Have you ever wondered how everyone manages to film those beautiful videos and tutorials? I sometimes wonder that! But I do things my own way, and have barely any actual proper tools, so I wanted to share the way I film my videos and tutorials for my online courses. To show you that everything doesn’t have to be perfect with all the expensive equipment.

Read on to see the ways that I hack an old tripod and a small square of wooden ‘table’ as my studio / filming space.

And I thought I'd share a little of the behind the scenes of how I film my video tutorials. As much for keeping it real, but more to remind you - and show you - that you don't need fancy or expensive equipment, you don't need to know everything or be the most best at something, you don't need technical skills, and you don't need to wait around for someone else to help you. You can do what you want right now, with the simple tools that you have. 

This past year and a half I've taught myself how to film videos and get them uploaded to my website. How to make sure they're the right format, size and all that. I spent a little while wondering if I might need some help, some better equipment, some know-how from someone experienced in such technical aspects. But only a little while pondering and wondering. Because - like a lot of things I do.... I know I can do it; I just have to jump in and try. 

I continue to surprise myself by the things that I can do. By simply trying, by making mistakes, learning as I go. Many things do not work out, many are wonky and totally "not professional", many have my own personal quirks, many are not what most people might put into the world as part of their business. But - you know what. I will not, ever let that stop me. I am not many, indeed I am not even a few. I am just one, just me. And if I wait around for the perfect everything, for the perfect filmed how-to video with all the right edited moments and perfect overlay of music or slide-ins of my logo or something.... If I wait for that - then I know it'll never happen. I mean; the whole tutorial in general will never end up on line. 

I am very much a 'done is better than perfect' person. But I am also, in my business as well as my creative practice, eager to show that things don't need to be perfectly edited, slickly finished, immaculately presented to be right or beautiful or interesting. That the world in fact needs more 'do it your own way' or 'make mistakes happily' attitudes towards getting things done. That a downloadable template needn't be so pretty that it goes viral, or gets all the re-pins. It just needs to meet its purpose of inspiring someone, showing someone, sharing something, offering something.

Anyway.. all that. Here's a couple of behind the scenes of the way that I film my videos. I use my phone, because I can't get the microphone on my camera to do anything (it films, but it's all silent), and using my phone makes it easier to then get it onto my computer to edit and upload. The tripod I have is for a camera, not a phone - so I need elastic bands and some rigging up of different systems to make it work. I need to legs of the tripod anchored with whatever to hand; sometimes a pile of books, sometimes an old metal tin. Sometimes my phone memory runs out, and the video stops filming before I'm finished talking - I have to either re-film or add another video, or simply write some extra bits and notes for you. 

I hope that these funny behind the scenes moments can remind you to go off and do things that you've been a bit too scared to try..... that you've worried you don't have the right tools, or the right knowledge to make it work. Just go ahead give it a go, make that mistake, step over the bridge. I promise that once you start you'll find it gets easier and easier to keep on going. 

I’m also sharing the videos of how to make this giant crochet basket - so you can see the ‘end’ result of the filming.

If you want to learn how to weave your basket, rather than crochet, I have an online tutorial for that over here. It makes a different texture and has different possibilities in the patterns you can weave / create, as well as options of materials to use.