Informative Speech Prep
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Yoela Olson, and I've come here to ask you a simple, yet seemingly complex, question—how would you make your own bag if faced with the task? (PAUSE) I'm sure some of you immediately had a thought similar to "why would I do that when I could just buy one?" However, take a moment to envision this scenario with me.
You're going about your day, heading back from school or work or some other environment that has stressed you out so badly that to protect the rest of humanity, you've resolved not to engage in any dumb conversations that will only lead to you making sarcastic comments or threatening to strangle someone. (SIGH) You pick up your favorite bag, the one that's worn out and slightly out-of-style, and SNAP! The strap pops right off, and the anger and frustration that you've been holding in all day explodes out of that beautiful little utility all of us share, the mouth. Your favorite bag, ruined, just like the rest of your day. You take a deep breath and continue on home, clutching your precious little treasure in your arms.
Once you get home, you proceed to start searching online for another bag that looks exactly like yours, or even better. Scroll, scroll, scroll, next page, some more scrolling, find something, the price is a little too much, check the reviews, of course there are too many bad reviews, go back to scrolling, more scrolling, this is officially pointless. You're never going to find what you want with a price tag you can actually afford that isn't going to end up ruined just like the first one, so why even try? You complain a bit more, maybe scroll a little, and then a memory hits you. What about all those stories, reels, and shorts of those crafty people who make their own bags? How do they do it? You open another tab on your web browser and two hours later, your mind is full of crochet bags that look so professional and, of course, so cute. All the crocheters are saying that it's easy to make a bag once you get the hang of it, you really only need to learn one or two stitches and watch some tutorials. And the best part? You can make it look however you want. You want flowers? Go ahead, use whatever kind you want. What about making it blue and purple? Do you, have fun. If it can be designed, you can make it.
Now, your Amazon cart is full of yarn, crochet hooks, and maybe a few books. And your YouTube watch later list? We're not going to talk about that list. Visions of you being that cool crochet friend who makes the coolest and cutest things are all over your vision board now. But, of course, there is one teeny, tiny problem—how do you exactly design a crochet bag? That, my friends, is what I'm going to teach you. And guess what? You don't need any fancy drawing skills or expensive programs.
First, we will go over the different kinds of bag bases to start with, and the reasons why you might choose one over the other. Then, we will look at the different ways you can customize those bases to fit the shape that you want. Next comes the fun part, you will start to graph out the design and embellishments that you want on the bag itself. Lastly, I will give you some tips on what kinds of stitches to use for different kinds of circumstances.
By the end of this speech, I hope that you will have a good foundation for creating your own crochet bag designs for yourself and others to enjoy.
Areas for Improvement:
While your introduction flows nicely, the transition from the storytelling portion to the instructional part could be smoother. Adding a transitional sentence, such as “So, how do you turn this situation around? Let me walk you through the process of creating your own crochet bag,” would help bridge the gap between the emotional setup and the step-by-step tutorial, making the shift more natural.
When you mention starting with “different kinds of skeletons,” it’s unclear what this term means. Since this might be unfamiliar to some audience members, providing a brief explanation or an example would help clarify your point and keep everyone engaged. For instance, you could briefly explain what you mean by “skeletons” in the context of crochet design, allowing your audience to understand the foundation before you move forward.
Finally, your conclusion could be strengthened by briefly reminding the audience of the benefits of designing their crochet bag. Mentioning how this process allows for creativity, saves money, and offers customization would reinforce the personal connection you built in your introduction and leave the audience with a clear sense of why this skill is valuable.