Do handmade items/ crafts make any money??

Pink_Mummy

Hello..

I am researching.. again!

I love homemade bits and crafts etc.. I was wondering if any money could be made out of this?? Like making teddy bears, or keepsakes, or wooden plaques??

I have a very creative mind and wondered if I could use my mind to make some extra pennies??

Any advice is greatfully received, thank you

olias

My gut feeling, and from what I have actually seen, is that if they are good, and presented professionally then they will sell on sites like ebay, and will sell at appropriate craft fairs if you have them in your area. However, I do not think you will clear much profit after costs of materials, ebay fees, entry fees and petrol to get to craft fairs etc etc as the low volume you are likely to sell will mean you will probably just about break even.

You might do ok on a very small scale producing say for example christmas decs and selling them in a couple of markets in the run up to christmas, but day to day, I don't think you will get the volume sales to make it worthwhile.

Maybe look at doing it for your own family and friends birthdays and christmas and saving money that way.

Olias

Pink_Mummy

Thats great advice, thank you so much x

rainmac

Hi, I am a crafter, I make things with paper and card - cards, gift boxes etc. I have tried to make money from my hobby but it is really difficult as good materials tend to cost a lot of money . I did several craft fairs in the run up to Christmas 2009 and it was seriously hard work, I sold out of most items and enjoyed the fairs but made hardly any £££ so decided not to continue. If you talk to stall holders at craft fairs I think you will find most will say they do it because they love it rather than because of the money. Saying that if you want to do it to earn a bit of pocket money then that would probably work ok, ebay may be a good starting point to see if there is interest in what you are selling rather than making lots of something, paying for a stall at a fair and then not selling enough to cover your costs. If you sell a few you could always advertise locally and make to order.

Giving your handmade items as presents is a good idea as it shows people what you can do and may lead to orders.

Good luck if you decide to give it a go . The above probably sounds very doom and gloom and I don't mean it to but the bottom line is there is very little money in crafting but, if you enjoy it then do it but don't expect it to make you millions x

Pink_Mummy

Thank you thats great advice.. I think I am going to just do things for family and friends at the moment rather than focussing on trying to make a business out of it..

That's fab advice so thank you so much

DON79

I have dabbled in this and sold a few knitted items on ebay - baby hats etc and got an order for a couple of baby cardigans. not making millions but did ok. My fault really for not sticking at it and I could have maybe had a little business up and running by now but its something I will be trying again over the next year as I am now going to be a SAHM....

ootie

I've noticed crafty style things for sale at car boot sales.

There's one lady that does loads of knitting, from the old fashioned knitted loo roll dolls to barbie style doll clothes, and she's constantly knitting throughout the day!

Another lady does things like peg bags, carrier bag holders, aprons and even great big covers for vacuum cleaners with teddies or dolls.

They've both been around for a few years, whether they make a living from it or just do it for pocket money, but worth giving it a go maybe to see what the demand's like.

Hermia

It is very hard to make money from crafts, although it can be a fun way of making a bit of pocket money. I think the only people who make money are those who are making something really unique and are lucky enough to get their name known (I have noticed some of the craft mags now have a page where they feature online craft sellers from the likes of etsy).

One thing to bear in mind is that you can't really charge for your labour so don't do anything that takes hours to make. I used to make stitched cards and people started asking if they could commission personalised cards. But they would choose a size and design that would take hours to sew, but of course I couldn't charge them for 5 hours of sewing!

I think you are doing the right thing by concentrating on friends and family rather than craft fairs. The problem with craft fairs is that there can be too much competition. So many people make cards and jewellery that it can be hard to compete. I went to a craft fair last year and a girl was selling lovely handmade cards for 99p each. They were made from good quality materials and she admitted that she wasn't really making any money. The side effect of her selling them so cheap was that it meant no card maker who charges enough to make a small profit could compete.

I would try and look at your friends and family with a cool objective eye when trying to decide what would sell. E.g. I sew and like to make things from quirky/quality fabrics. I have lots of friends who are really into design and crafts and can recognise good quality fabric and good design. Unfortunately, not all of my relatives are the same. They wouldn't recognise silk from polycotton and would just compare my prices to Primark!

Whatever you decide to do just start small and see what happens. Good luck!

stardrops42

I sell on Etsy and Folksy and do quite well but it can be a bit hit and miss. For instance I haven't had a sale for about a month on either site and then sold 11 items today! I think you get out of it what you put in and if you have a unique item you will usually sell. The problem is getting noticed in the first place;)

gingerandrubarb

I know a few people who sell on Etsy, Folksy (not so many sales on there though) aswell as their facebook pages and local fayres and connecting with bloggers that are also crafty. They actually do really well. I think the key is to look at whats popular and see how you can do it differently?
Reusing items, eco friendly items and anything with a vintage twist (old styles brought into the modern day) do really well.
My best friend she actually sells candles but unique smelling ones that are vegan and using essential oils rather than chemical fragrance. She also makes cake stands using old record player discs and book ends using old records. She makes lamps and homestyle items also and as much as they seem like a mish mash of items they go really well as they're all vintage inspired.
Have you looked at Cut out and Keep for inspiration? http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/ or searching for blogs that are relevant to what crafts you choose to do?

Pink_Mummy

That's all great advice thank you so much.. I was thinking about making teddy bears/ bunnies/ blankets etc out of old baby clothes, I've got 4 children and thought about doing something to recycle their clothes?? Then I thought I could charge a fee (say £10) to make it for people if they send me their clothes???

What do you all think??