At Creativebug, our hope is that you experience the joy of making by watching our 1,000+ award-winning video classes taught by top designers and artists. (Okay, you probably won't watch all 1,000 classes, but with our unlimited access membership, you could if you wanted to!) This quick explainer video gives you a glimpse into the minds of the brilliant instructors on our site and tells you a little bit about what you can expect with a Creativebug membership. Want to give it a shot? Sign up for a risk-free trial! 

Learn how to emboss metal with artist Mia Semingson of Two Hands Paperie. Inspired by traditional Mexican tin art, Mia shows you how transformative and flexible metal can be - you can even use the metal from a tube of tomato paste or paint. She begins by demonstrating how to transfer a paper template to thin metal sheet, then learn how to push and pull the metal to create embossed textures and designs with tools you might already have on hand. Find out how to paint your metal projects with alcohol ink to add touches of color. Start with a metal test strip to experiment with your tools and paints, and then Mia will guide you through three different projects: a low-relief ornament with an image of a hand, a sacred heart which includes layered pieces with lots of dimension, and a high-relief embossed box lid which is a wonderful opportunity for upcycling.

Crochet designer Tian Connaughton may also be an experienced technical editor and teacher, but she always keeps in mind how to simplify designs in order to take up as little of your precious time as possible. Crocheting a garment may seem like an epic task but Tian will surprise you by demonstrating how accessible and meditative it can truly be. With only single and double crochet stitches, you’ll be able to add this lovely T-shirt to your handmade wardrobe. Learn how to crochet ribbing and lace paneling, plus how to make a gauge swatch and block your work. Tian notes that while this top may be challenging for absolute beginners, she encourages the adventurous.

There's a uniquely good feeling that accompanies making something to give away. Whether you're a knitter, crocheter, or general crafter, there are many places that could use your generous donations. In this class, staff artists from Creativebug talk through some of their very favorite projects they personally make for charitable crafting. Faith Hale talks you through three knit hat patterns and her favorite charities for gifting these toasty toppers. Crocheter Twinkie Chan shows how to make a rectangle that can be incorporated into a larger, group blanket, and Courtney Cerruti demonstrates a no-sew fleece tie blanket project that's so simple, you can even get the kids involved.

Multi-media maker and author of Handmade Houseplants Corrie Beth Hogg finds magic in the cross-section of nature and art. She fell in love with working with paper because it's so versatile, unpretentious, and accessible. Join Corrie for a foliage-filled month of making four lifelike paper plants to decorate your home: Boston ivy, an oak branch, smooth sumac, and the begonia "fall fashion." These are a few of Corrie's favorite autumnal examples because of the striking, colorful display that the real varieties gift us in the fall. You'll work on one plant at a time and complete a simple step each day, starting with making your own cardboard templates with Corrie's PDFs. Then, learn how to transform paper into leaves with painting, cutting, folding, and hand-drawn details. To turn your leaves into branches, Corrie teaches you how to use floral wire and floral tape.  You'll be able to apply these techniques to just about any plant you love, in any colorway, and for any season. Creating paper plants is a beautiful and meditative way to capture a seasonal moment that can be so fleeting and to keep it for as long as paper lasts.  

Keep your favorite tiny toes toasty by making these soft and cute baby slippers. Author, illustrator, and maker Sanae Ishida designed these to fit 3-6 month old babies, and they make an excellent gift. Sanae  shows you how to make fox slippers as well as raccoon slippers, beginning with laying the pattern out on fabric, then sewing your project together on a machine. Learn how to add elastic to the heel for a perfect fit, applique with zig-zag stitch, and hand embroider some simple details that will make those adorable animal faces pop. 

You can never have enough clothing that feels as comfy as pajamas but still looks stylish. When you draft your own patterns, your clothes will fit and feel even better. Author, illustrator, and designer Sanae Ishida teaches you how to take your torso and sleeve slopers that you can make in her sloper classes and make adjustments to draft a pattern for the banded collar dress from her book Sewing Love. After drafting, you'll move on to constructing the dress while learning how to add pockets, sew gathers for the back skirt, and make a neck bias binding for the split neckline. For a fun variation and second piece of clothing, see how a few small changes in the drafting process can transform your dress pattern into tunic pattern. The tunic includes a button placket, with Sanae demonstrating how to sew buttonholes and buttons. Build so many drafting and sewing skills in this robust class, and find yourself with not only two beautifully finished garments but also the knowledge of how to design many more of your own.

Introducing CbMixtape! Mixtapes are playlists of specific bits from different classes, grouped together by a common theme. Heidi Parkes is our resident hand yoga expert, reminding us to care for our most important tools. These simple techniques aid in joint health and promote the healthy function of your hands and wrists.  

If these mini lessons inspire you to dig deeper, check out Heidi's two daily practices, both of which include a weekly hand yoga lesson:

Love Letter Quilt Top: A Daily Practice
Story Quilt Top: A Daily Practice in Hand Stitching

With decades of experience as a professional sewist, there’s still nothing Michele Muska loves more than sewing for the home. Use an 18 degree template to make a Dresden Plate, then quilt using both hand and machine. You’ll use heat-resistant batting to make the runner table-safe and will finish by making your own fabric bias tape. Choose your favorite fabrics to customize your runner for any season.

Quilter Sarah Bond has a special, deep relationship to quilting. After learning how to quilt nearly 40 years ago, she discovered an extensive family heritage of quilting, specifically from her foremothers Jane Arthur Bond, Ruth Clement Bond, and Louvinia Clarkson. Learn how she was inspired by the work of her foremothers and how it contributed to the evolution of her intricate, colorful style. 

Stay tuned for quilting classes from Sarah Bond releasing later this year. You can also find Sarah on instagram here. 

Bring your tabletop to life with this leafy felt garland, perfect for year-round celebrations. Amber Kemp-Gerstel from Damask Love shows you how to cut out several leaf shapes on the Cricut Maker and assemble them with floral wire for sturdy construction. In the version shown here, Amber uses mostly green leaves with fun pops of color throughout, but you can make your leaves any color you like to suit the season. Get the template free on the Cricut Design Space.
 

Take your crochet skills on a wild adventure and decorate your home with a menagerie of cozy, crocheted animal rugs. Crochet designer and author Twinkie Chan teaches how to make three different animals, all worked in rows and mainly in half double crochet. You'll use big yarn and a large hook, so these big projects go a bit faster than you might think. Start with the bear, which is the most basic pattern, and see how increasing and decreasing your stitch count can create shapes. The tiger rug is a very similar pattern with the fun addition of color changes, lots of eye-catching applique, and discovering how to create a curved tail. For the crocodile rug, you'll incorporate lumpy bumpy popcorn stitches which create extra fun texture - plus lots of pointy claws and pointy teeth. With modular construction, it's easy to experiment with your own patterns, shapes, and colors to create tons of different animals from real life or your imagination.

There are nearly as many ways to darn as there are ways to get holes in clothes. In this class, expert sewist Cal Patch demonstrates her very favorite techniques for mending. She'll show you how to darn knits and woven fabrics using crochet on both flat and curved surfaces. You'll also learn an invisible method of traditional darning on a sweater, then with a contrasting yarn on some socks. Finally, Cal covers several methods of mending with patches. Who knew that mending could be so decorative?    

Known for their chic take on classic knits, Wool and the Gang introduces the super-chunky Best Bet Beanie, great for those wanting a quick knit. It’s a one-skein project that comes together in just a couple of hours on super-sized US 17 needles. Ideal for beginners, the hat is worked in a 1 x 1 rib before it is decreased and seamed. The feel-good "Crazy Sexy Wool" yarn comes in 30 class shades, perfect for customizing to anyone on your gift list.

Make gratitude a part of your daily art practice with artist and Faber Castell creative Mou Saha. Each day this month she’ll share a prompt and technique focusing on the moments, people, and themes of her life for which she is the most thankful. You’ll use ink and paint to make drawings, paintings, and hand-lettering to complete your spreads. Learning to take a moment out of your every day to visually express gratitude takes a bit of practice but after a full month will become second nature, and you’ll be amazed by how your perception shifts.