Get pictures off of your phone or computer and turn them into a beautiful handmade album. Jody shows you how to create an accordion album that is as unique as your photo collection and can be customized with different ways to attach photos and text. This entry-level bookmaking project turns photos into a work of art that can be displayed, given as a gift, or tucked away for posterity.

 

Give an old book new purpose by turning it into a book safe. Jody shows you how to create a finished safe in a few simple steps. You’ll be scouring your bookshelves and flea markets for hardback books that can be transformed into clever and handsome hiding places for cherished items.

Faith uses a five-hole pamphlet stitch and decorative cording to make this single-signature leather journal. This video originally appeared live on September 11, 2018.

Check out Faith's DIY Traveler's Journal class! 

In this technique workshop, Gretchen shows you a versatile technique that you can use on any pencil skirt pattern. Instead of a high waistband, you’ll learn how to add a ribbon facing that doesn’t add any bulk to the waistline, which is ideal for making pencil skirts in heavier fabrics. The hand stitching and old-fashioned materials result in a classic, tailored piece.

 

Create a rustic looking chalkboard sign that you can change with the seasons. Using the magic of steel wool and apple cider vinegar, Courtney guides you through aging a wooden frame to perfection. You will learn how to create your own chalkboard backing and then complete the project with a message written in chalk.

Learn how to turn simple blocks of wood, photocopies and beeswax into personal works of art. With their lived-in patina, these storyblocks offer endless options to personalize. Courtney will teach you specific techniques, along with how to best select images, and tips for composition and decoration.

Cool and classic, simple and sophisticated, the Lady Soul Sweater is a fabulous quick knit. Featuring minimal shaping and an intriguing cable running up both arms, this sweater comes together in a snap using large needles and fluffy yarn. Lucy from Wool And The Gang walks you through casting on, working the cable, seaming the sweater, and picking up stitches to create a luscious funnel neck. The slightly cropped fit is oh-so-chic and can be easily extended by knitting a few extra rows.

Part collage, part book art, part mixed media exploration, the Altered Books Daily Challenge uses simple skills like cutting, gluing, inking and painting to transform old texts into new and extraordinary works of art. Creativebug staff instructors Courtney Cerruti and Faith Hale are book lovers and paper fanatics. In this 28-part series, they share their favorite techniques for altering found books to create unique pieces of art. Once you learn how to choose a book for altering, where to source your ideal ephemera, and how to prepare pages, you’ll follow a daily prompt or technique to spark your imagination. After the month is over, you’ll never look at an old book the same way again.

Learn how to turn sentimental or special fabric into custom book cloth for your handmade books. Jody explains which fabrics work best, and shows the traditional Japanese technique of backing fabric with washi paper to create a durable book cloth that can be used to create hardcover books and personalize your book projects.

 

Peter Pan collars can utterly transform the look of any outfit. Amy shows you how to design your own collar pattern so the collar fits snug against your neckline, and how to incorporate tailoring techniques that ensure it lays flat and crisp once it is sewn. You’ll learn how to create removable collars that range from demure to vintage to sassy that will expand your sewing skills and the versatility of your wardrobe.

In this class, Courtney creates Halloween shadow puppets using the Cricut Explore cutting machine. These spooky Victorian silhouettes are fun to make and even more fun to put into action. Courtney shares tips for using different types of materials, like card stock and wood veneer, and how to add your own decorative flare using paint or ribbons.

Bring nature indoors with these simple, sweet lanterns that emit a lovely diffused light for any holiday table. These waxed paper lanterns come together quickly and easily and show off pressed flowers and leaves in a modern, casual way.

Bring some vintage-inspired sass to your day, without learning technical millinery skills. Amy shows you how to take hat forms, drape and line them with fabric, and add trimmings. The effect can be sixties-cool, jaunty, or anything in between depending on the materials you use. If you think you are one of those people who could never pull off wearing a hat, let Amy show you how it’s done.

Present food with pizzaz at your next get-together with a beautiful, personalized serving tray. Lauren Marcinek from the Creativebug team shows you how to use the Glowforge to engrave on slate. You'll learn how to choose and upload a design, then how to adjust the correct settings on your machine. There's no need to be daunted by the tricky material as the Glowforge does all the hard work for you. The classic design of the tray fits in with any home, and the personalization makes for a thoughtful and unique gift. 

Allie uses dried flowers to make an evergreen terrarium that can survive even the blackest of thumbs. This is a recording of a Facebook Live event held on September 12, 2017.

Take your calligraphy to the next level in this creative lettering class. Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls covers techniques for writing with calligraphy on unconventional surfaces, like wood and chalkboard, using acrylic paint, gouache and chalk. You’ll also learn how to mix custom colors with gouache, allowing you to work with hues other than black and white. If you’re brand new to calligraphy (or just want a refresher), be sure to take Maybelle’s Calligraphy for Beginners class to practice your lettering.
 

Upcycle old vases or bottles with this fun, quick Cricut project. Courtney demonstrates how to use the Cricut Explore to create a floral stencil, and then she spray-paints the pattern onto a glass vase. Drop in a votive or add some water with your favorite fresh flowers and you will have a lovely new table decoration.

Reverse appliqué is the signature look of Natalie’s designs at Alabama Chanin. Natalie demystifies the process in this workshop, showing you how to add depth and texture to a cotton table runner. The technique is worked on two layers of fabric, with the top layer stenciled and then stitched to the backing layer. Once stitched in place, parts of the top layer are cut away to expose the color below for a satisfying final reveal.

Zines are DIY booklets (“zine” is short for magazine) – perfect for showcasing your artwork and sharing with friends. Zine enthusiast, Courtney Cerruti, shows you how to make four simple zine structures using copy paper and a photocopier, including 8 or 16-page books made from a single sheet, an accordion book, and a pamphlet stitch book. Courtney fills her zines with found photos and doodles, but you can feature anything that sparks your imagination. Drawing from her own collection of zines, Courtney shows examples of each structure to get you inspired. 

Learn how to create velvety lines and ghost-like shading with charcoal and blending tools. Lisa Solomon demonstrates the qualities of compressed black and white charcoal and charcoal pencils using blending stumps, a kneaded eraser and a chamois. At the end, you’ll learn how to use them all together to create volume and depth.
 

Learn how to engrave your favorite photo memories onto wood with this easy and impressive Glowforge class. Lauren Marcinek from the Creativebug team guides you through choosing the best photo for engraving, uploading your file to the machine, and adjusting the settings for laser engraving. The Glowforge does the hard work for you -- all you need is a piece of wood to start making beautiful mementos for your friends and family.        

This stylish backpack is modern, chic, and easier than it looks! Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou shows you how a few rectangles of canvas can turn into a gorgeous everyday bag. You’ll begin by creating a unique stamp for printing the pocket fabric of your backpack. She’ll then show you how to shape the body of the bag with an easy gusset, and add leather straps for a beautifully finished backpack. All steps of the project are easy to do with a home sewing machine and a few straight stitches.

This workshop is a perfect introduction for those interested in book making. An accomplished book artist, Jody takes you through the terminology used in book making and introduces the many tools used. She talks about different paper types, paper grain, cover vs. text paper and also shows how to tear paper three different ways. She covers multi-signature preparation, bookbinding knots and a variety of glues.

 

This class is jam-packed with six different Halloween craft projects that range from gothic and bookish to add a slightly sinister note to an adult cocktail party to paper decorations and Halloween surprise balls that will enliven any kids’ party. Use these ideas as a jumping-off point to customize your own Halloween decorations.

These vintage-inspired tap pants will become a sleeping or lounging staple. Expert seamstress Gretchen shows you how to draft a pattern based on your own measurement for a customized fit. She shares her tips and tricks for how to sew with slinky fabric and how to add two different kinds of lace to the waist and hem. You'll finish off this boudoir essential with a darling little bow - then get ready to get cozy.

Faith and Liana get super spooky with the Halloween decor using office supplies to make heads in jars. This video originally appeared live on October 31, 2017.

See how Courtney uses simple image transfers to decorate spooktacular glass votives. This video originally appeared live October 3, 2019.

Want more decor spookiness? Check out Spooky Heads in Jars and Crafting Together: Spooky Specimens.

Or if you want to learn more about image transfers head over to Courtney's Image Transfers class! 

After writing and blogging about art for a decade, Danielle Krysa, aka The Jealous Curator, discovered her passion and her own art practice in collage. Finding collage to be the perfect place to express humor, wit, and explore design sensibilities, Danielle shares her enthusiasm for the possibilities of the medium as well as practical tips and techniques. Learn how she sources and organizes her materials, how to iterate compositions and how to work with abstract components.

Create original, hand-painted paste paper to use as gift wrap, holiday decorations, or any other use you can imagine. Courtney shows how to create graphic and colorful designs that can be customized in any way. You'll learn how to create patterns and how to layer them for beautiful effect. It's like finger painting for grown-ups!

Turn those small, intimate moments from life into a permanent treasure by transferring them onto wood. Working with photos printed out on laser copies, Courtney Cerruti shows you how to create the transfers, offering a few different finishing techniques to customize your miniature works of art. The wood adds luminosity and brings out the beautiful, muted colors in your photograph. Learn more about laser copies here.
 

Blank books are deceptively simple vessels of creativity. In this month, bookmaker Faith Hale demonstrates a new structure, variation, or technique every day. From traditional bidings like a three-hole pamphlet to innovative structures like the blizzard book, you’ll glue, fold, and stitch your way to a library of possibilities. Whether your style is precise or playful, in this class learn fundamentals of bookbinding and find a structure that ignites your imagination.