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

picklepick

Hi guys hows everyone going with your cottage industries? I'n busy practicing my sewing skills and stock piling some items ready for a fair. I dont think my sewing is quite up to an acceptable 'sellable' standard yet although i am being assured by my family that its fine and people expect that 'handfinished' look with craft items.

Has anyone else taken the plunge yet and got making and selling??

Anglea

Hi everyone,

I started reading this thread as I had something I was going to suggest as an idea and wanted to check if anyone was already doing it, but after realising there are 16 pages, decided to just skip to the last page. So apologies if something similar has been posted.

I like doing dolls house and often thought that there ought to be goodie bags of small cuts of fabrics, leathers, ribbons, all sorts of tiny bits and pieces.

I did think of making up these bags myself and selling them but don't really want to but I think it could be a good idea for others.

I'm also a kit-a-holic and was excited after seeing a feature in a magazine about a lady that started a cottage industry at home making these very classy looking items. and was now offering them as kits.

They were pricey but looked divine. Putting it mildly I was very disappointed when I opened the kit and looked at the contents:mad: I couldn't understand how they had the nerve to sell them at those prices quite frankly.

So I expect I wasn't the only one unhappy and wish that someone could make glamourous kits at reasonable prices..

Dolls house magazines are always asking for readers to send in new projects if anyone is interested.

Anglea

https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf83105505.tip.html

Wedding cake made from towels.

I've seen knitted cakes (very authentic) but never one like this. I think it could be a good idea for someone working from home.

Jo_F

I'm still making the jewellery, have a couple of xmas craft fairs booked, but no sales anywhere else at the moment, I have a few items on a stall at a market on sale or return, and the website is getting hits, but no sales at the moment

Frugaldom

I was just mentioning pound shops on a different thread after being in one today and seeing a whole load of goods costing well over £1. I was thinking perhaps if anyone is out there that can bulk produce small items that could be sold for about 50p each wholesale, it might be possible to sell to the independent pound shops. It is becoming more and more difficult to find a decent selection of inexpensive stuff these days. Our local store is called 'pound shop' and I can't imagine all of these wanting to have to change their names when they run out of interesting things to sell. Just a thought.

picklepick

Jo_F wrote: »

I'm still making the jewellery, have a couple of xmas craft fairs booked, but no sales anywhere else at the moment, I have a few items on a stall at a market on sale or return, and the website is getting hits, but no sales at the moment

Why dont you set up an ebay shop Jo? you'd probably sell a lot more that way?

Just out of interest whats your jewellery like? I might be interested for potential xmas pressies! pm me the details

RosaThorne

Yay, you're all still here, I missed you!

I picked up a huge bundle of felt from a bootsale for £2 and am making Scottie dog brooches. I have them on etsy, eBay & in two shops! - Made enough to pay my keep!
Have fun all

Karmacat

This is the first time I've been on this thread - hello!!! Fascinating - I love the idea of home-made dolls clothes, above, and I'd never heard of ebid till now.... interested when I popped over there - I've been trying to find somewhere with more buyers than preloved so I could sell loads of science fiction magazines, and I think ebid is the place.Thanks!

Frugaldom

Welcome Karmacat, I have stacks of paperback books and magazines that I have been planning on recycling for cash, but if you can think of any other way of recycling them then I'd love to hear about it. I was SUPPOSED to be doing papier mache banks but somehow, I never got around to it. I got as far as claiming a free domain name and starting to set up a website, made a couple of trial banks (see link here) to take part in another challenge on here and then err... nothing, just boxes of paper, old paperbacks and magazines sitting waiting to be used, along with wood offcuts for my long planned keyring making escapade. Perhaps I'll need to make it my 2009 New Year's resolution to make a proper start to this project.

Karmacat

Hi Nykmedia

Magazines seem to sell well on ebid - including even fanzines for science fiction... its just the listing that takes the time, of course.... sigh....

Not sure what you mean by recycling for cash - do you mean literally selling them for scrap paper??? I'm sure there's a more profitable way of getting money for them, even if it is slower. Here's hoping, anyway.

EDIT: love the link!