Is Calligraphy Expensive?
One of the most impressive talents in my opinion is calligraphy and lettering. Not only are you writing, but it literally looks like art! Now, the real question is, just because it looks like a pricey hobby, is calligraphy expensive?
Nope! Calligraphy itself is not expensive. The average calligraphy kit for beginners is around $25, not nearly as expensive as other hobbies – like buying a viola or any instrument. You can cause it to increase in price depending on the materials you want to use and purchase. Your cost can vary depending on the type of pen, ink, and paper you use.
Let’s break down the materials you need to do calligraphy and what they cost based on the low-end, middle, and high-end on average:
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What is Calligraphy?
Calligraphy is essentially the art of writing beautifully. It’s a visual art form that manipulates symbols and letters to create aesthetically pleasing writing. Unlike regular, everyday writing, calligraphy is meant to be an art form.
Although calligraphy is a couple of hundred years old, modern calligraphy is what we primarily use today. Mainly, the style is different – although this is not to be confused or combined with hand-lettering.
If you want to learn more about the history and origin of calligraphy, I recommend checking out this blog by Imaginated, What is Calligraphy? What is the Purpose of It?
What Do You Need to Do Calligraphy?
If we’re assuming you’ve never done calligraphy before, you’re not only going to need the materials to do calligraphy but some type of guide to learning calligraphy. Honestly, you can get a guide for learning calligraphy at any stage, you can get a calligraphy guide designed for beginners, intermediate learners, and even experts.
I recommend checking out one of these calligraphy guides:
Outside of some way to learn calligraphy, all you need are four things: paper, pen, nibs, and ink! And, since you’re in the process of learning, your workbook could replace your paper. Or, if you don’t want an entire workbook to learn from and would rather do some one-off tasks, you can learn from calligraphy lettering printables like this one!
Thanks to online shopping, all the calligraphy supplies you’ll need a very inexpensive and pretty much available on Amazon. Once you get the hang of it, I do recommend moving to craft shops that specialize in supplies to ensure you’re getting quality ink and nibs – but everyone needs to start somewhere!
How Long Does it Take to Learn Calligraphy?
Like anything in this world – particularly hobbies and skills – it takes everybody different times to learn something. Depending on how much time you have to dedicate to the skill and how much you enjoy it, it can take you anywhere from a week or so to a few months to master the basics.
And, let’s be honest with ourselves, as busy moms it’s gonna take us forever. Or we’ll end up working on our calligraphy skills consistently for a week and then one of our kiddos gets sick and we take two weeks off and then we’ll pick back up again. Luckily, hobbies are all about enjoyment and not how quickly you can get something done.
Now, there are a few ways to give yourself a head start on learning calligraphy. You can:
- Work from a workbook
- Watch Youtube lessons (if you’re a visual learner)
- Take an online calligraphy course
- Attend an in-person workshop
- Get hands-on help from a friend
Also, don’t beat yourself up if it takes you a while. I have a quilt I’ve been working on for two years that still isn’t done – but I absolutely love doing it!
Let’s Recap: Is Calligraphy Expensive?
Calligraphy is not expensive. It’s actually one of the least expensive hobbies you can start as a mom. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it expensive. As with everything, you can choose more expensive materials that can bring up the price of your hobby, but overall, calligraphy is very affordable.
Are you interested in starting calligraphy as a hobby this year? Let me know in the comments below!
