Lately, I’ve gotten quite a few folks asking me about Blueprint, and what the differences are between Blueprint and Craftsy.

A while ago, I reviewed quite a few of the Craftsy online embroidery classes that I like, explaining why I like them, what’s in them, and how they can be of value to the beginner (and beyond). They’re especially suited to those who don’t have classes or guild groups close by, or who might not have the wherewithal (flexibility in time, finances, or what-have-you) to attend face-to-face classes.

Recently, Craftsy and Blueprint have been showing up together online, so I want to explain the differences and highlight some pros and cons for those who are curious about the two.

Craftsy has been offering affordable, good quality online classes in various craft fields since they first started up in 2011. They’ve gone through some business changes since then. As of 2017, they are owned by NBC Universal. So they aren’t a “small” company.

These days, I think you could legitimately think of them, in a sense, as the “big box store” of online instruction in crafts.

Craftsy & Embroidery Classes

At Craftsy, you can purchase individual online classes that cover a whole slew of hobbies, crafts, and pastimes – from embroidery (which is why we’re talking about it), to quilting, to sewing, to knitting and crochet, tatting… to woodwork, photography, cooking, baking, cake decorating. You get the idea! There’s lots going on, on Craftsy!

Some of the hand embroidery oriented classes on Craftsy are excellent. I’ve reviewed the following Craftsy classes here on Needle ‘n Thread, and I think each of them is well worth the price, if the topic interests you:

1. Here’s my review of Goldwork Embroidery Essential Techniques with Lucy Barter (of the San Francisco School of Needlework and Design) – and here’s the Goldwork class on Craftsy, if you want to take a look at the preview.

2. Here’s my review of Stumpwork: Raised Embroidery Essentials – by Celeste Chalasani – and here’s the stumpwork class on Craftsy, if you want to look at the preview.

3. Here’s my review of Crazy Quilting with Allison Aller – and the crazy quilting class on Craftsy for a preview.

4. Here’s my review of Bead Embroidery (this is more like embroidery with beads) – and here’s the class on Craftsy if you want to preview it.

I also reviewed their Embroidery Start Up Library class – you can read my review of it here – but it’s not one I’d leap into recommending too much.

Overall, there’s a fairly good collection of about ten hand embroidery classes on Craftsy.

They’ve only added one new hand embroidery class in the past year or so – this Modern Hand Embroidery class with Jessica Long of Namaste Embroidery. She creates fun, trendy embroidery.

Blueprint

Blueprint is essentially “Craftsy Unlimited,” with extras.

Besides all the Craftsy classes, there are other online classes available on Blueprint that are not necessarily craft oriented. For example, there are classes in home decor, in fitness, in healthy eating, yoga, family-related things to do, and whatnot.

Blueprint is available either by monthly or yearly subscription. The current special pricing to sign up is $9.99 a month or $100 a year. With your monthly subscription, you get access to all the classes – and that includes all Craftsy classes and all the extra Blueprint stuff, too.

With the yearly subscription, you also receive a “get started” box of your choice, with supplies to start your craft pursuits. There’s an embroidery box, for example, with threads, hoop, fabric, needles, a printed canvas tote bag, and whatnot.

The Biggest Difference

As with any monthly subscription (like Blueprint), it’s usually a good deal if you actually make use of it, or if you know you will go through enough of the classes to make the cost worthwhile.

Of course, if you only want to go through, say, three of the embroidery classes, and you think you can do them all in a month, then you’d get great value out of a monthly subscription that you can cancel.

However, if you forget to cancel, you’re paying for something you’re not using.

And, when you do cancel, you don’t have access to the classes anymore.

With Craftsy, if you purchase an individual class that you really want to learn from – that you will most likely revisit over time as you learn and develop your skills (the goldwork and stumpwork classes are good for this) – then purchasing the class is your better bet, because once you have purchased it, it’s yours to access whenever you want.

In a Nutshell

If you’re an avid crafter and you like what Blueprint has to offer in scope, then it may very well be a really good deal for you.

If you’re more of a specific craft-oriented person – maybe you just want a couple embroidery classes to get you going or to help you really learn a technique – then individual class purchases through Craftsy would probably be the better and more affordable option in the long run.

Why Take an Online Class?

Here’s a recap of some good reasons why an online class might work for you:

• Online classes are affordable. You’re not paying for travel, for lodging, for food, or for daily tuition.
• They’re a great way to brush up on, or expand, your skills.
• They’re easily accessible anywhere, as long as you have a decent internet connection.
• For individually purchased classes, they don’t expire, so you can work at your own pace and revisit them as needed.
• They include quality video instruction.
• They include instructor interaction and feedback.
• And they are (usually) taught by quality instructors who really know what they’re doing. (Definitely in the case of the goldwork and stumpwork classes mentioned above!)

Hope it Helps!

For those who have been wondering about the differences between Blueprint and Craftsy, I hope this helps clarify!

If you’re looking for online classes, both are decent options, but the return on your investment in either really depends on what you’re looking for in a class and how much time you intend to devote to watching online classes and learning from them.

This article makes use of affiliate links, which means that Needle ‘n Thread gets a small kickback from any purchases made through those links, with no extra cost to you. Every bit helps! Thank you!