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Okay, so I've been asked to hold classes on scrapbooking/cardmaking at our local crafter's showcase.
How much would you pay to go to a class (for beginners) and how long do you think the class should last for your money? I need to charge enough to cover the cost of supplies and my time, but I just have no idea how much. I receive 80% of the fees paid, the store gets 20%.
At each class, my initial plan is to make AT LEAST one card, one 6x6 page, and one 3D project. I was guesstamating 4 hours, and about $20. but I can't help thinking that that might be too long and too much money for most folks.
I think 2 hours is plenty, but I'd expect to make more like 2-3 cards, 1 3D and 1 page. I think you might have more success with a card-only or scrap-only classs though.
People tend to want to make specific things, not a smorgasbord. Just my opinion!! This way you don't lose customers because they don't scrap or don't want to make cards....
they have offered me the room every saturday if I want it, so in theory, I could do cards one week, scrapbooking the next, and so on.
2 hours sounds good to me, cause do I really want to be teaching for 4 hours??? but I'm a slow stamper, do you think that's plenty of time for about 20 ladies? I guess I could bill the class as 2 hours, and if it runs over, no big deal because I have the room all day??
I think the price would depend on the area you live in. I know around here, the class prices range from $15 to $30 depending on what's being made. I just looked up a LSS costs. A class to make three cards is $15. A class to make a stationery holder with 4 cards is $22. Here's the links to a couple of our local stores so you can kind of compare the going rate and what they offer for the money.
Another thing I recommend you do is to practice your presentation. Even if it's in front of your dog! That way you know exactly what you're doing. Even better if it's with a person so you can see how long it will take them to do something.
I also agree with Kimberly that you should keep the class specific to one craft. Cards one week, scrap page the next. 2 hours is a good amount of time. I recommend having all the pieces cut out ahead of time and set up at each woman's seat. That way all they have to do is assemble. If you use inkpads, are you going to have more than one of each color you use? It would take a while for one pad to go around 20 women. Also, when I go to a class, I really appreciate a materials and instruction sheet to take home with me.
Thanks so much for the hints, tips and suggestions!!
I just got home from talking with the owners of the store, and my first class is going to be on the 8th. 2 hours, but she said I can stay all day if I want, so I'll schedule the class for 2 hours, and if they need/want to stay longer, they can.
We settled on $20. The first class is going to be a back to basics beginners class.
For my first class, this is what I have decided to do:
4 cards, all the same stamps, but different colors etc. I'm gonna go from super simple basic, minimalist, graduated steps up to pretty elaborate. Every card will be totally different except for the stamps I use.
Instead of doing scrapbooking and 3D's, I am going to provide just samples for them to see, and let them know that I will be having other classes in the future dealing with scrapbooking and 3D projects.
I may also prepare 4 scrapbook pages the same way as the cards, and give the attendees the choice of scrapbooking or cardmaking. Then no matter what they were expecting (because there used to be a scrapbooking class there) I will be prepared.
I think your basic idea is terrific! It is always good to see many different ways the same set of stamps can be used. But IMHO, I think it would be wiser to keep the stamping and scrapping classes separate. Use the same idea for scrapping, but don't offer them the chance to do both in the same class. If you have "raw beginners" showing up, you will have your hands full. It is a delight to see them discover the joys of stamping---but I remember how much "hand holding" I needed when I first started.
Good luck! Let us know how your first class went when it is over.
I think your basic idea is terrific! It is always good to see many different ways the same set of stamps can be used. But IMHO, I think it would be wiser to keep the stamping and scrapping classes separate. Use the same idea for scrapping, but don't offer them the chance to do both in the same class. If you have "raw beginners" showing up, you will have your hands full. It is a delight to see them discover the joys of stamping---but I remember how much "hand holding" I needed when I first started.
Good luck! Let us know how your first class went when it is over.
sorry I wasn't clear, I meant they could either do cards OR scrapping, in case they were accustomed to the previous classes. I just meant that I want to be prepared for both. If I get all scrappers and they don't want (as a group) to do cards, I would be prepared to do sb pages INSTEAD.
One of my pet peeves in papercrafts classes is when stores offer classes on things I could just look at and copy. I prefer to learn a technique that I can use at home later. So many of the cards classes charge $20+ just to put pieces together to make cards and 3D items.
I think the biggest obstacle for beginners is learning how to cut cardstock. It's like the whole 'give a man a fish .... teach a man to fish' concept. YKWIM?
I teach at a local stamp store with a friend and it's $20 for 2 hours. We have just done our first beginners' stamping class and in 2 hours we made one card and they made the fixings for another, but these people in many cases hadn't stamped before, so we really did have to go back to basics. Like, this is how you ink a stamp, this is how you use a heat gun.
You are going to need to think about have you got enough stuff on hand for them all to use at the same time, so enough ink pads, enough stamps, enough embossing powder, enough card for them all to work at the same time?
Will they be able to buy the stuff you have used in the stamp store? They want to buy the stuff there and then so they can go home and practice what they have just done, especially if they are beginners.
Another mistake we made was to confuse them with too much choice. I would say for the first class, keep it incredibly simple, especially if it is a beginner's class as you want to set them up to succeed so they get the bug and not feel like they have failed.
If they are more advanced than you thought, have back up projects for them to do but I would definitely only do cards to start with as you want them to sign up for more classes and if you do everything on the first class there is nowhere for them to go.
Please feel free to pm me if you want to know about the trials and tribulations of teaching a beginner's stamping class!
Wouldn't they know ahead of time what they were signing up for? I've only ever gone to a class where I knew what I was going to be doing.
The flyer/sign up sheet says cards, scrapbook pages and/or 3D papercraft projects. It explains what I will be teaching to a minor degree. Various techniques for doing all of the above. And how to tie card making and scrapbooking together.
what I really want to teach is card making, I'm just concerned that the people who used to go to the scrapbooking classes will be the ones showing up, and I just don't know if they will be all gung-ho over cards, KWIM?
Aha, now I understand. I've never seen anything like that. That's going to be hard because some will be interested in cards, some in scrapbooks, and some in 3-D. Why did the store owner word it like that? That kind of leaves you in a bind. I completely understand your wanting to only teach cardmaking, but the wording suggests you'll be doing a lot more!
Maybe you could (as you sort of suggested earlier) have the class about cards, but have the scrapbook pages set out to look at. But have them done just like the cards, only bigger and with photos instead of a stamped central image. For instance, use all the same papers, embellishments and stamps, maybe even the same layout, with minor adjustments. That would really tie in cardmaking with scrapbooking. Then your main focus really could be cardmaking.
I think your ideas sound great, btw, about the graduated difficulty of the cards. It would be nice if the store owner could give you an idea about the experience level of the students.
Maybe since you're doing a class that teaches techniques that will work for SB'ing and cardmaking, you could make a display board that uses one stamp set and a few techniques like emboss resist etc. Make a card, a 6x6 page and a little treat box like the good 'ole 2-4-6-8 box. That way, people will know exactly what you're teaching.
Those types of projects should keep 'em busy for 2 hours AND they will learn a few techniques. Plus, if they're not scrapbookers, they could make the 6x6 into a card instead and tell 'em that you can get large square envelopes etc.
How much would you pay?
Our craft store charges
