Hobby Ideas

When I was learning how to teach the Craft Demonstration was key.

I had had the classic teacher training. It was simple they said.
Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them”.

I never forgot the message. It stood me in good stead for all my teaching, all my instructions, each and every demonstration I made in the future.

I learned how to demonstrate from the very best. In the UK there is an Organization called the Womens’ Institute. They have a nationwide group of members who tackle any subject from preserves to Climate Change.

I was fortunate to move up from local member to County Member and County Craft Judge. This, together with my teacher-training background taught me the basics of how to present my subject to the best advantage.

I learned how to show and tell. How to tell a story with my Craft. How to present it, and myself. The short and the tall of it was that I fell in love with the whole process of ‘putting on a show”.

From teaching in my local education school to selling at craft fairs, from running a stall for a major retailer to promoting my own craft products. The Craft Demonstration was powerful stuff.

It is the whole notion of telling a story. Involving people, making them believe that they can too, that it is all possible.

Baby steps, simple explanations, easy on the eye and gentle encouragement is all crucial to success.

Watch any good craft demonstration and you will be part of the show.
And perhaps you will notice how you leave a good craft demonstration knowing more than you did before.