Start a 'cottage industry'... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

2456751

Comments

  • Hi everyone!

    I make handmade jewelry and sell it on https://www.etsy.com it allows me get my items exposed to a wide market. It was set up to sell handmade items so all people making things at home can sell on it. The only thing i recommend is the need to take great photos to show your items at their best.
  • Kaminari wrote: »
    Hi everyone!

    I make handmade jewelry and sell it on www.etsy.com it allows me get my items exposed to a wide market. It was set up to sell handmade items so all people making things at home can sell on it. The only thing i recommend is the need to take great photos to show your items at their best.


    This site looks good, do you sell much through it?
    A Life Less Simple - one day I'll get there
  • wingnut - my aunt used to do hand made cards and she took them to local shops - the sort that sell nice nicnacks or the like, even pretty gift shops. She did ok selling to them frequently :)
  • Anastacia
    Anastacia Posts: 470 Forumite
    Hi
    We have tried loads of differnt things over the years to make a few £££s. I have made jewellery that we sold at school fairs etc (craft fairs were too expensive to attend.) OH has made wooden garden ornamenty things which we took around to garden centres on sale of return (still got around 40 in the shed). Also bird boxes, they were really cute.
    The best payer was selling fudge at school fairs.Edible stuff always sells best i think. and real addicts would think nothing of spending £10 or so, which was loads back then. We did about 12 fairs at Chrsitmas and again before the summer hols. We bought the fudge from a company in Devon on the internet.
    We dont have time anymore though because i found the best paying activity was to qualify as an accountant. It was fun in back then though.
    ....another happy bug.........sorry,blogger embracing the simple life
  • jessicamb
    jessicamb Posts: 10,446
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    LizD wrote: »
    I'm an experienced dressmaker, so I'm offering to teach people the basics of sewing and I have one lady learning at the moment. I'm also taking steps to do alterations and dressmaking for people.

    Teaching a skill is a way to make extra money and you don't have to teach at night-school!

    I would love to be able to sew! I'm sure many others would too
    The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese :cool:
  • Wiggynut
    Wiggynut Posts: 1,039
    First Post
    Forumite
    I've sort of just started this, in the new year I took a seed beading course and have had a great time making bracelets and ear-rings, I've started to build up a collection that I'm going to list on ebay.
    I also wanted to have ago at making pinic/gardening/camping mats out of olld carrier bags which I'm to list.

    It would be good to hear what others are doing/going to try.


    You could set up a little shop on Etsy... it's a site that people sign up to (it's free - you pay a small amount on what you sell) and it's all handmade stuff... some fantastic crafts on there - very unique but of course you can find some rubbish!

    But worth looking at if you make stuff by hand! I would love to but can't seem to organise myself enough.

    This link is to the 'how to sell on etsy' info! They have a forum too so you can go and ask questions too.
    http://www.etsy.com/how_selling_works.php
    Light bulb moment April 07: [strike]£3,655 [/strike] Oct 07: [strike]£2,220[/strike] now 0 - 3 years of Uni debt to be added at a later date :o:D
    now at Uni as a Mature student -update: now has a First Class BA!
  • Wiggynut
    Wiggynut Posts: 1,039
    First Post
    Forumite
    nzmegs wrote: »
    I have recently started knitting and have discovered the joys of felting. I have made my first few items which (lo and behold) are really good! I have a lovely mohair scarf, a hand bag, some purses and a couple of jumpers under my belt and they are all going towards xmas presents. But following christmas I will be knitting every spare moment to make some things to sell. People love hand made items and the more experienced I become the more I can charge!!

    I believe people are willing to pay a premium for items which they know noone else will have. To have something completely handmade and even to your own specifications(colour and type of wool) is something people will pay good money for.

    Admittedly it will take me up to a week to make a small item and even a month for something big but I get real satisfaction out of it. I would love to give up my job and do this all the time. I even dream about it.....

    I've noticed a lot of people have recently started creating their own pattern and selling them on Ebay, Etsy or on their own blog!
    It's patterns of a knitted bag or purse in their own style or colours and they write up what they did and a little pic and sell it for a couple of quid!!
    Have you thought of doing that - do a internet search for knitting, felting patterns and have a look.

    I'm trying to make a crochet pattern which I think will take me months (I'm a beginner! and I've never created my own pattern) and I'm sure the crochet/amigurimi fad will probably have dissapeared by time I finish but I still want to have a go!!).

    :D
    Light bulb moment April 07: [strike]£3,655 [/strike] Oct 07: [strike]£2,220[/strike] now 0 - 3 years of Uni debt to be added at a later date :o:D
    now at Uni as a Mature student -update: now has a First Class BA!
  • I recently (about 4 months ago), decided to do something that I could do and not worry about child care etc.

    So I decdied to put my sewing machine to good use, I now make adults costumes and sell them on ebay. Generally they sell for between £50 and £100, which I'm happy about as they only cost between £15 - £20 for materials.

    The hardest part is the pattern designing, as you can't sell a costume made from a commercial pattern as they are copyrighted, but once you've made your own you can make it over and over in all manner of colours.

    I started by simply buying some pattern making books and reading them and having a go. The best bit is when people send you emails letting you know that your costumes are lovely - that always makes you want to do more!
  • To Tabby_ kitten, for the past couple of weeks i too ahve been interested in making bracelets and pendants. I am not a professional by no means. I love the seed beads. You mentioned you did a course , can i ask where and how much it cost to do a seed bead course.
  • If anyone knows of a seed beading course please feel free to post .Even if its just kits which have projects for you to make somethingeg like bracelets.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards