The one thing I have missed (after seeing family and friends) is taking part in craft classes and workshops in person. I have missed the opportunities that craft classes and events give me to try new things. With no Handmade Fair, no Knitting & Stitching Show or in person workshops it feels a long time since I got together with other crafters to make and learn. Of course many events have carried on online but I was reluctant to spend an evening looking at my laptop after a day at work.

Easter Made Easy Craft-Along

However when I spotted an online workshop with Hobbycraft I knew I needed to sign up straight away. I loved the sound of the Easter Made Easy Craft-Along hosted by Becki Clark. I enjoy adding to our Easter decorations and felt pretty confident with my paint pens thanks to all the painted rocks we decorate and hide. So I thought a Spring workshop, learning how to decorate ceramic shapes would be fun.

We would be learning how to use Gouache Paints, Brush Markers and Paint Pens to decorate a variety of Easter ceramics. The tips and techniques shared during the workshop could be used on a wide variety of ceramic blanks, however Becki showed us how to decorate Easter hanging ceramics during this workshop.

There was a huge equipment list and it had all sold out online by the time I got round to ordering it. So I chose a pack of 18 acrylic paint pens from Amazon and ceramic shapes from Baker Ross, these included eggs, hearts and bunnies.

I was sent the Zoom link before the workshop, set up my crafting table and logged on at the allotted time. The workshop lasted an hour and Becki went through the different techniques.

You could adapt each of the projects with whichever products you had, so when Becki used gouache paints I used my paint pens. I picked the pastel shades and they worked really well on the ceramic shapes. I was soon painting flowers and leaves all over them.

I enjoyed taking part in my first online craft class and learning the different techniques. There are so many reasons why you should take part in online craft classes – from trying something new to making time for your hobbies and meeting new people. I love the personalised bunnies I made for my children as well as the hearts decorated with Spring motifs.

The hour went really quickly and I was surprised by my little pile of finished ceramics. We were sent a link to a short video after the workshop which went through some of the techniques, I found this really handy as we covered so many different things in the hour.

I’m not sure why it took me so long to try an online workshop. It’s a great way to learn from the comfort of your own home. Over the last year I’ve taken part in online pub quizzes, online virtual audiences and now I can add online craft workshops to my list!