By Jennifer Forker Associated Press
If you’re itching to take up knitting or are stuck in a beadwork project, there’s help online.
Craftsy, a relative newcomer, lists more than 100 courses and workshops and adding 15 new classes each week, says John Levisay, chief executive officer of Craftsy and parent company Sympoz.
A four- to six-hour class, in 30 minute lessons, costs from $14.99 to $39.99. Instructors are professionally videotaped and the classes posted to the site. Once purchased, a class can be watched at any time. Students can post questions to teachers, who respond within a day or two.
Kristin Link of Portland, Ore., started Sew Mama Sew, an online fabric and supplies shop, more than seven years ago. That site provides dozens of free sewing tutorials. Crafters post questions to the YouTube videos they watch, often eliciting new videos.
Craftcast with Alison Lee of New York offers its own take on the craft class: Students tune in to live, 90-minute classes that lean heavily toward jewelry-making and sculpting. The Webinars are $44.95 each, and recordings are available for $39.95.
CraftArtEdu features crafts such as weaving and scrapbooking, and also hits upon the fine arts, including oil painting, watercolors and sculpture. Classes range from 30 to 90 minutes, and cost $15 to $75, according to David Pyle, chief executive officer of CraftArtEdu.
The new San Francisco-based Creativebug let’s crafters pay a monthly fee to view all of the site’s video classes, from paper crafts and sewing to jewelry and printmaking. Subscriptions range from $16.99 per month for a six-month membership to $24.99 for one month.
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