Create Jolly Holiday Gifts & Decorations with Online Classes from Creativebug

Posted on December 6, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge

Experience the joy of making with the library’s digital resource: Creativebug.

It offers free, online art and craft classes that you can watch anytime, anywhere. All you need to explore your creativity is an in-district library card and an email address to set up a free Creativebug account (this video shows how easy it is).

When browsing Creativebug video classes and daily practices, you’ll find projects for all skill levels with categories covering art and design, sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, paper crafts, jewelry making, food and home projects, and holiday/party crafts.

Within the Holiday + Party category, you’ll find over 100 classes for Winter Celebrations. There are classes on how to craft a variety of ornaments, wreathes, and garlands. You can make custom wrapping paper and bows for gift giving.

If baking or candy making is your passion, you’ll find recipes and instructions for making delectable treats. And if you enjoy creating plush toys, you’ll even find a video class and downloadable pattern on how to crochet an adorable Crocheted Abominable Snowman.

If you’re looking for ideas for handmade gifts, I encourage you to check out the classes on handmade soaps, scarves, hats, fruit canning, and custom herbal tea blends.

A treasure trove of crafting goodness can be found in the Resources section within their Class Collections. In the Create Heirloom Gifts collection, classes include handmade items that people will want to keep and pass down for generations. Among the offerings are a photo album, a handsewn felt teddy bear, baby booties, and an embroidered photo ornament to capture a special place or a special someone.

If you like to sew, knit, and crochet or would like to learn how, check out the Create a Wardrobe for Winter collection. Classes include sweaters, jackets, leggings, tops, pajamas, and more for highly customizable winter fashion.

The Budget Friendly Projects collection includes some simple crafts and some challenging ones that can fit into nearly any budget. The Kids Japanese Side Sewn Book would make a wonderful gift or personal gratitude journal.

Fellow blogger Alison shared the Paper Holiday Village project in her recent blog about cold-weather activities. It is a variation of the House Book project, which can be created with just paper (even paper grocery bags!), colored pens, pencils, or crayons, and a folding tool (like a ruler)—another project to do with kids that’s easy on your wallet.

Speaking of kids, the Crafting for Kids collection includes engaging projects, such as sparkly galaxy slime, cute yarn birds, creative doodling, braided bracelets, and finger knitting to create a slender scarf in any color you choose.

Creativebug classes have some features that I find practical and useful. The videos are broken up into chapters for each part of the project allowing you to go at your own pace. They provide a list of materials you need so that you can determine if the project is within your budget and so you can get the materials you need before you start the class. Crafters can also share photos of finished projects, which I find helpful to compare to my creations.

There are many creative projects and online classes to try this holiday season—and beyond. To get started exploring crafts and ideas for your winter celebrations, head over to Creativebug today!

Erin Dodge is the Communication Specialist for Spokane County Library District, writing and editing information, both online and in print, about the library and its programs and services. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her family, going to yard sales and thrift stores, reading, crocheting, writing fiction, and experiencing the seasons that the Inland Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Tags: adults, crafting, crafts, creativebug, decorations, gifts, holidays, kids, online classes, parents, teens, tweens, video classes