What will you make this February? Watch this quick promo to get a sneak peek of our all-new releases and seasonal favorites. Click here to watch all of the classes shown in the promo.      

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.

First time sweater makers, have no fear! If you’ve mastered the basics of crochet and are excited to move on to garment stitching, the Colorblocked Pullover is an ideal introduction. Marly Bird, proud Red Heart spokesperson, walks you through the four pieces of construction: front, back, and two sleeves. Stitched up in a cozy, washable merino, this yarn comes in 24 shades. Switching colors is easier than it looks, lending a pop of visual interest to an otherwise basic garment, and slip stitches make for swift seaming. 

Every artist needs an apron, and making one couldn't be simpler when you begin with a ready-made button-down shirt. Creativebug staffer and upcycling enthusiast Faith Hale explains how to choose the perfect shirt, then shows how to disassemble it and turn the sleeves into giant patch pockets. This project is great for beginners and quick to sew for the more seasoned sewist. With ample coverage and large pockets for stashing art supplies and tools, the resulting smock is sure to become a studio staple.

The head and face are often the most daunting part of sketching a figure, but the process can be simplified by following basic rules of proportion. Artist and educator David Tenorio gently demonstrates how the head can be broken down into segments, resulting in properly proportioned facial features and details that make for a realistic portrait. You’ll learn the “ball and jaw” method, how to sketch with charcoal, and how to place features into the face. Finally, you’ll learn how to trust your eyes, recording what you see rather than how you believe faces to be – a skill essential for drawing the human figure.

Learn how to make the easiest jersey shirt ever with Fancy Tiger Crafts. Dream team Amber and Jaime teach you how to create a “One Hour Top” beginning to end on a sewing machine – but they also show you how to sew the seams with a serger if you so desire. This wardrobe staple is ideal for everyday wear and works up beautifully (and quickly) in a solid knit or a fun print. (Sizes range from 32" - 45" bust.)

A Pineapple block traditionally features strips of patchwork that radiate out from a center point, creating a beautiful design full of energy and movement. While it’s typically important to cut precisely and match your points perfectly, modern quilter Heather Jones teaches a method for piecing this block without measuring or matching, resulting in a loose, contemporary version of the original. This class is a fun way to create blocks quickly using leftover scraps of fabric, and it’s perfect for anyone who wants to practice improvisational quilting techniques and play with color.

In this workshop, Natalie shares some of the old wives’ tales that she’s heard about stitching over the years and the truths that each tale reveals for smoother and easier hand sewing. After watching this workshop, you’ll have a deeper appreciation of the physics that determine how cotton jersey and thread behave and you’ll be ready to get stitching by hand.

 

In this short and sweet Valentine’s class, Courtney teaches you how to make personalized dishware using plain ceramic pieces and porcelain pens. Courtney demonstrates how to adorn mugs and plates with Valentine’s motifs—hearts, arrows, X’s and O’s—in a way that’s sweet (but not too sweet). In fact, these lovely personalized dishes are sure to become year-round favorites for your loved ones. Once you have adorned your ceramics, you’ll simply bake them in the oven to set the ink and then they’re ready to wrap up and give to your sweetheart.

Stretch your creative muscles and join Pam Garrison in this fun four-part celebration of doodling. In Pam’s classes, mistakes are embraced and you are encouraged to think outside of the box as you play with your designs and develop an expanded visual vocabulary. The great thing about doodling is that anyone can do it, nearly anywhere! If you already doodle while on the phone, in meetings or in the margins of your notebook, Pam’s class will help you take your creative doodling practice even further. 

Wendy Bernard teaches you how to knit fingerless mitts featuring a gorgeous Nested Fans lace pattern in this handy tutorial. Fingerless mitts are great for cross-season warmth, plus they’re ideal for typing away on your electronic devices while keeping your hands toasty. In this action-packed class, you’ll learn how to start with a simple ribbed cuff, read a lace chart, shape a thumb gusset and more. The mitts call for very little yarn, and are a great opportunity to use that precious skein you’ve been saving for a rainy day.

This is the class that started it all: our years-long fascination with Daily Practice classes. Featuring updated material and additional content, this is the perfect class to discover the transformative power of undertaking a big creative challenge. Every single day for a month, we challenge you to draw along with Lisa Congdon. Lisa has hand-picked 31 objects to draw, and demonstrates several ways to render each object using just your imagination. This creative exercise is designed to help you embrace wonkiness and imperfections, all while learning to see everything around you—be it bird or bikini—as artistic fodder.
 

Pro furniture refinisher Barb Blair teaches you how to create a sweet accessory rack out of found wood and drawer knobs. This project only takes a few minutes to make, but the resulting rack will hang on your wall for years and years to come. It’s perfect for hanging scarves and necklaces, and it’s easy to customize the size and style with your choice of materials.
 

Orizomegami is the Japanese art of decorating papers by folding and dipping them into pools of natural dyes. By folding the paper in a variety of ways, patterns emerge which are reminiscent of stained windows and depending on the number and placement of the folds, you can create more complex patterns.

Learn how to sew the bindings Jody shows as her samples in her Japanese Side Sewn Sketchbook class. 

Working with chocolate is an art unto itself, and there’s no better person to learn from than master chocolatier, Mark Tilling. The first step in any chocolate making project is learning how to temper chocolate. This process perfects the crystallization structure, ensuring that, when cooled, your chocolate will be glossy and have a great snap. The tempering process can make or break your chocolate creation, so it’s important to temper it correctly for successful results. In the first part of this class, Mark teaches how to melt chocolate in a microwave or double boiler and how to troubleshoot common mistakes along the way. Once you understand how to temper chocolate, making your own chocolate bars is a quick next step. Mark  shows you how to use a bar mold and delicious mix-ins, like dried fruits and popping candies, to create custom bars featuring dark, milk, and white chocolates. In addition to showing how to combine flavors, Mark also demonstrates how to color and marble chocolate, and work with cocoa butter gold coloring to paint your darkest bars. Once you understand the fundamentals of working with chocolate, you’ll have a basis upon which to expand your skills. 

Learn how to embellish favorite found stones with gorgeous crochet patterns. Knit and crochet designer, Anne Weil, demonstrates how to make these intricate little decorations, perfect for gifting to friends or displaying as a collection. The patterns are customizable, too, so you can decorate anything from a small stone to a larger rock.