Has anyone ever thought of this or does anyone do it? I am currently a Wilton Method Instructor but have YET to teach a class due to NO interest whatsoever and the moron employees that I've been dealing with at my store... I thought about offering a course at my house, just limiting it to 2 or 3 people so I can really work with them and teaching my own lesson plan... that way I wouldn't have to follow some of Wilton's stupid lesson plans and techniques... if anyone has done this or know of anyone that does, I was just wondering what some pricing ideas were or what you think of the idea... thanks!

I teach on a regular basis and I love it. The majority of my classes are somewhere you'd never expect....the local library. Most libraries have a Community Events calendar and classes that cover all different interests. They receive state or county funds that pay for the materials and instruction fees.
I've taught in facilities that have full arts and crafts rooms to ones with a few folding tables in a corner. I just tailor the subject to fit the need. I've conducted classes for adults and children and it's as fun for me as it is for them. My classes are always booked full well in advance of the date and many wind up with a waiting list.
Community Colleges are also great places to pitch a class. Many have non-credit continuing education offerings. I've done whole 8 week pastry courses. This is an area where industry experience gets you very far.
I would be very leery about conducting a fee-for-service event in my home. If someone should hurt themselves, the liability would be too great.
Check with your local library. Never hurts to ask!

HTH,
Sharon

I teach at ladies' get-togethers and sometimes as summer activities for kids.

Deanna

I've taken the Wilton method classes and I agree, I wish those employees at Michael's weren't so incompetent. Near my house there is a SurLaTable store, very high end cooking/ kitchen products. Ocassionally they offer cake decorating classes @ 65.00 dollars for a 2 hour session! One lady at my cake class took it and said she did so because she had no idea Michael's offered them. I hope you can figure it out! Good luck!

High schools usually have adult education classes at night, from learning english to painting. They usually have kitchens because of home ec classes, maybe you can ask there.

There's a cake decorating supply place here (Miami) where the woman teaches gumpaste flower making for $80 for 2/3hr sessions...a bit steep but...

I have also always thought that culinary schools, if there is one in yur area, should offer adult seminar type classes in something like cake deco...maybe contact them.

The only thing I'd recommend before teaching in your home is to check with your home-owner's insurance. They might have restrictions, but they might also cover it as a 'business'. I did this, and not only are my computer and materials/equipment covered if our house burns down, but I'm also covered for liability for up to 8 students. They tacked it right onto my mortgage payment, so it turned out to be only about $5 extra a month, and it's been a blessing to not have to worry about it.

I have found the community college a great place. Ours has a culinary arts department, but the regular instructors don't want to teach the cake decorating to the general public. I usually have 15 students for 6 hours on 2 different days. I ask them to bring a baked cake to each class and we make the iciing and work on techniques. It's a lot of fun and the students are great.

I took my lessons from an ex-Wilton teacher. Classes were held via adult ed center. The cost was about $40 for 6 classes (this would be Wilton 1 or 2, etc.), we met 3 hours each time. We brought our own supplies. She now teaches some classes out of her home.

I am a instructor at Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

My HL store was not able to get anyone to sign-up for almost 2 years (before me). When I came in, I got the big advertising poster from my Wilton contact I had that mounted and then put on a big easle right at the store entrance. Then I made 6 dummy cakes, 2 from each class and made a store display at the check outs. I also had all the employees trained on how to sign -up students and just had that moved to the check outs also.Once I had my first class, I took pictures of all the students with their cakes and posted that at the entrace also - "join the fun".

My classes have been running great since November. Once you do a class you also rope the students into all 3 classes.

I suggest you work with your store and try to get it going there.It is soooo much fun to teach and then you get 40% off the Wilton classes at the Chicago School - Colette Peters for 40% off - how cool is that.
Best of luck!!!!!

I am a instructor at Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

My HL store was not able to get anyone to sign-up for almost 2 years (before me). When I came in, I got the big advertising poster from my Wilton contact I had that mounted and then put on a big easle right at the store entrance. Then I made 6 dummy cakes, 2 from each class and made a store display at the check outs. I also had all the employees trained on how to sign -up students and just had that moved to the check outs also.Once I had my first class, I took pictures of all the students with their cakes and posted that at the entrace also - "join the fun".

My classes have been running great since November. Once you do a class you also rope the students into all 3 classes.

I suggest you work with your store and try to get it going there.It is soooo much fun to teach and then you get 40% off the Wilton classes at the Chicago School - Colette Peters for 40% off - how cool is that.
Best of luck!!!!!

i wish someone one would teach besides our cake place. They cancel more classes than they have. It makes me sooo mad. If they don't have 5 people, they cancel. No one has to "rope" me into taking a class. I do it because I love it.

i would love to keep working as a WMI if it was in my town but the store that i "got" is 30 minutes away and with gas prices, it just doesn't pay for me to do it... i'm not looking to make any money doing this but i'm definetely not looking to lose any either. i have already driven there 3 times and there's no interest whatsoever in the classes... the employees at hobby lobby have taken down the posters (all except one), moved the sticker on the window to the very side where no one will see it and have completely forgotten about it after only 2 weeks since i came in there and showed everyone how to use the sign up book. i even brought cupcakes! personally, i can't stand the wilton way, i would like to teach my own way and other things that aren't covered by wilton... i was only thinking 4 people a class so that i could get more involved with everyone rather than such a big class... thanks for the info about insurance though. i'll definetely check into that... and about the library...

I called my local community college and ask about teaching. It is great. I teach at the "break room" for the college. They have a full kitchen and several tables. The classes are $35.00 for students and that doesn't include any supplies. My sallary is $25.00 an hour. If I have 5 students it pays my sallery, if I have more it goes into a fund so if I have less than 5 I can still teach with the same sallary.
I love it and have had some really wonderful students....all of which the first thing I tell them is to log onto CC!!!!

I'd love to do something like this also. Don't you have to have some kind of education? I have completed 3 out of the 4 Wilton classes myself. We have a new library and that would be awesome to do in my community.

3 of the 4 classes is all I have...that and CC of course

I am an instructor at a Michael's and at my own independant store. The first suggestion I have for you regarding the Michael's or Hobby Lobby accounts is to contact your Wilton representative. Let them know that you are trying to schedule classes at your store and the employees are not cooperating. The event coordinator at your store should be of more help to you also. I always post the prefab schedule cards in the Wilton aisle in my store and try to put them close to an item that someone might be looking for, like Course 1 next to the cake pans, etc. Also make sure that you are scheduling classes at least 6 weeks in advance, people need time to adjust their schdules for 4 weeks. Don't forget to encourage the employees to take the classes, sometime this helps to fill up a small class and gets them excited and talking more to the customers about how much fun they had if asked. At Michael's the employees can take the classes with no tuition cost, so why not! Lastly, make some sort of display and beg for a space to show it. My store has a couple of the glass shelves empty right past the registers by the exit that we can put any kind of display on we want. You can also get paid extra from Wilton for doing this, again check with your regional rep. There are really a lot of things you can do to help get people interested in your classes and some of the responsibility is yours to fill them up. The employees have all the different classes to worry about, they can't focus on just yours. Sorry this is so long, but maybe it will help a little. Just don't get discouraged, sometimes the people just don't sign up! Lori

Thanks for the advice. That still doesn't help with gas prices though I wish I could just teach in my town instead of having to drive so far. The teacher here shows no signs of quitting though (I wish she would!) I've heard a lot of complaints about her but I hate to say anything to our rep because it was actually that teacher that put in such a good word for me. Oh well, this is why I'm considering doing classes from home. Like I said, I really don't care for Wilton's "ways" and most of their lesson plans. I think it would be easier to teach my way.

hi , I am intrested in being an instructor at a Michael's ,I have had an offer too.If any one can tell me what are the perks of this job .I would love to do this but I need some insentive .Thanks

The best perk is the employee discount! I've enjoyed teaching at Michael's. You have to stick very closely to the Wilton guidelines, but that's what keeps the classes uniform across the country. You also get to take the other classes for free, I haven't had time to yet, but the one-stroke painting looks kinda fun. I don't need another hobby though! My store is very encouraging, they realize that the Wilton classes are a big contributor to the overall classroom profit. We have the most advertising with the Wilton reputation, website and the TV show on PBS. I've been teaching there for 1 1/2 years, since the store opened and I still enjoy it!
Lori

I will be honest - Michaels & AC Moore are too far from my house to take classes. I am forunate that there is Cake Decorating I, II & III available through the local College. What I like best is our instructor really listens to our questions or concerns and has deviated from the Class Outline to give us extra time to fully understand a technique or even to be able to practice a little longer. I have heard that the Wilton Courses are very structured so I am not sure that I would feel as comfortable as I do at the college. I have the Class I, II, III books from Wilton and from what I can see we have learned everything in those books along with additional item. Of course my class feels like we have the best teacher there is, it is amazing that she is so patient, kind, helpful, sends us online coupons to the local craft store weekly, told us about CC and more. Ok, ok I know I am brown noser!!

This is a little from left field, but... I was involved with our local 4-H club (it's an organization for kids that includes community activities and also teaches them different interests including hobbies as well as careers from raising/training animals to building things, to baking/decorating food). I actually learned how to decorate cakes while I was in 4-H.. and I taught every year at our county decorating workshop. We taught kids and parents and they paid a fee to enter that covered everything. It was really fun. It's a way to teach to people and the parents walked in there acting like they were more there for the kids sake but left acting like it was something they really wanted to try and get into more. If you could get ahold of your local 4-H club, and offered a workshop.. they may be interested. It would fit a good target market, teens and older females.