Creative Bug

Written By Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

Creative Bug emerged from the simple yet profound vision of two busy mothers, Jeanne Lewis and her colleague, who envisioned a platform that could offer craft classes accessible anytime and anywhere. Founded in 2012, Creative Bug was designed to cater to parents and individuals who wanted to engage in creative activities but were constrained by tight schedules. Jeanne Lewis, who has been a prominent figure at crafting conferences and events, leverages her extensive experience in arts and crafts to guide the philosophy and content of Creative Bug​. Creative Bug has distinguished itself in the arts and crafts education space with a robust online presence that offers a wide array of classes and workshops.The platform hosts thousands of classes, which suggests a broad acceptance and recognition in the crafting community​ (Creativebug)​.

Differentiation

What sets Creative Bug apart is its accessibility and variety. The platform is meticulously designed for ease of use, allowing users to access over a thousand video classes on demand, covering a wide range of arts and crafts. From knitting and quilting to jewelry making and paper crafts, the service provides a unique blend of traditional and modern crafts, taught by renowned artists. This diverse offering caters to a wide audience, from beginners to advanced crafters, making it a versatile resource in the homeschooling context​ (Creativebug)​​ (Creativebug)​.

How it Works

Creative Bug operates on a subscription basis, offering unlimited access to all its classes for a monthly fee. This model is beneficial for homeschoolers as it allows them to explore different arts and crafts areas without additional costs per class. The platform is user-friendly, providing tools like class lists, learning paths, and easy navigation to help users find courses that match their interest and skill level.

How to Get Started

To incorporate Creative Bug into a homeschooling curriculum, parents can start with a free trial to explore the platform's offerings. After the trial, subscribing is straightforward, giving full access to all resources. The classes are categorized by age suitability and skill level, making it easy to tailor the learning experience to the child's needs. The platform also includes features like downloadable patterns, templates, and a community gallery for additional learning and sharing​ (Creativebug)​​ (Creativebug)​.

Educational Content

The educational content on Creative Bug is extensive and diverse. Here's a snapshot of the subjects covered:

  • Sewing (garments, embroidery, fabric design)

  • Quilting (design, home décor)

  • Paper crafts (book arts, card making)

  • Knitting and Crochet

  • Jewelry Making (beading, wirework)

  • Arts for kids (drawing, painting)

  • Seasonal crafts (holiday decorations, party crafts) Each category is rich with step-by-step classes, ensuring a comprehensive learning journey.

What’s Good About It

Users love Creative Bug for its high-quality video tutorials, which are not only informative but also inspiring. The platform's flexibility in learning, allowing users to start, stop, and resume courses on their schedule, is highly praised. Additionally, the community aspect, where learners can share their projects and tips, adds a layer of engagement and motivation for students​ (Creativebug)​.

What Could Be Improved

While Creative Bug offers an extensive range of classes, some users might find the platform less focused on in-depth techniques compared to specialized courses. Additionally, the nature of online learning requires a good internet connection, which could be a limitation for some users.

Advice from Parents

Parents recommend using Creative Bug as a supplementary tool for art education, encouraging their children to follow their interests within the platform’s vast offerings. Setting a regular schedule for crafting activities can help integrate this resource effectively into a homeschooling routine.

Ideal Fit

Creative Bug is ideal for homeschooling families looking for a flexible, comprehensive, and engaging art education resource. It suits learners who are self-motivated and enjoy exploring different crafting techniques.

Not a Fit For

It may not suit families seeking a highly structured or traditional art curriculum that aligns with specific educational standards.

Grades: Creative Bug provides content suitable for all ages, with specific classes designed for young children (5 years and up) to adults.

Cost: Creative Bug offers multiple subscription plans:

  • Unlimited: $7.95/month

  • Unlimited Plus: $9.95/month (or $5.95/month if paid annually) These plans provide unlimited access to all classes, with additional perks at higher tiers, such as discounts on materials and the option to keep classes forever​ (Creativebug Help Center)​​ (WhipperBerry)​.

Ways to Get It

Creative Bug can be accessed through their website, with subscriptions available directly online. Interested users can start with a free trial to explore the platform before committing to a subscription​ (Creativebug)​.

They also have many free videos available on YouTube!

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Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

For the last 20 years, I’ve taught over 2000 children in 3 countries (of all socio-economic backgrounds). I pioneered an English language program in a conflict region in the Middle East. I’ve worked as a bilingual public school teacher at some of the highest and lowest performing public schools and in all five boroughs of NYC. I’ve tutored 18 subjects in three languages to some of the wealthiest families in NYC, San Francisco and Paris to make up for shortcomings in private schools they were paying up to $60,000 a year to attend.

Since 2015, I’ve helped hundreds of parents start microschools (way before this was a household buzzword). I founded CottageClass, the first marketplace for microschools and learning pods that was part of the Techstars 2018 class. In 2019, I created a virtual learning program to help families through the pandemic, a free online math tutoring program (masteryhour.org), and schoolclosures.org, a hotline developed in collaboration with Twilio and 80 other partners including Khan Academy, Revolution Foods and the Crisis Text Line, that served 100,000 families impacted by school closures.

I’ve climbed trees with children in forest schools in San Francisco, and tested new digital apps with kids in seven countries.

I’ve also coached dozens of families at different stages in their homeschooling journey. Most recently, I founded Modulo with homeschooling dad, best-selling author and tech entrepreneur Eric Ries, to help families curate their children’s education, social and childcare experiences drawing from a diverse array of in-person and online resources.


During the last three years, I’ve devoted much of my time to reviewing and testing secular homeschooling curriculum and other resource. I’ve spent the last three years talking to thousands of secular homeschooling families, and poring over tens of thousands of secular curriculum reviews and testing physical curriculum and digital apps for with hundreds of students to find the highest quality, most engaging, personalized learning materials for every type of learner.

I’ve spoken about homeschooling and modular learning at multiple venues including SXSW EDU, NY Tech Meetup, and on the LiberatedEd podcast.

In 2022, Modulo was one of 8 organizations who were awarded the Bridge Grant from the Vela Education Fund to expand access to homeschooling and modular learning to under-resourced communities.

My experience in education and homeschooling has led me to believe that there is no perfect education for every child, but families have an extraordinary amount of wisdom they can apply to building the perfect education for their individual child.

My goal with Modulo is to make it possible for any family to easily build a customized education that their child will love, and that will empower the whole family to thrive, taking into account, social, emotional and academic needs.

I love to answer questions from parents and receive feedback on how we can improve Modulo, so feel free to reach out anytime! I personally answer all the questions and comments readers leave on my blogs.

In my free time, I like hiking, traveling the world, tasting ceremonial grade matcha, enjoying dark chocolate.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University with highest honors, with a double degree in French Literature and American Studies and minors in Environmental Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies.

And I love to learn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manisha-snoyer-5042298/
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