Here’s How to Learn Tailwind CSS Super Fast Without Wasting Time
Plus, a Handy Cheatsheet to Make Your Work Even Easier!
So, I Wanted to Add Tailwind CSS to My Skillset…
I had heard a lot about Tailwind CSS and thought it would be cool to learn. After all, who doesn’t want to make their work easier, right? I read that Tailwind makes building websites faster and more efficient, so I decided to dive in.
Like most people, I went straight to YouTube to find tutorials. I found a ton of them — some were super old, and others were just too long. I ended up picking a 1.5-hour tutorial because, weirdly, that felt short compared to the rest. But honestly, I got bored pretty quickly.
Then, I came across a 22-minute video. At first, I didn’t believe you could learn Tailwind CSS in 22 minutes — I thought, “This has to be a lie!” But I clicked on it anyway, and to my surprise, it actually worked. That short video taught me everything I needed to know to get started with Tailwind. So here’s what I learned, and how you can get started too — ASAP.
What Is Tailwind CSS, and Why Use It?
Tailwind CSS is a utility-first framework made up of tiny utility classes. These classes let you quickly build custom designs without writing a ton of CSS. Unlike Bootstrap or Material, which come with pre-made components, Tailwind gives you the freedom to create your own styles using utility classes like flex, p (for padding), or m (for margin).
Key Features:
- Utility classes for responsive design, hover effects, and even dark mode.
- Flexibility to build unique designs while sticking to good design practices.
- Tailwind might look cluttered at first because of all the class names in your HTML, but you can clean it up by reusing styles.
- Even though Tailwind adds a lot of classes, unused ones are automatically removed in production, which keeps your site fast.
What Tailwind CSS Looks Like
You might think, “This looks ugly and cluttered!” It can be, at first, because you’re adding so many classes directly in your HTML tags. But don’t worry — I’ll show you how to clean it up later. For now, let’s focus on getting started quickly.
Getting Started with Tailwind CSS
First things first, you don’t need to sit through hour-long tutorials or memorize every class. You can always look up the classes in the Tailwind documentation, and if you’re using VS Code, it’ll even suggest classes as you type.
To get started, head over to the official Tailwind CSS documentation. There are different installation options, but the easiest way is to use the Play CDN. It lets you try Tailwind right in your browser without any setup. Just keep in mind, it’s not for production, but it’s perfect for experimenting.
Quick Tip: Here’s a handy Tailwind CSS Cheatsheet. Just type what you’re looking for (like padding), and it’ll show you all the related classes. Super convenient, right? Honestly, once I had the cheatsheet and Tailwind’s awesome documentation, I started my project immediately, and it’s been going great. If you run into any issues, just refer back to the docs — they’re really helpful.
Skip the Long Tutorials — Start Building!
Let’s be real: you won’t learn Tailwind by watching YouTube tutorials that are longer than a movie. The best way to learn is by doing. Get your hands dirty and start building something. Don’t know what to build? No excuses — check out Frontend Mentor. They offer professionally designed challenges to help you practice HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It’s a freemium site, and they even give you Figma design files for three free projects. I personally built the Space Tourism website challenge, and it really helped me level up my skills.
Remember, it’s totally normal to feel stuck or go back and forth fixing things. That’s part of the process!
Cleaning Up Cluttered Code
One thing you might hate about Tailwind is that your HTML can get cluttered with all those classes. But don’t worry, here are two solutions:
- Install the Tailwind Fold extension in VS Code. It folds long class lists, making your code easier to read.
- Use the
@applydirective to bundle multiple utility classes into one custom class. It makes your code cleaner and more maintainable.
Here’s the Tailwind documentation on using @apply — just don’t overuse it.
Final Thoughts
If you’re just starting out, avoid getting trapped in “tutorial hell.” The best way to learn is by doing. Build things on your own, and if you get stuck, Google it or ask someone for help. Remember, as a software engineer, you don’t need to know everything — just know how to find the answers when you need them.
And if you’re curious about the video I watched and want to check it out, here it is: Watch the video.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to the community — Frontend Mentor even has a Discord where you can ask questions. We all need help sometimes, and that’s how you learn and grow!
