Handmade cards - help required!!

natzedd

Hey everyone! When searching on this site for any threads on handmade cards i couldnt find many, and the ones that there are seem to be for general crafters who make other things.....

I want to start doing my cards to sell, but i am really struggling. I live in North Scotland and we dont seem to have many craft fares etc up here..... anyone got any ideas?

I have heaps of others questions that i am dying to ask ANYONE who is willing to help me!

fiestafantastic

Hi there
A couple of things come to mind. Have you thought about a website? I know that might sound daunting but its much easier than it sounds. You can get a basic template and free webspace.

Have you thought about approaching local businesses to sell your cards. Florists, news agents, wedding fairs, local tourist shops.

I am a card maker though I dont make so much now but if you have any questions that I could help with feel free to ask. You can PM me( dont know if you know but click my screen name on the right and then click on send private message) or ask again on here.

Good luck, you just need determination and being in the right place at the right time.

moonpenny

Hello natzedd

There is a great card making site I found a while ago when I was thinking of having a go myself. (Never did)

www.themulberry-bush.com

They have a forum and it covers absolutely everything you could want to know. Seems to be a lot of people making for weddings.

Good Luck!

Loz1984

I don't want to put a downer on this but i'd be carefull.

I make my own jewellery and spent most weekends last year at events of fairs etc! The trouble is most are full of people selling mass produced stuff on, not genuinely handmade products, at half the price (cards is pheonix trading etc!). Fairs cost a fortune per space (£25 average) and i really struggled to make any money (made money back most times but no profit). My items are way more expensive than cards too!

The things that were sucsessfull were events (car shows etc) which had 'craft villages'!

Check out crafts forum uk for more advice!

Hope this helps and hasn't disheartened you! Good luck!

Elle00

Loz1984 wrote: »

I don't want to put a downer on this but i'd be carefull.

I make my own jewellery and spent most weekends last year at events of fairs etc! The trouble is most are full of people selling mass produced stuff on, not genuinely handmade products, at half the price (cards is pheonix trading etc!). Fairs cost a fortune per space (£25 average) and i really struggled to make any money (made money back most times but no profit). My items are way more expensive than cards too!

The things that were sucsessfull were events (car shows etc) which had 'craft villages'!

Check out crafts forum uk for more advice!

Hope this helps and hasn't disheartened you! Good luck!

I agree that it's a hard market to get anywhere with.

I sell mine to a couple of local businesses as they come back for repeat business and don't use anyone else because they're happy with me. I sell mine for an hourly wage of about £4ph to keep them affordable and competitively priced but I know some people insist on selling them for silly prices and giving themselves an hourly wage of £15ph or something (they don't sell so many funnily enough).

You can try asking local shops if they'd like to stock your cards in return for a cut of the profits. Some small sole traders will happily do this.

As an Avon lady, I'm going to be selling my handmade Christmas cards along with all the discounted Avon products at a party near to Christmas. If you've got something you can think to do along those lines I could see it being an easy outlet.

HTH.

savingholmes

You're best bet may be to ask your friends to buy cards from you and recommend you to others. Try and make cards to order. At my work someone is selling made to order cards for £3.50 each, seem to put way more effort in than I do thought!!!

There are other threads on making and selling cards - you should look in the special occasions forum you will get loads more ideas.

Flat_Eric

natzedd wrote: »

Hey everyone! When searching on this site for any threads on handmade cards i couldnt find many, and the ones that there are seem to be for general crafters who make other things.....

I want to start doing my cards to sell, but i am really struggling. I live in North Scotland and we dont seem to have many craft fares etc up here..... anyone got any ideas?

I have heaps of others questions that i am dying to ask ANYONE who is willing to help me!

I havent read all of this thread but how about selling your cards in your local library? perhaps if you said the library could keep 10% of sales or 10% could be donated to a charity if they let them sell them there for free?

studentsaver19

Hi, my sister is looking to make and sell handmade cards...where are the best places for her to buy the equipment e.g. nice paper, ribbons, punchers etc?

Thanks in advance!

cyberem78

My cousin does this.
She started out by sending her own cards to all her friends/aquaintences. She put her 'brand' name and email on the back of the card so we could contact her and order a card if we wanted to.
Her market seems to be people willing to pay more for a personal card - she has sold a few at local farm shops and up market cafes.

moneymanager

I make my own cards, more so wedding invitations. I did my sister in laws and my own wedding invitations. I know I'll get some people asking me to do theirs for their wedding so really at the minute I go on word of mouth. I didn't however but any brand name on the back.

I have however, considered a number of times to start my own wedding stationery business but as I work full time it finding the time to get started.

I agree with everyone else, go to your local shops etc and ask if they will selling your cards and you can even put them on Ebay.

Good luck.

ex_fox_now_a_dragon

You could ask if any of your local schools have a Christmas/ Craft Fayre which you could attend,this may be a lot cheaper than going to an "organised" Craft Fayre. Our PTA Craft Fayre only charges £10 a table for an all day event.