By Sewing Daisies on flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.
A few ideas on selling your crafts from guest author Clarice.
Do you consider yourself a crafty individual? Do you like making things in your spare time? If so, you may actually be able to make some money from your creations if you know how and where to sell them. Some crafts are more marketable than others, so you may not be a millionaire – but if you can make a little money on the side or just enough to support your family, this is a great way to earn a living. Here is a guide explaining how to make money with arts and crafts.
Find Something to Make
When it comes to selling crafts, you have to think about something that people will be willing to use or display. Rather than making decorative Styrofoam balls for a table, you may think about turning them into Christmas ornaments. Sure, the ones on the table will be on display, but people are less likely to see their overall purpose. Come up with crafts that you would want to use in your home, and hopefully those will appeal to other people.
Find Somewhere to Sell
There are a million ways to go about selling your creations. You just have to figure out what works best for your products and your expertise. You could post the items online on sites like Etsy or eBay, or you could sell them at local craft and trade shows. You may also consider putting them on consignment at a thrift store in the area, assuming that store has products that fit your audience. The more you put yourself out there, the better off you will be. You just have to test the waters and find something that works for you.
Find Someone to Help
If your business takes off well, you might want to hire someone (or some people) to help you out. This person could be in charge of production, marketing, accounting, supplies…whatever you may not be able to handle on your own. You might consider teaming up with another crafter in the area and then splitting the profits for the products. As long as that person is willing to put in the work, you could stand to make some decent money together.
You may not be a crafting success overnight, but the right combination of events should lead you to profit in the long run. Play around with some of the ideas above, and you’ll be on your way to the bank in no time.
About the Author: Clarice is a mother of five who has very little time to devote to an actual “job.” She invested in some good exhibition display stands a few years ago, and she uses them to sell crafts at her local flea market.
Copyright 2012 Clarice
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