In this class, Courtney demonstrates how to work with paper clay to make gorgeous, personalized ornaments. Paper clay is an air-dry medium (no baking required), making this the perfect project for kids and adults alike. Once your ornaments are cut out and have dried, learn how decorate them with gold leaf, watercolor, and little messages. Hang these ornaments on the tree or tie them to gifts for an extra special handmade touch.

Expert sewist and quilter Leslie Schucker demonstrates how hand-stitching and colorful details can make a sweet and simple holiday stocking for your mantle.  The EZ Quilting Templates make cutting your fabric shapes a snap and no sewing machine is needed for assembly. Learn how to whip stitch fabric panels together, use an appliqué stitch to sew on colorful embellishments, and work the couching stitch to personalize your project with a yarn monogram. 

Spruce up your blank walls with this fun and fast Christmas tree string art. With just map tacks and yarn, Courtney Cerruti shows you how to create a gorgeous geometric design in any size you please. This project is the perfect way to add a big splash of holiday cheer to any room, and it’s perfect for large parties when you don’t have room to fit a full Christmas tree. 

Keep your creativity going strong during one of the busiest seasons of the year by making a holiday art journal. Dawn DeVries Sokol shows how to transform everyday ephemera into collage fodder for your pages, working with embellishments, images and lettering to create holiday themed pages without a fuss. Every week, Dawn provides new themes to focus on, encouraging you to take a few moments a day to sit down and celebrate the season. Be sure to share what you make in our class galleries, or on Instagram #cbdrawaday #cbugholiday #creativebug !

Learn basic and advanced card making techniques with longtime Hero Arts educator, Libby Hickson. Over the course of a month, learn how to stamp, emboss, die cut, and embellish like a pro. Make a project every day, beginning with Holiday cards that use methods and materials that can be adapted to cards for every occasion. Libby will guide you through common troubleshooting tips, innovative ways to use materials, and a variety of artistic effects to use on cards and paper projects. All of this inspiration and instruction will give you a jumpstart on making cards for the whole year.

Emily from Wilton shows you how to make buttery, bite-size spritz cookies from scratch—perfect for parties, holidays and special events all year round. You will learn how to make spritz dough in custom colors, and use the cookie press to create cookies in a variety of pretty shapes. Once the cookies are baked, Emily will share several creative ways to decorate them using sprinkles, sugar pearls and Candy Melts® Candy.

Mark each day of December with an heirloom advent calendar. Alison of Kata Golda shares templates and tips for hand stitching charming details on plush wool felt. Little pockets hide holiday treasures, and all the elements come together to create an interactive calendar that will be cherished year after year.

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.

Make every day feel like a celebration by adorning your home with garlands. They add instant color, joy, and festive vibes to your space, and the best part is that you can make them out of almost anything. Artist Twinkie Chan shows you how to create three different styles of garlands: a cheerful pom pom garland that's also a great craft for kids, a beautiful crepe paper leaf garland that introduces you to some basics of floral design and paper flower construction, and a crocheted popcorn garland that you can use year after year. There's something fun for everyone in this class, and garland-making is a fabulous reason to throw a craft party with your friends and family.

Who says Christmas stockings have to use traditional motifs? Liana Allday shows you how to give stockings a modern makeover with fresh, vibrant fabrics. These stockings require minimal cutting and sewing, making it easy to whip up a batch for your family. The neutral linen lining and leather strap tie the palette together, making your large-scale florals and colorful prints look cohesive when they’re all hanging together over the fireplace. 

Crochet designer Twinkie Chan loves making crocheted stockings around the holidays. They evoke such warm and nostalgic feelings, and they truly seem like something her Grandma Wendelton would have made. Join Twinkie and learn how to crochet an heirloom granny hexagon stocking. This classic granny hexagon motif is perfect for the season because it resembles a giant snowflake, and Twinkie teaches you the basic granny stitch, which is made of double crochet stitches and chains. You’ll also learn how to work in the round to create a six-sided shape. Choose your own color scheme and how many colors to use, and easily adjust the size of your motifs to change the size of the stocking. To assemble the hexagons into a stocking shape, Twinkie provides several diagrams and guides you through her preferred method of putting it all together with a hand-sewn fabric lining and a hanging loop. Imagine how sweet your home will look with a line of cozy, handmade stockings, waiting to be filled with special treats and holiday magic.

Learn how to knit this adorable English robin, complete with a cherubic little body, wings, tail, and pointy beak. This red-breasted bird is knitted in pieces and comes together quickly. Megan Kreiner not only shows you how to knit the bird, but also demonstrates how to assemble all of the bits and pieces and attach it to a twig.
 

Knitwear designer Faith Hale demonstrates how baby knits are particularly rewarding (and cute!). Work with a washable, hand-dyed yarn to make three projects, arranged in order of difficulty: a triangular bandana, tall booties, and a hat with optional kitty ears. This contemporary layette is knit entirely in garter stitch and you'll learn to increase and decrease, pick up stitches, work yarn-over eyelets and knit an I-cord. With these quick-to-stitch projects that are adorably giftable – what’s not to love?

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. 

Keep your hands busy and your heart full during this year's Festival of Lights. Artist Faith Hale demonstrates how to make two iconic Hanukkah motifs: the Star of David and a driedel. Use simple folds and paper specific to origami paper (or any text-weight paper in the color palette of your chosing), these projects take only a few simple steps that are easy to complete and memorize. Use the resulting projects to adorn gifts, string on garlands, or mark seating placements at the holiday table.

Drawstring bags are a charming way to present a gift, and they couldn't be easier to make. Ashley Nickels adds a twist to this beginner sewing project by showing you how to finish the inside with French seams, and instead of twine or rope, she shows how to use selvedge trim to create your own drawstring. This customizable bag can be sewn in any size desired.
 

A coat may seem like an ambitious sewing project, but Deborah Kreiling – the Design Development Director at Simplicity Patterns – breaks it down into simple steps that you can do at home. In this class, Deborah shows how to make a fit and flared coat by Leanne Marshall, featuring all of the bells and whistles: lining, princess seams, double collar, and toggles. This coat can be made in two lengths and in a variety of fabric weights for all seasons. Deborah will be with you every step of the way, sharing expert insight from her 35 years of experience at Simplicity Pattern Company. 

To make this modern patchwork tote, Anna Maria combines elements of two traditional blocks – the Log Cabin and the Snowball. She creatively riffs on the essential elements of both to arrive at her Melting Snowball Tote, which is lined and interfaced. Anna Maria covers cutting instructions, how to construct the bag, add a pocket and comfortable straps, and assemble it all into a charming, oversized tote bag.

 

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.

Not only can a lumbar pillow add a quintessential pop of color to your home, but it’s also a handy tool for learning an array of sewing techniques. In this class, Michele Muska shows you how to make your own pillow form in order to optimize customization and sew a cover with an invisible zipper. Then, you’ll work with interesting fabrics and materials like grosgrain ribbon, suede, cork, vinyl, and hook-and-loop-tape to create unique and removable belly-bands.

Bring the night sky into your home with hand-embroidered zodiac constellations. Crafter Faith Hale demonstrates two methods of transferring the patterns included in the class PDF, then how to work the star stitch and the straight stitch using metallic thread. 
 

Making hand rolled truffles at home is easy and yields professional results! Learn from master chocolatier, Mark Tilling, as he shows how to make a classic chocolate ganache that then gets rolled into delicate truffles. You will learn how to add flavors to your ganache and decorate your truffles with cocoa powder or metallic dusting colors. These truffles require only a few ingredients and can be made in advance.

Nothing says Christmas like gingerbread cookies and a candy-covered gingerbread house. In this class, Emily shares the classic Wilton recipe for making gingerbread from scratch, and then demonstrates how to make adorable gingerbread boys and girls. She then moves on to the crowning achievement of any holiday bake-a-thon – the gingerbread house – showing how to expertly construct and decorate a charming little holiday abode.

Once you've been marbling for a while, you may have amassed a bunch of prints you aren't sure what to do with. Or maybe you someone who loves to add that personal touch of handmade to everything you do. Either way, this celebration-focused class demonstrates how to jazz up your gifts with colorful, unique wrappings. Surface designer Mercedez Rex leads you thorough how to reuse your previously marbled papers as wrapping paper and envelope liners, then how to marble ribbon, gift tags, and balsa wood ornaments in festive jewel tones.

For a comprehensive look at basic marbling techniques, please see Mercedez's class Creativity Through Marbling: An Introduction.

With the Cricut Explore Air 2 Wild Rose bundle, there’s no such thing as starting from scratch. Your first projects – empowerment hashtags – are ready to make right out of the box. Artist, designer, and avid Cricut user Natalie Malan shows you everything that comes with the bundle and three ways to connect your machine. Use transfer tape and the scraper to attach a vinyl hashtag to your machine, then learn to cut, weed and transfer a design of your choice. After completing this class, you’ll have the skills and confidence to begin working independently on your Cricut machine.

Learning to sew clothes can be intimidating, especially if you’re working with a multi-size pattern. Joy Macdonell of Simplicity Patterns breaks it down for you in this comprehensive course. Learn everything from how to set up your sewing machine and read a pattern to how to create darts, facings and hems—basically, all of the must-know sewing techniques that you'll use over and over again to create your own clothing. This class is the perfect introduction to garment sewing for newbies, and a great way to brush up on your skills if it’s been awhile since you last sewed.
 

Learn the basics of knitting with Carla Scott, the editor of Knit Simple and Vogue Knitting magazines. Carla will teach all of the essential skills a beginner needs to know, from casting on to binding off and troubleshooting mistakes. Best of all, you’ll learn how to read knitting patterns, so you can take the information you’ve learned here and try it out on any beginner’s project you please. Everything included in this information-packed class is used by the Craft Yarn Council to educate new knitters, providing a perfect foundation for anyone who wants to learn how to knit, or simply needs a refresher.

Learn the basics of crochet with hook-and-needle expert, Carla Scott. In Part 1, Carla will teach you everything you need to know to get started, from fundamental stitches to the importance of understanding gauge. Then, in Part 2, Carla will walk you through more advanced techniques, like changing colors and decreasing and increasing. You’ll even learn how to read basic crochet patterns, so you can take these skills and follow any beginner pattern you like. These techniques are all endorsed and used by the Craft Yarn Council to educate new crocheters, making it a great course for newbies or anyone who needs a refresher.
 

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.

This workshop offers a mother lode of information about patchwork and piecing. Liza covers tips and advice from her decades of experience – starting with selecting, prepping and cutting fabric all the way through machine piecing for blocks, triangles, diamonds and the dreaded Y-seam. She also covers chain piecing and different kinds of foundation piecing. Consider this a master class in all aspects of patchwork and piecing.

 

This is a kid friendly version of the four-hole Japanese Side Sewn Binding, no needle required! Kids can use the finished book to write in, draw in and tell a story. And they’ll be very proud of themselves after making a book!

Your project possibilities are endless with the power of Glowforge. Using laser technology at the push of a button, the Glowforge can cut, engrave, and shape designs from a wide variety of materials. Lauren Marcinek from Creativebug will show you the ins and outs of using the machine, including how to connect your laptop or computer, which materials you can use, plus her basic do's, don'ts, tips, and tricks. After completing this class, you'll be ready to take your making to the next level with a professional and personalized touch.    

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.

 

Quilting has a vocabulary unto itself. In this workshop, Liza deconstructs quilt construction and its vernacular – explaining patches, blocks, batting, sashing, binding, borders, quilting and more. This is a beautiful show and tell of different quilt traditions and techniques – from antique log cabin and crazy quilts to applique, string piecing and paper piecing quilts. Throughout, Liza emphasizes the “make-do” tradition of quilting with a warmth and reverence that inspires.

 

Crochet is an endlessly versatile technique for making hats, scarves and sweaters, not to mention sculpture and rugs. And all you need is some yarn and a crochet hook. In this workshop Cal will explain and demonstrate the foundation crochet stitches and finishing off. You can create reference swatches of each stitch, or alternate them to create a stitch sampler.

Want some help when it comes to learning your way around a machine? Liesl points out the main components of a sewing machine as well as how to thread the machine and wind a bobbin so you will be ready to dive into the sewing process with confidence.

In this class, Liana Allday shares three different ways to make and finish cloth napkins. Learn how to make playful fringed-edge napkins, faux rolled-hem farmhouse napkins, and classic mitered corner napkins. Whether you’re throwing an extravagant dinner party or making a batch to give as a gift, Liana shares how easy it is to select fabrics that will cater to your occasion. These napkins require minimal sewing, making them the perfect skill-building project for beginners.
 

For beginning artists, nothing is more elusive than learning how to use simple lines to create dimensional artwork. In this class, artist and illustrator Molly Hatch starts at the very beginning, covering all of the elemental tools and materials you’ll need to get started, and demonstrating how simple lines can be used to create contoured shapes. From there, you’ll learn fundamental exercises for adding depth and dimension to line work. This course is designed to give you a basic understanding of line drawing that will serve as a foundation for all of your artistic endeavors.

There’s no better gift to give at the holidays than a cozy, oversized cowl. In this class, Anne Weil shows how to make a simple arm-knit cowl using nothing more than super-bulky yarn and your arms. She even shares a fun variation, perfect for the holidays – a bulky scarf with festive pompom adornments. In about an hour, you can whip up this luxe accessory for the ultimate in handmade gift-giving.