Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have a variety of craft items to sell, but not necessarily a large quantity and want to sell them as best as I can. Please advise. Thank you.
If you know someone who has a craft website, you might be able to take some really good photos of your things and offer them 10% for their time.
Go to www.etsy.com and set up an account. It's very easy to work with them and they only take .20 each item, etc.
Look for local church bazaars or community markets that you can share a booth with someone.
And finally, advertise that you are selling crafts/supplies at a yard sale.
Good luck!
Try local flea markets, craft fairs, yard sales, and on line like ebay.
What is a good item that I can make to sell at yard sales?
By Debra
A lot will depend on where you live. Go to some yard sales and see if they have homemade craft ideas and see if they are selling. Where I live homemade craft things just don't sell, even if they are marked dirt cheap.
You can also consult Craigslist and click on Arts and Crafts. It's either going to be supplies or things people make. That will give you an idea of what is selling in your area.
If you belong to a group like at a church, book club, etc, then pick peoples brains and find out if anyone tried and made it or didn't and why.
For instance, I wanted to see if my granny squares would sell well, so I kept track of eBay's sellers. Most didn't sell. But, when I clicked on fabric squares, it was a hole other story. Now, I know what will most likely sell and what is perhaps a waste of time.
If you crochet, you might start out with something simple like scrubbies or dish cloths. These are simple and cheap to make. I wouldn't make a ton, but perhaps 1 of each of the colors of the crayon boxes...red, green, purple, etc. Advertise them on CL and see what happens.
I have found that people are not looking for crafts at yard sales any more than they would look for second hand stuff at a craft shop. The two don't tend to mix. That said, see if you and some of your friends can get together and have a small "craft sale". Does someone have a nice garage? Perhaps a spare room they would rent out? How about a pretty and big porch on a nice busy street?
I can tell you from a small business stand point, that "fast nickles are better than slow quarters". If you make something that takes you 3 hours and cost 30.00 for materials, you will lose money if you sell it for less than 60.00-75.00 dollars.
But, if you make something that costs you .25 and you can make 30 of them in an hour, you can sell them for 1.00 and make a pretty good profit.
Another tip is to leave most of the Holidays alone. In other words, if you do only seasonal, you may be left in the dust with all the craft fairs etc that you find during the Holidays. But, if you pick things that are non seasonal, things that people would either need every day or want for occasions like for gifts and such, you have a wider variety.
I once crocheted a cell phone purse that can also hold id, money and such, for about .50 and it took me 1 hour. I sold it for 15.00 and I was sitting in front of my tv while I was doing it.
Do some research, find a niche and start small. I hope all this helps. Sandi/PBP
I am good in craft work; I produce some craft things, but I don't know what are the best ways to sell my product. Can someone please give me some ideas?
By kalidas from Coimbatore, Tamilnadu
You should create your own website. Take pictures of them and put them online on ebay or something. You could always set up your own little station at a flee market.
I agree with By If you check on ebay you will find a lot of baby products that are hand made and really cute. One seller actually has patterns for sale if needed. They have made so many more things that weren't available two years ago. I'd check it out and then use your imagination.
Where do I sell my hand crafted baskets, butterflies, dragonflies, and bugs?
By Twist my Stick
There is a web site called etsy.com where people sell their craft work. Also check into craft shows and flea markets in your area.
Do you have a store, that has State made things, lots of times they will take what you have and you pay them a percentage.
I was asked to do a scrapbook for someone. Now that I have finished it, I am not sure how much to ask for it. I used my own materials and supplies and it was about 20 different pages. She did say she would pay me for doing the scrapbook for her. Any suggestions?
By Kathy from Owensboro, KY
As a scrapbook salesperson I long ago learned to come to terms with cost before the work, but since you did not do that, you need to talk to your friend and discuss what time you put into it and about how much the materials cost you. I would say a 20 page book would go for about $30 myself. That's not much profit for what you did I'm sure, but it's unlikely someone would pay more. Of course you can ask her to evaluate it and come up with an offer, and then learn from that to agree before working.
I always use 3 times my cost as a charge for any crafts unless there is an extra ordinary large expense.
I knit and crochet dish cloths. I sell them for $2.50, is that the going rate? I want to do a craft show this fall, what are good sellers? I also do plastic canvas, such as tissue box covers, pins, coasters, etc.
It seems to me that there are always several crafters selling those items. Make something unique that sets yourself apart from the rest.
I agree with the former poster. I suggested this to another crafter who was very excited. You go to the dollar tree and get large and smaller doilies, or you can get really good ones from the thrift shops. Get some brass or plastic rings and attach the doilies to the rings. I find that catching the doily with ripped fabric and then embellishing with buttons makes a nice country sun catcher.
You can go with faux gems, or glitter glue for a fancy one. If you use thread to wrap the ring, you can use a complimentary color of thread. Or, you can simply use ribbon to wrap or tie the doily to the ring and leave the ring unwrapped. These are flat and ready to transport, cheap to make, fun, and with the holidays coming up, easy to ship for the holiday buyers.
If you want more crochet patterns, and ideas, contact me through here and leave a message with an email, and what your main craft interest is. As for pricing, the total cost of these is anywhere from 2.00-6.00 so I would sell the large for 10.00 and the smaller for 8.00, keeping some 10.00's and 1.00's handy.
It's a funny fact, but some people consider cheaper crafts not worthy of their money. I have seen people pass up 5/4.00 items to pay 20.00 for one thing. A "niche" is what will bring customers to your booth. If you sell what some call "granny crafts" that most people can do themselves, you will be mostly passed by. Good luck!
I lost my job last year and haven't had any luck finding something else. I have recently had access to unlimited material in very old ratty looking clothing. Does anyone have any thoughts on what I can make from this recycled material to make money, at least for all of my medications? Thank you for your input.
By Karen
If you are going to use "old ratty clothing" this might be the last time you call it that. Then, wash some of it and see how it looks pressed. Then, yank on it pretty hard and see if it holds up to any stress. If it passes the test, you might be able to hot glue it into strips and make some hot pads out of it.
You can advertise them as "Re Purposed on Purpose" or "The Clothes Bin" as a way to let others know this is from clothing. Or, if you are craft challenged, you may want to launder it, cut out the seams and such, press it, cut it into squares for quilts and just sell it that way.
Here is a really good site to try out. Click on the image option and you will see hundreds of images on what to do with scrap fabric.
Good luck!
www.google.com/
I had made a couple of what I call "redneck" wine glasses for my friends. They loved them and have talked me into trying to sell them at a craft show, but I need some suggestions on what I should have written on the tag, something catchy, funny, or whatever. If you have any suggestions, I sure could use them. I have a couple, but they don't do anything for me. If you have suggestions, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!
By karen from Charleston, SC
Bubba's Best glassware
Hillbilly Crystal
Redneck Red Wine glasses
Coutry Folks' Fine Crystal
I am looking for information to find a mechanical spinning device to use to display some wind spinners indoors at craft shows. Does anyone know of a web site that sells them?
Could you just use a fan to create the wind to make them spin?
I have just started making placemats out of tye dye material (purely african) and they look so beautiful. The problem is that I lack market for them. Any ideas?
a couple of ideas -- contact local specialty stores that may be interested in selling your placemats on consignment. another great place to sell your lovely items -- ebay! you can open a "store" on ebay, make an "about me" page so people know the history behind the placemats (what inspires you, etc). I wish you great success!
This is a page about selling handmade crochet items. Deciding to sell your handmade crochet items is only the first step towards successfully marketing your handicrafts.
This is just a small percentage of the things I make. Pricing is a problem for me.
Whether you are selling retail or wholesale, you need to determine how much it costs you to make your cards. This is a page about selling homemade greeting cards.
This is a page about selling glass block crafts. If you really enjoy making seasonal and other occasion crafts using glass blocks, perhaps you have thought of selling them.
This is a page about selling recycled bag rugs. Plarn is made from plastic bags and used to create crochet craft projects. Selling crafts made from recycled materials is currently quite popular.
This is a page about selling handmade jewelry. Selling handmade jewelry has the potential for being a successful cottage business and perhaps even a more lucrative concern.
This page is about selling crafts at craft shows. Having a great display and unique items can make your craft fair experience a success.
This is a page about selling quilts. Making quilts involves creativity and talent. These beautiful and useful pieces of art can earn you some money too.
This is a page to selling crafts online. Selling crafts online can be an excellent way to earn some extra income. However, navigating the plethora of ways there are to sell your wares is a difficult task.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
Has anyone had any luck with selling your home-made crafts? I am looking for a way to make extra income.
