Craftsy Review

Hobby crafts have experienced a resurgence in recent years. Once the preserve of sweet old ladies, it is now an increasingly common sight to see the younger generation knitting on the commute to work. Some argue the boom in crafts is due to the economic bust, with those feeling the pinch trying to save money by making their own goods. However, this thriftiness has not stopped craft apps becoming big business.

Craftsy is one of the better examples of craft apps for the iPad, providing video tutorials in subjects as diverse as knitting, sewing, baking, metalwork and flower arranging. The app download is free, but most of the videos cost extra, though there is enough to enjoy if you don’t want to pay out for lessons.

The videos themselves have very high production values, filmed in HD. The content of the classes seems very thorough and lasts about an hour. The tutors in the classes we took also deserve commendation, being that rare breed of teacher with both real-world experience of their subject and the ability to explain it eloquently.

The video screen also comes with some additional features to aid your studying, for example the button in the top-right corner offers a downloadable PDF of class materials. When watched in portrait position (landscape position allows fullscreen viewing), there is an ever-updating feed of comments from your classmates. The student forum allows you to ask questions about the course and post up photos of how your project is coming along. There is also a notebook that logs the time stamp on the video for every entry you write, so you can go back and watch it again. Helpfully, whenever you post a comment or a note, the video automatically pauses while you type in the text box so you don’t miss a thing.

These little extras make studying much easier. However, the feature that really sets Craftsy apart, but is exclusively for paid up users, is interaction with your tutors. This level of extra attention easily justifies the £13.99/$19.99 price tag of most courses that could potentially run into the hundreds for a real-world class.