Do you sell anything you make? 19 January at 11:40PM in Crafting 14 replies 739 views

lindos90

I love lots of different types of crafting, but there's only so many things I need to make for myself, and our family is very small, so no gifts to make for presents, so tend not to make things just for the fun of it. For example I use my sewing skills more for mending and adjusting clothes rather than buying material and make something decorative from scratch.

I also love trying to make things on a budget, or out of something thats free. For example, buying a quilt cover from a charity shop for £1.50 and using the material to make a 'circle skirt' for my daughter when she was in a 'Grease' production. I also have a sizzix machine and make Christmas tags from last years cards (a bit of a step up from using pinking sheers!) and give them to my friend to raise money for her charity.

Just wondering, with all your crafting skills, and money saving savviness, has anyone turned their hobby into a little money making? (just the odd bit here and there to maybe fund crafting purchases, not setting up as an actual business)

Longwalker

The only craft I have is crochet and Im not that good to be making one off pieces that people are going to be prepared to pay for

So I crochet for charities 

The one thing I hear all the time when people are moving towards selling, is they struggle to get the price an item deserves.Something as easy as a cot blanket for example, take the cost of the yarn, the time taken, and you are looking 10X's the price of something thats picked up off the shelf at Tescos 

I think to be able to sell, you need to be able to make a product really quickly, no point in spending 2 hours making the most beautiful card ever and selling it for £4. That card needs to be made in 2 mins

Craft fayres, local markets, Christmas markets, church hall markets are a good place to start. If you get customers then go online be it FB pages or Etsy 

But dont let me put you off , give it a whirl

Theres a programme on BBC1 at the moment around 4:30 where they are helping people move their crafting from being a hobby to making money. Cant mind what its called, but its very interesting - especially the advice on pricing and selling yourself 

Katiehound

I sell things for charity- I make doggy duvets which are made out of 'human duvets' which would go to landfill. Quartered, hemmed and then with a pillow case type cover- covers from sheeting, covers, curtains , whatever I am given.
I sell these at a fixed price- pot luck togs, covers etc @£3.50. I'm told they are worth more but you can buy inferior new ones from the market for a fiver. So far have raised over £5,000 this way! Sold on a not-for-profit basis at dog groomers & church fairs.

I do make cards (A6) & sell those to a shop where their mark up is about 100%- it pays for more materials. They have also bought some crochet angels from me: again pays for the materials + a tiny profit but it's a hobby not a business.

DullGreyGuy

Longwalker said:

The one thing I hear all the time when people are moving towards selling, is they struggle to get the price an item deserves.Something as easy as a cot blanket for example, take the cost of the yarn, the time taken, and you are looking 10X's the price of something thats picked up off the shelf at Tescos 

Not a crafter myself but in a family of many... my experience is almost the inverse of the above. Many crafters undervalue their work and so may sell it at above production & sales costs but if you work it out as an hourly figure many are effectively charging less than a couple of quid an hour (if that) for labour.

The challenge is finding where to sell too... you wont be competing with Tesco if you are hand crocheting blankets and so a small store outside Tesco's front door probably isnt the best place to try. You need to find your way of attracting/locating the people who are going to buy into whatever your USP is and value it enough to pay for it. 

This then ties in with the ability to sell the whole story not just the item... why should I buy a handmade blanket rather than a cheap one mass produced in Indonesia for a 10th the price? Some its the materials, some its the quality of materials, some organic/green credentials, design, ability to customise and others it can just be a story 

lindos90 said:
just the odd bit here and there to maybe fund crafting purchases, not setting up as an actual business

Just need to be careful there... as soon as you are making with the intent to sell then that is an actual business. If your turnover (not profit) hits £1,000 then you must register and complete self assessments with HMRC.  Its surprising how quick you can hit the turnover number too.

Once you are a business, registered or not, there can be implications for your mortgage, rental agreement, home insurance etc etc if you are working from home rather than another location.

lindos90

DullGreyGuy said:

Longwalker said:

The one thing I hear all the time when people are moving towards selling, is they struggle to get the price an item deserves.Something as easy as a cot blanket for example, take the cost of the yarn, the time taken, and you are looking 10X's the price of something thats picked up off the shelf at Tescos 

Not a crafter myself but in a family of many... my experience is almost the inverse of the above. Many crafters undervalue their work and so may sell it at above production & sales costs but if you work it out as an hourly figure many are effectively charging less than a couple of quid an hour (if that) for labour.

The challenge is finding where to sell too... you wont be competing with Tesco if you are hand crocheting blankets and so a small store outside Tesco's front door probably isnt the best place to try. You need to find your way of attracting/locating the people who are going to buy into whatever your USP is and value it enough to pay for it. 

This then ties in with the ability to sell the whole story not just the item... why should I buy a handmade blanket rather than a cheap one mass produced in Indonesia for a 10th the price? Some its the materials, some its the quality of materials, some organic/green credentials, design, ability to customise and others it can just be a story 

lindos90 said:
just the odd bit here and there to maybe fund crafting purchases, not setting up as an actual business

Just need to be careful there... as soon as you are making with the intent to sell then that is an actual business. If your turnover (not profit) hits £1,000 then you must register and complete self assessments with HMRC.  Its surprising how quick you can hit the turnover number too.

Once you are a business, registered or not, there can be implications for your mortgage, rental agreement, home insurance etc etc if you are working from home rather than another location.

Thank you, Yes I'd heard of the £1000 turnover, but I would no way reach that amount (I wish!), I was just hoping to raise a bit to fund a bit more crafty buying. You are completely right though, I do imagine many people undervalue their items when selling. I think many buyers underestimate just how much time goes into creating things too. I guess we are victims of mass production nowadays.

lindos90

Katiehound said:

I sell things for charity- I make doggy duvets which are made out of 'human duvets' which would go to landfill. Quartered, hemmed and then with a pillow case type cover- covers from sheeting, covers, curtains , whatever I am given.
I sell these at a fixed price- pot luck togs, covers etc @£3.50. I'm told they are worth more but you can buy inferior new ones from the market for a fiver. So far have raised over £5,000 this way! Sold on a not-for-profit basis at dog groomers & church fairs.

I do make cards (A6) & sell those to a shop where their mark up is about 100%- it pays for more materials. They have also bought some crochet angels from me: again pays for the materials + a tiny profit but it's a hobby not a business.

Fantastic Katiehound, this is just the sort of thing I was thinking about, as you are making the dog beds (I'm guessing) from things that are donated too, so excellent at recycling as well as raising money for a charity, I l completely love this idea!! 
If you don't mind me asking, do you have to secure the filling in some way, or have really thick material to stop the dogs from biting/ripping them apart? Thanks so much for replying!

Katiehound

^^^^
the filling is as it is in the duvet- this means that the 2 outer sides tend to have anchored filling- sewn into the seam. The other 2 sides- that have been cut I hem and just surface stitch a few inches across the corners or half way down side to stop the stuffing moving too much. Most of the duvets have some kind of channel stitching anyway.

I use these for my own dogs too and really there isn't a problem.

Ripping covers?
I'm sure that happens (just mended a couple for a friend) but most dogs seem to cope!
I guess if your dog is a biter or ripper you go and buy another!
The covers are literally like a large pillowcase & usually of poly cotton sheeting which will withstand a fair amount of use & washing. I try to make one side a practicable colour with paler on the other side, only because I get loads of pale stuff. However sometimes I get a duvet cover that is a mid shade so I cut the cover into 4 rather than 8 and use the existing buttons or poppers on 2 of the pieces.

If I am selling to a person I know I always advise buying 2 identical sized duvets (good salesmanship!) because then the dog can have a double thickness cosy bed and there is a spare cover when one is  being washed

yes, they are dog beds but doggy duvets is a catchier name! I use mine in the plastic oval dog beds. My hounds are asleep now in those beds.....

The small ones - 1/4 of single- are ideal for putting in small crates.

If I get thin duvets I double them or even quadruple them so that the filling is a reasonable thickness.

Hope that answers your questions

Another recycling project for dog themed things are 'woven' bones from old T shirts.

As you see I am dog obsessed- well not exactly- but I know what dogs like.
Forgot to say I also sell things through my local dog training club

Marcon

lindos90 said:

Katiehound said:

I sell things for charity- I make doggy duvets which are made out of 'human duvets' which would go to landfill. Quartered, hemmed and then with a pillow case type cover- covers from sheeting, covers, curtains , whatever I am given.
I sell these at a fixed price- pot luck togs, covers etc @£3.50. I'm told they are worth more but you can buy inferior new ones from the market for a fiver. So far have raised over £5,000 this way! Sold on a not-for-profit basis at dog groomers & church fairs.

I do make cards (A6) & sell those to a shop where their mark up is about 100%- it pays for more materials. They have also bought some crochet angels from me: again pays for the materials + a tiny profit but it's a hobby not a business.

Fantastic Katiehound, this is just the sort of thing I was thinking about, as you are making the dog beds (I'm guessing) from things that are donated too, so excellent at recycling as well as raising money for a charity, I l completely love this idea!! 
If you don't mind me asking, do you have to secure the filling in some way, or have really thick material to stop the dogs from biting/ripping them apart? Thanks so much for replying!

Remember that terminology is all-important. Describing a cake as home-made is a selling point; describing a card you've made as 'home made' is a real turn off. Cards and other such items are hand-crafted...

MalMonroe

My short answer to this question, which I found quite fascinating, is "I wouldn't dare!" 

But obviously some people can make lovely things. I have two friends who paint absolutely gorgeous pictures and another who can hand knit beautifully but whenever I've had a go at such things, they haven't turned out well. Especially with knitting. 

My 'crafts' are best pushed into the back of a dark cupboard with the door firmly closed when anyone comes. Sad but true. 

MalMonroe

Marcon said:

lindos90 said:

Katiehound said:

I sell things for charity- I make doggy duvets which are made out of 'human duvets' which would go to landfill. Quartered, hemmed and then with a pillow case type cover- covers from sheeting, covers, curtains , whatever I am given.
I sell these at a fixed price- pot luck togs, covers etc @£3.50. I'm told they are worth more but you can buy inferior new ones from the market for a fiver. So far have raised over £5,000 this way! Sold on a not-for-profit basis at dog groomers & church fairs.

I do make cards (A6) & sell those to a shop where their mark up is about 100%- it pays for more materials. They have also bought some crochet angels from me: again pays for the materials + a tiny profit but it's a hobby not a business.

Fantastic Katiehound, this is just the sort of thing I was thinking about, as you are making the dog beds (I'm guessing) from things that are donated too, so excellent at recycling as well as raising money for a charity, I l completely love this idea!! 
If you don't mind me asking, do you have to secure the filling in some way, or have really thick material to stop the dogs from biting/ripping them apart? Thanks so much for replying!

Remember that terminology is all-important. Describing a cake as home-made is a selling point; describing a card you've made as 'home made' is a real turn off. Cards and other such items are hand-crafted...

That is very true. The psychology of selling. It's a fascinating subject. 

Bigphil1474

My OH has done a couple of church hall type craft fares selling Xmas cards last year and year before. She wasn't looking to make huge profits, so she made some quick higher volume cards, and some more fancy cards. Her and her friend made about £60 profit each over 2 days, then spent half of it on a restaurant meal. Paid for a few more materials, but i think it was more about having a weekend with her friend.