Which course would be most useful for OS living?

sanfrancisco

Not on low income, so will have to pay for courses. Do run an old banger. Well 10 year old Volvo. But it does seem very electronic. I'm always getting annoying messages.

So things we have had to pay for in the last year. Masses of car repairs, carpentry, boiler service. I didn't think paying the boiler service it felt like value for money. The other two I felt ripped off. So whilst hubby can hang pictures and shelves, he couldn't turn a door round. But the carpenter had loads of tools. Wouldn't it be pointless learning. A bit of woodwork and then only having a saw!

I'm leaning toward sewing curtain making quilting. I'll get to stay warm! And people have made quilts for me and I rally really treasure them as gifts.

I thought this sounded good, but does it seem useful?

http://www.bracknell.ac.uk/courses/detail?course=DC/M/PX001&t=part

What courses have you all done that you have thought wow that course has been so useful so many times.

armyknife

A maintenance course for that properly old style device, the bicycle.

fuddle

Can I put my little paw in the air and suggest you could teach yourself crafty things via you tube and the like?

I learned basic sewing, machine sewing, embroidery, crocheting, basic knitting and felting via this method. I've never paid a penny and have kitted my home, myself and my kiddlers with my makes.

meritaten

in fact Yootube have courses in just about EVERYTHING! my OH learned how to install kitchen cabinets, tile the bathroom and some basic leccy jobs (like how to fit new light fittings) on yootube. Saved us a fortune, and fuddle is quite correct... I had no idea how to crochet a rectangle - was on yootube. couldn't work out how to do a picot hem in knitting - answer on yootube and am currently learning 'one stroke painting' with acrylics ..............from yootube!

NewShadow

I thought this sounded good, but does it seem useful?

http://www.bracknell.ac.uk/courses/detail?course=DC/M/PX001&t=part

11 weeks and nearly £200 to learn how to check oil and top up the radiator...

Useful is something you'd have to asses, but personally I'd be baking a knowledgable friend a cake and asking them to pop over for a day to give me a crash course.

Courses I have enjoyed/found useful:

£90 two day butchery course - how to joint a deer and turn the meat into a range of products (plus got to keep several kilo of said products)

£10 food for free course - a day in a local wood with an expert learning about wild food - some mushrooms, but mostly things like wild garlic and cooking seaweed. They occasionally also did 'camping courses' at the same per day rate. I learnt how to cook bread (well bannok) over an open fire, and all the things I missed out on by not being a girl guide.

£5 crochet/knitting course - these happen every week at a local yoga place and you just book the week you want/ take something along to get help when you're trying something new. The people there can also help with sewing/vegan cooking/ all sorts - plus there's normally cake

PasturesNew

I'm always looking for "useful courses", whether that's housey stuff or work-potential stuff - and there's never anything.

After reading this thread earlier I went off to look for any form of woodworking course. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Closest/only was a 6 hour workshop on upcycling picture frames by sticking cut out pictures onto them with craft glue!

Over the last 10-15 years useful courses have been killed off .....

pigpen

My partner is doing a year course in woodworking 14 hours a week at the local college.. try carpentry as a search.

Grumpysally

Slightly off topic, but, years ago when we were in our late teens / early twenties one of my friend signed up for car maintenance because she had heard that that was a good place to meet blokes. Trouble was everyone else on the course had heard the same thing and so they were all women.
She's always been able to change a tyre, spark plugs etc so it wasn't a waste of time.

summerlady_2

Could you try a few taster sessions for the various courses and see which appeals to you?


If you choose solely on the basis that it will save you money, you may hate it and drop out, which will be a waste of money.


For craft based courses, the internet is a great resource, but if you like to learn in company, are there any crafting groups near you?
They may be less formal than a course and offer a wider range of basic skills.


I would love to learn to work with wood, but there is nothing on offer locally, and I wouldn't have the space to pursue it at home.