favorite crafters. I’ve recently purchased a class from Jo Avery, an applique quilter who lives in the UK. I adore her colorful, playful style of quilting!
I’ve also discovered that I maybe don’t have the best follow through on finishing an online craft class. I’ll watch a segment and then not do the “homework” because I don’t have the supplies or I simply forget to prioritize doing the work. Often access to the instructor is through Facebook and I don’t do Facebook. But there are other classes where you can interact with the teacher and other students through a comment section. Not the same as a live interaction though.
Learning a new craft is an exciting thing and finding the right format for your learning style is a personal choice. I hope you find the way that works best for you because in the end, the joy of participating in a craft is the goal!
Find all your craft book needs at Red Hen Books! Email me at hello@redhencraftbooks.com for personal recommendations or questions.