Comments on: Teaching a Beginner’s Crochet Class

By: CAROL

CAROL — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 13:44:43 +0000

such wonderful suggestions! i have recently picked up crocheting again ( i retired from my job) and now people ask me how hard it is to learn… ( i take it with me when i know i’ll be standing in line for the bank or doctor’s appointment)..i am strongly tempted to offer a class…i’ll let you know how it turns out…thanks again for great ideas and suggestions.

By: Alma

Alma — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 02:25:37 +0000

MARY LOU: Here in Shreveport, La I understand they are charging from $15-20 per hour. For myself I just love the craft so much I don’t charge anyone. I do a lot of volunteer work and it just leads me to more people that want to learn. It’s just whatever you are comfortable with charging and what kind of prices are in your area, some areas have low income and some have more, so I’d use that as a guide.

Wishing you the best on your lessons. Also if you need any info, please feel free to contact me.

GOD BLESS, Alma

By: Diane Bustamante

Diane Bustamante — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:18:47 +0000

I created post cards offering two-hour crochet lessons at beginner and intermediate levels for individuals and small groups. I charge $25.00 for a two-hour lesson. At my first craft fair, I gave them out as people came into my vending booth. Lately, I have been second-guessing my rate, however I was comfortable with it when I had the cards printed! I received several comments that crochet lessons are hard to come by. I am hoping that I can generate interest and revenue.
Thanks for all of the wonderful tips. It’s definitely important to keep things fun and to have a lesson plan or goal. I think a field trip to a local craft shop for supplies and yarn would be a fun thing to do.

By: Fiona Audain

Fiona Audain — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 22:05:17 +0000

I used to teach Crochet in my own home. Nothing weird about that, some of the ladies were my friends others became friends. Before any crochet was done we would have our loosening up exercises, this was always greeted with lots of laughter and certainly got rid of the work weeks tension. We laughed at ourselves as much as each other, standing shaking hands around, arms, legs and rolling heads and shoulders. Everyone sat where ever they were the most comfortable, be that on a chair or most of us sat on the floor. A run through of our crochet week, then on to the lesson. I always tried to make it fun for everyone & encouraged them to watch, learn & help each other. One of my ladies became confident enough to start teaching a few of the girls at a school close to where she lived. I would let them browse through my numerous crochet books & choose what they would like to learn to do. Afternoon tea, questions & show and tell wound up the afternoons lessons with ladies eager to do some more crochet and invite friends to join our monthly get together. They had my phone number & I encouraged them to phone me if they wee stuck with a stitch or instruction. Didn’t get many calls, did have a lot of fun and learned along with my class.

By: Fiona Audain

Fiona Audain — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:51:19 +0000

Sue, I used to teach in my own home for a group of ladies. My strategy for getting them to leave was to state at the outset that the class would run from 1-30pm through to 3pm when we would then have a cup of tea/coffee & afternoon tea. Followed by 1/2 an hour for questions, show and tell. All the ladies appreciated the time given to them and would happily chat while the dishes were done and everything packed up. They all let me know if they were not going to be able to be there for the next lesson & were all eager to turn up for the next!

Hope that this helps! Failing that, you could go and get a bowl and potatoes, carrots etc and start peeling them for tea, saying goodness I didn’t realize how late it had got!!

Have fun and encourage the students to help each other are my other big tips!

By: Mary Lou

Mary Lou — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:13:11 +0000

Would anyone be willing to share how much you generally charge per person? Any difference between a child and an adult?

All of your tips are great and I am seriously considering trying to teach within my neighborhood.

Thanks!

By: Alma

Alma — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 19:09:34 +0000

I’ve been teaching classes for many years now = My first time was at Shriner’s Children Hospital in Shreveport, La; what a surprise and challenge; I had 8 ladies (moms of patients there), only 1 spoke a little English and the rest only knew Spanish – I went on the Internet to get my instructions translated into Spanish, then I could use the English and they go to the same in Spanish – Don’t like to brag but the ladies did great and left doing some beautiful work – I also was awarded “Volunteer of the Year” for teaching this class. I taught during the summer for low income children and loved it and made so many little friends = I’m now teaching at a Maternity Home near me and they are so excited.

I’m left handed and use the “Mirror Image”; where I stand in front of them and they use their right hands to do what I’m doing with my left. I hear so many talk about left handed and there is nothing to it, you just reverse some of your patterns like when making clothes (anything like Afghans, Scarves and etc you just do as the pattern says). I’ve even taught successfully other left handed people.

By: sue

sue — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:19:14 +0000

Great post. I just taught a private lesson yesterday, one that still has me pondering what I could have done differently. I was exhausted when we were done……..but, I do think the woman was generally happy & “got” the technique she was after.

One tip I always forget! I often teach in my home & it brings with it one huge drawback. Students just don’t go home when a typical class is over. If I teach somewhere else, I start packing up my supplies & samples about 5 minutes before class is over………….taking questions at the same time. I haven’t come up with a polite way to end classes here at my house.

By: Brenda M

Brenda M — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:45:46 +0000

I’ve taught a variety of crochet classes to all age groups over the years, along with other types of arts/crafts/jewelry, and feel strongly that “each one should teach one” (or a few more!). If you love your skill, you should spread the knowlege of it to others to keep it alive and fresh.

The most important thing—–no matter WHO the audience consists of——is to keep your sense of humor about the whole process. It relaxes folks, and establishes the best atmosphere for learning. Be prepared, be organized, but be willing to laugh at YOURSELF!!! One of the best icebreakers I’ve ever incorporated is to show the newbies my own “mistakes”, and then talk about how I fixed them. Talk about your own learning “stumbles”, and offer up flexible solutions to getting past these spots.

It’s much more important to instill the desire to learn more by enjoying the work, than to be so uptight about perfection in the beginning stages. Just like riding a bicycle, your skills get smoother and more efficient as you practice them—–not when you start and stop because it’s not “right”.

By: Barbara L

Barbara L — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:01:27 +0000

I have been trying to find a crochet group near me in the Reading Berkshire area, there just does not seem to be anything!!!!