If you are a creative person and would like to spend more time learning about different crafts and skills, then Craftsy may be for you.
In fact, you may have heard about Craftsy for a while now but not really been sure what it is all about.
Craftsy is an online school that features fun and practical courses for those who love to be creative.
While you may think it is new, it actually used to be called Craftsy, but then they rebranded as Blueprint. However, they are now back to being Craftsy again.
Even so, you might be thinking whether Craftsy is worth a go. You are in luck. This guide will tell you all you need to know about Craftsy, and whether it is suited to you.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at Craftsy review and know what you want to learn.
What Is Craftsy?
As you are probably already aware, Craftsy is an online educational platform that allows you to learn new craft skills, or build upon the ones you already know.
It provides its users (or students) with high quality lessons in a digital format, all priced quite reasonably.
Not only that, you can expect to be taught by a person who is a professional within their own field.
One of the main reasons people like Craftsy is because it is not only professional and very user friendly, but it is often said that it is affordable too.
The online craft platform also allows you to learn new skills wherever you want to be.
So you could be sitting in the comfort of your own home, or on-the-go. However, what you can be sure of is that their motto rings true: “Bring creativity to life”.
That is exactly what you will be doing.
How Does Craftsy Work?
Because Craftsy is a virtual educational platform designed for those who like to craft, it means all you need is the equipment for that particular class and a Wi-Fi connection.
On the platform you will find a number of different classes, from knitting, painting and photography, to cake decorating, cooking, and writing.
There is a lot to choose from making it the go-to for learning online. Each of the classes are fronted by professionals who are experts within their fields.
This gives each class some reputability, and it ensures that you are learning correctly and efficiently.
The classes themselves are not live if you go with the free option, however if you are on the premium plan, you can stream live ‘instructor events’.
This means that generally you do not have to be sitting in front of your computer at a particular time to take a class.
Instead, they are in the form of high resolution videos that are high quality.
They can be downloaded to a tablet, PC or a smartphone, making it accessible to everyone, wherever they are.
Did Craftsy Rebrand Itself?
Craftsy did rebrand back in 2020. While the company was originally known as Craftsy, it later changed to Blueprint. However, now it is back as Craftsy.
Since the latest rebrand, the company has kept the Blueprint app. They have also added a plethora of new classes to coincide with the ‘relaunch’.
Over time, all of the old classes and so on will be moved from both Blueprint and the older Craftsy platform. This may take the company some time to do, however, so be patient!
Since the rebrand in 2020, they removed the ability to purchase any craft items such as kits and materials. You never know, this may return in the future.
Should You Buy A Premium Membership At Craftsy?
The good news is, you do not need to purchase a membership to buy any of the classes on Craftsy.
Anyone can sign up and spend money on a class without having to buy a membership.
Even so, there are plenty of benefits to buying a premium membership at Craftsy.
One of the best benefits of doing so is to have complete access to every single class on the platform.
If you are really creative, then this will be ideal for you. This could also be a great present to a craftoholic in your family.
Also, the download option is only available to those with a premium subscription.
This means you can re-watch classes at any point, and save them if you need the reference at a future date.
Can You Use Craftsy For Free?
While there is no free trial at Craftsy per se, you can use the platform free of charge. While that might sound great, there are limitations.
Most of the subjects offer free classes, but there are not many to choose from. You will also find that the information is quite limited and often basic.
You will also run out of classes per subject. While there may be 14 free classes in cake decorating, there are 201 classes altogether.
This means that there are 187 classes you cannot partake in. So, while you can use the platform for free, it is always worth giving the premium membership a go.
What Are the Classes Available At Craftsy?
There are many different class subjects available at Craftsy. Here are just a few of the most popular classes which might be of interest to you:
Sewing
Sewing has risen in popularity over the years.
Whether you are looking to be more sustainable, save some money, or like to make your own clothes, you will enjoy the sewing classes – after all, it is always a useful skill.
As the largest category on the website, there are 207 classes. You will find that eight of these classes are free, but limited.
One of the most important things to note is that most, if not all, of these classes focus on those who already know how to do basic sewing.
This can be a shame for those who want to use the platform to begin sewing in the first place.
However, if you do already know how to sew – and sew quite well – then you can learn about sewing bags, lingerie, and so much more, as well as how to avoid those common sewing mistakes.
Photography
Surprisingly, while photography is very popular these days, especially due to having smartphones, there are only 84 photography classes.
However, only one of these classes is available for free. Whether you are a beginner photographer or a seasoned pro, there will be a class suitable for your level.
This means that nobody will find the classes too easy, or too intimidating.
Some of the classes focus on particular techniques used in photography, as well as capturing portraits and landscapes, among so much more.
There are even specific classes to help you with editing tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
Painting
If you want to up your painting skills, then you will love the exclusive watercolor and portrait class that the platform has to offer.
You have the option to look at the different classes either in alphabetical order, or by looking at new to old, and old to new.
Currently, there are just over 90 different painting classes. Do keep in mind that none of the painting classes are available for free.
Some of the things you can train in are general skills, to specific areas like screen printing, painting flowers, animals, and even upcycling old furniture.
If you are a beginner, they also have classes to suit you as well.
Cake Decorating
If you are looking to learn how to make and decorate perfect cakes, then Craftsy has plenty of courses for you on the subject.
Not only that, there are also classes that focus on the business side of owning a cake business, and secrets from the industry.
There are 201 classes altogether, which is one of the biggest subjects upon the educational platform.
While it is great there are so many classes, there are two other things worth noting.
Firstly, the well-known cake decorator John Russel fronts 12 of the classes. Secondly, there are 14 free classes on cake decorating.
However, let’s talk about the latter. While it is great to know that there are 14 whole free lessons on cake decorating, the lessons provide very limited information.
In order to get to grips with cake decorating, you will want to pay for a premium membership.
Doing so will give you complete access to beginner classes, as well as intermediate classes, as well as the various other videos.
For example, cupcakes, frosting, cookies, fillings, and so on.
Cooking
You might be surprised to find out that Craftsy also includes cooking classes. In fact there are currently 148 classes about cooking.
However, if you want to try out the classes, there are two which are completely free.
When it comes to what the cooking classes teach, you can learn about the complete basics of cooking, as well as the different cooking methods.
They also often feature new methods to try.
There are plenty of different cooking lessons which also include worldwide cuisine such as Italian, Indian, Mediterranean, Vietnamese, Thai, and so many more.
If you want to learn about more than just cooking dishes, you can also discover the baking classes which includes cakes and bread, and also classes focused on healthier eating.
What Is The User Experience Like At Craftsy?
Craftsy has been created in such a way that makes it super user friendly for its ‘students’. The interface is clean and easy to follow, as well as engaging.
It includes lots of professional instructors who front the videos and give the platform reputability. All-in-all, it is a great way to learn new skills in the comfort of your own home.
What Is The Pricing At Craftsy?
The overall pricing at Craftsy is quite affordable, and there are two different payment options so you can choose whether you want to try the platform on a monthly basis or for the whole year.
As of now (2022) you can pay $8.99 a month for a premium membership at Craftsy.
You can also pay $89.99 a year for the annual premium membership. You save $17.89 by going with the latter option.
With the premium option you can access more than 1,500 classes, stream the live ‘instructor events’, receive weekly newsletters, and so on.
You can also choose Membership Sharing which allows you to share the premium account with three other friends or family members.
The good news is that it doesn’t cost anything, and has a value of around $270.
This means you can save even more money by all three of you chipping in to pay for the membership. Win-win!
Can You Get A Refund At Craftsy?
While there is the option to take some classes for free, as we stated before, these particular classes are limited and there is not much choice.
Some subjects, like painting, do not even offer any free classes.
If you do want to try the platform but feel unsure as to whether it will suit your needs, then you can get your money back.
There is a 30 day money back guarantee in place. However, this is only for the annual membership.
Another way to trial the platform is by choosing the monthly option. This way you can cancel after the month is up. You cannot get a refund on the monthly subscription.
Final Thoughts – Is Craftsy Worth It?
If you are looking to learn a brand new skill or refresh an old one, then something like Craftsy may just be what you need.
It offers users the chance to take crafting classes no matter where they are by learning via videos and live instructor streams.
However, you may find that paying for a membership is the only worthwhile option, as the free classes are very limited, and few and far between when it comes to subjects.
Overall, it is a good educational platform if you are interested in learning about different crafts, from painting and sewing, to cooking and photography.
