The coronavirus changed the way we do everything. Take crafting for instance. We once gathered together to learn something new and connect with others. Today, the virtual world is more of a place for workshops.
However, COVID isn’t the only circumstance that moved us toward this environment. The internet is a prime place to get educated. The main reason is it’s less expensive to learn than in a brick-and-mortar environment. Furthermore, the skills you attain are wider in scope.
So, how do you do this in terms of crafting? Here are some tips on how to host a virtual workshop for crafting.
Choose A Project
Most likely, you won’t have time to build a treehouse in your craft workshop. So, look for smaller projects that are easy to show on a computer screen or mobile device. For instance, ceramics, painting, or needlepoint.
Select something where viewers either have the needed items at home or could buy them at a local retailer. If your workshop is related to one of your products, then ship the crafting kits ahead of time. This allows participants to view their materials.
In addition to the above items, it’s a good idea to try the craft out yourself before the workshop. This allows you to measure how long it takes to complete or if there are any snags. It’s better to postpone the workshop due to these reasons than to have everyone on for an incomplete class.
Select A Platform
Common virtual meeting spaces have good and bad elements. On one hand, they’re free to use. On the other, they limit the number of visitors or amount of presentation time. Both lead to incomplete projects and disappointed customers.
It’s better to use virtual meeting companies like Connex to host your craft workshop. In other words, an organization with a larger capacity. Also, consider one that offers coordinators that start calls, queue questions, and troubleshoot issues.
Choose Your Setting
Whether it’s a craft workshop or a medical conference, your setting is important. When your environment is too dark or bright, it distracts viewers from the actions at hand. Plus, if the area where you place your camera is unstable, then both the video and audio end up skewed.
Therefore, select an area that doesn’t wash out what you’re doing. Natural light works fine, yet compliment it with well-positioned lamps to create the right dimensions. Find a position for the camera and audio equipment that isn’t too close or far away. You need to run tests beforehand to hit the proper marks.
The space needs to be free of background noises as well. Barking dogs, children playing, and the general sounds of a household distract the online audience. Find a place where those are at a minimum. If an area can’t be found, then make sure the dogs and the kids know you need quiet for a set period.
Practice
You need to practice more than the craft’s construction. Working through the presentation is just as important. Without a period of rehearsal your directions and conversation end up stilted and filled with the dreaded umms.
On top of these items, practice sessions provide an opportunity to test the audio levels and check the camera angles. You don’t want to fiddle around with these media issues during the live workshop.
Record For Others
Although you want a large group of attendees for the live workshop not everyone has the capacity to join during the scheduled date. Yet, they’re interested to see what you workshop. So, you want to record the presentation for later viewing.
There are advantages to this process. First, you eliminate the hesitations of the live workshop. Second, you enhance the audio for clearer explanations. The final product should be more concise than the original.
Creating a virtual craft workshop is not as technical as it was even a few years ago. There are plenty of online tools now available to make a professional and live presentation. The rest of it is up to you.
Without the proper setting, noise levels, or practice the online workshop could fail. Conversely, if you research ahead of the workshop, minimize the background sounds, and properly light your presentation, you’ll gain followers that demand further workshops.
