Learning through… TikTok?

Learning through… TikTok?

This week I began an ambitious project, as I not only tried to create my very first embroidery piece but also tried to do it solely using TikTok. I chose to use TikTok because I wanted to learn how to transfer my own designs as well as some other smaller issues I had, like tying off my string. TikTok is a platform I am very familiar with and I felt the short format would be beneficial for learning these smaller skills.

I started by trying to find information on transferring designs onto the fabric. I found out there are a few different ways of doing this, most of which depend on my access to a printer (I have 0 access) and the availability of special ink or pens (I also have 0 access to this). Some of the ways I learned you could transfer designs is by getting a special printer paper that will print right onto your fabric. Another way is by tracing a design with a heat or water erasable pencil. You can also get dissolvable paper that you can print on and stick right to your fabric. I didn’t have a heat erasable pencil so I just drew my design on a piece of paper and traced it using a regular pencil on a window as they suggested.

One issue I did have with using TikTok as a learning source was that the short format made it difficult to find help with creating patterns or patterns to follow. I tried to find someone with a beginner pattern but I had to resort to just drawing my own based on inspiration from others. Another issue I had was that since I was looking for very specific things, I sometimes couldn’t find them or they would give a more vague solution.

After tracing my design I began working. This project took me about 7 hours, which I was pleasantly surprised by, as I thought it might take multiple days. As I began working I found videos on how to tie off the string so that the back of the piece would remain neat. I found skills like this or refreshers on certain stitches were very easy to learn from TikTok.

After many hours of tv and trying not to prick my finger 100 times, I finally finished my first piece! I decided to showcase my work by making a TikTok, which may or may not have been more difficult than the actual embroidery (I accidentally deleted it 3 times).

Overall I found TikTok was a good learning source for what I attempted to use it for. I think it can be a great platform for dealing with specific issues but it’s not something I would use to learn something completely. I found it impossible to go through an entire piece solely depending on TikTok, but it did teach me skills I needed to be able to do it on my own!

 

8 thoughts on “Learning through… TikTok?

  1. Your blog post is very helpful to me as I was thinking about using Tik Tok as a platform to learn my own learning project. Based on what you said I will try to use it for my first lesson this week as you said that it is short videos that doesn’t have time to go into a ton of detail. Also the embroidery you did this week is very very impressive.

  2. Hey Ava! First off I want to say that I am so impressed that you created such a beautiful piece after only week 1 of our learning project. I can`t wait to see what else you create; I am sure it will be amazing! I haven’t thought of using Tik Tok as a learning platform, but I think I am going to give it a try as well! I am doing yoga for my learning project, so I am going to search for some yoga videos on Tik Tok and maybe use that platform for week 2, so thanks for the inspiration!

    1. Thank you, Jasmine! The secret to my success is a deceptively easy pattern haha. I’m glad you found my post useful and I think TikTok would be such a great way of learning some yoga tips! Can’t wait to see what you do!

  3. Hello Ava!
    I am very surprised that you learned how to do it from TikTok. I am very impressed how fast you did it. For me, it is very perfect for someone who was learning to do it. Possibly you did not know that you have that talent. Congratulation!

  4. Hey Ava!

    Your piece looks great! I am also hoping to learn embroidery or at least get through one piece for my learning project – I think our journey’s will look a lot different and I am excited to compare resources and methods 🙂

    Definitely interesting to see you had used TikTok as I was thinking it would be a great resource to help me learn the little things that might get brushed over in other resources.

  5. Loved that you used Tiktok to help you get through your project! I always see so many different DIYs or how-tos and save them into an aspirational folder. Maybe one day I’ll actually get started on them, but I’m perfectly fine living vicariously through you!

  6. Wow!! That is impressive work! Tik Tok is proving to be such a helpful resource. I appreciate how short and sweet the videos are. But as you said, some supplemental sources may be required.

    What is your plan for your first finished piece of work? Gift? Classroom?

    1. Thank you, Kaelyn! For now, I think this piece will go on my bookcase as decoration. I plan to research different ways of setting it up aside from just being in the hoop, perhaps in a frame? I plan to gift my future ones so my house isn’t overrun with embroidery lol.

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