Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to do something in 2025 to tap into your creative side? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn to draw, paint, make jewelry, throw a clay pot, create a quilt, crochet an afghan, knit a scarf, or even construct a Windsor chair.
If so, there are plenty of classes available locally to help you get started in a visual art — even if you have no idea how to even hold the tools required, let alone what to do with them! Here’s a look at just a few possibilities.
Adrian Center for the Arts
Located on the PlaneWave campus at 1375 N. Main St., Building 46, Adrian
517-759-3005
adriancenterforthearts.org
The ACA holds classes in a variety of creative media, including ceramics, drawing and painting, metalsmithing and jewelry, fibers, printmaking and letterpress, and glass.
Executive Director Valerie Herr said there are classes for all ability levels, from beginners to advanced artists. Many of the classes are designed to introduce budding artists to whatever their chosen medium is, while other courses may be a mix of skill levels.
What to try? It all depends, Herr said. For herself personally, “as a non-artist, I enjoy the clay classes because you can smash it down and start over again,” she said. Other newcomers might be attracted to, say, a painting class that will go step by step from Square One.
No matter what the chosen medium, it’s all about having fun and enjoying the creative process. “Most people are there for the experience,” Herr said, “and they don’t care if their vase is a little crooked.”
And beginners don’t have to worry about being intimidated. “We have a warm and welcoming environment,” Herr said. “Our instructors want you to have a good experience.”
Those who want something other than a full-fledged class experience can even book a private party and create art with their friends or family.
Among the offerings coming up in January and February are courses in watercolors; stained glass and china mosaics; beginning and intermediate jewelry making; personalized note cards; character vases; and pet bowls. Some classes take place over several weeks and some are “one and done.”
The ACA also offers Kids’ Club and Teen Club classes specifically for those age ranges.
Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute
Located on the PlaneWave campus at 1375 N. Main St., Building 41, Adrian
517-759-3070
sambeaufordwoodshop.com
People interested in trying their hand at woodworking for the first time might think that something like a Windsor chair is far above their abilities. But actually, “we don’t want them to think that,” SBWI’s founder and president, Luke Barnett, said.
While it’s true that many SBWI students — who come to Adrian from all over the country and even around the world — are interested in professional-grade instruction, “we’re professionals in knowing when a student needs help and what to help with,” Barnett said.
“We have expertise in teaching beginners. A lot of people come in who’ve never done [woodworking] before.”
And even if others in the class are more advanced, beginners will find themselves surrounded by people who are happy to share tips and techniques with them, even during lunchtime as they mingle with students taking other courses. “What we do here is have a community,” Barnett said.
The notion of woodworking as a male-dominated craft falls by the wayside at SBWI too. One recent student, Vibeke O. Nielsen, who’s from Norway and currently lives in New York, took a Windsor chair class after having previously attended a different class last summer and enjoying it so much she wanted to come back.
“I’ve never had an issue being a woman here,” she said, and even though she’s not the physically strongest student in the class, “as you progress you learn to do it right.”
While Nielsen has acquired a fair amount of woodworking experience by now, she encourages newcomers to give it a try. “There is enough guidance here, even if you don’t have the skills or knowledge yet,” she said.
SBWI’s classes range from single-day to weeklong. The beginner-friendly classes scheduled for early 2025 include courses in bowl turning, making a cutting board, making a band saw box, and even basic woodshop safety.
The Quilt Patch
112 N. Evans St., No. 5, Tecumseh
517-423-0053
thequiltpatch.com
Crafters who want to try their hand at the traditional art of quilting can find a wide range of classes at The Quilt Patch in Tecumseh.
One great option for newcomers to the world of quilting is the shop’s Beginning Piecing and Machining class, a multi-session course that takes place several times throughout the year. “It walks you through the whole process,” said Quilt Patch owner Lorraine McNeal-Gable, and by the end of the course students will have a couch-sized quilt of their own.
No matter what budding quilters are interested in accomplishing, “we try to accommodate all levels,” McNeal-Gable said. People can even get one-on-one instruction on things like how to use their sewing machine.
Those who might find an entire quilt too much of a project to start out with can find plenty of other things to make, such as table runners or placemats. McNeal-Gable often recommends that beginners start out by learning how to make a pillowcase because they’re easy to create.
Students of all ages — both women and men — take classes at The Quilt Patch. The shop also hosts open-sew days for people to just come in and work on a project. Those turn into especially good ways for people who’ve met at a class to keep coming together and to build community.
“Quilting is a very social activity,” McNeal-Gable said.
The store carries a full range of materials for all sorts of quilting-related projects, as well as selling and servicing sewing machines, and McNeal-Gable said she and her staff are always happy to help customers who stop in with questions on their projects.
Tink and the Frog
128 E. Maumee St., Adrian
517-759-3990
tinkandfrogyarnshop.com
If your newfound crafting interest involves knitting or crocheting, Tink & the Frog’s instructors can teach you how to make anything from socks to sweaters and everything in between.
Shop owner Michelle Beechler said she encourages new knitters or crocheters to take one of the beginning classes in their preferred craft. That will teach them the basic skills by creating a simple piece like a washcloth.
Tink & the Frog’s beginner-level classes include Knitting 101, First Steps in Crochet, and Learn to Knit Socks. A range of other courses are also regularly offered.
Materials are included in each class’s cost. “That way we know they’re using the right materials,” Beechler said, and not making a mistake like using a color that just won’t work well for the project.
“We want to make sure they succeed,” she said.
Students run the gamut when it comes to skill level, from people just starting out to those who’ve knitted or crocheted for a long time and want to learn more. They also come in a range of ages — “and I do have men come in who knit and crochet and they love it,” Beechler said.
She said that a person who’s just getting started in knitting or crocheting will find that Tink & the Frog’s classes offer a real sense of community. “We have a very supportive community of knitters and stitchers, and it’s a very social activity.
“… It’s like a clubhouse here. People get to know each other and have a lot of fun. And it’s a welcoming environment. … We’re an inclusive shop. We welcome everybody.”
And for her, besides having the chance to pass on her love of knitting and crocheting to others, she gets to see what happens when a new crafter creates something of their own for the very first time.
“It’s really great to see people say, ‘Look what I did!’ ” she said.
