Article by Gladys O. Delaney
Arts and crafts fairs are great venues to showcase your creativity and make money at the same time. There is a wide array of products, which can be showcased. Listed below are the 10 types of items that are very popular and generally sell very fast in an art and craft show.1) For the KidsKids are priority always and parents are happy to buy things for them. It is good to encourage your kid
Article by Lee Dobbins
So several years after you started taking on a handcrafted jewelry hobby, you are probably now an expert in the craft. Perhaps your drawers and cabinets are overfilled with necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other trinkets. Maybe you have already run out of friends and relatives to give these things away. Now is the time for you to make money from your handcrafted jewelry by selling them.
For many hobbyists, taking the next step of making a pastime into a means of earning is an exciting phase. However, there are also many of those who could still be quite hesitant take their handcrafted jewelry hobby making to the next level because of many uncertainties that may come along the way. If such is the case for you, read on and discover how you could make your hobby not only pleasurable but lucrative as well.
Where to Sell Your Handcrafted Jewelry
For many people, selling would mean putting up a store or a boutique, but this should not always be the case for beginners. Building a shop can be intimidating, and not to mention risky, especially during the early stages. The best thing to do is to test the waters (i.e. the market) first before taking the plunge into a full-pledged handcrafted jewelry business. Here are some great venues where you can start up.
1. Handcrafted Jewelry Parties at Home – this is where many successful handcrafted jewelers start out. They invite their friends for some snack or dinner one afternoon or evening. As desert is serve, and small talk begins, you can show your guests your latest creations. Let them take a look and feel of your products. Have mirrors handy and allow guests to try your jewels out for size. This relaxed and friendly environment could be a great venue not only to take pride of your handiwork but also to sell them to people who are close to you.
2. Handicraft Fairs – after hosting some parties, you may now try to venture into the outside world, and a great place to do this is in handicraft fairs, where people of the same interest gather to look and shop for interesting finds. Fairs provide great settings novice jewelers as they provide good learning experiences such as the latest trends in the business. This is also where you could meet with potential contacts for your future handcrafted jewelry ventures.
3. Online Jewelry Shops – you may also take advantage of the convenience afforded by technology by selling your products online. The great thing about online shops is you could reach a wide market without having to leave your house. You may join an online shops that specialize on accessories or you may also sell you goods in online auction sites. For a minimal cost you could enter a vast ocean of potential customers. eBay is now a phenomenally popular site that sells everything from pets to computers, and you could greatly take advantage of his wonderful channel.
You may also put up your own website so that people would associate your products directly to you. Publishing and maintaining websites these days are no longer costly and considering how much you would earn with your handcrafted jewelry business, this could be a venture worth taking.
For How Much You Can Sell Your Handcrafted Jewelry
This is another area of handcrafted jewelry business that perplexes a lot of people, however it is actually very simple. You just have to take not of the costs of your materials, how much work you have placed on the crafts, and the overhead. To do this you need three steps:
1. List the cost all the materials and tools you used for making the jewelry.
2. Carefully think how much time and effort you gave to make your goods and decide how much you are willing to pay yourself. Perhaps in the beginning it is reasonable to pay yourself or so for every hour you worked. You can increase this as your business grows.
3. Finally, take not of all the other expenses that is related to your jewelry making. This could include the rent of the stall in the trade fair you joined, or the website maintenance expenses, or the telephone charges you got from calling contacts. Usually, these miscellaneous expenses can be estimated by taking 25% of the your material and labor costs.
With these in mind you would know how much your goods are worth, so that you would neither overprice nor under-price.
Making money out of your handcrafted jewelry is not as difficult as it seems. With determination and hard work you could be earning from your hobby in no time.
Lee Dobbins, an avid jewelry collector, designer and dealer, hosts http://www.jewelerati.com where you can learn about all kinds of jewelry from vintage, to modern to unique handcrafted jewelry.
Article by Richard Mason
A house full of kids, a rainy day, nothing to watch on TV that doesnt have to mean headaches for you. Instead, look upon it as an opportunity to spend some quality creative time with your children. Drag out the craft supplies box and see what extraordinary decorations spring to life.
Craft foam is one of the newest and most fun types of craft supplies that youll find. Start with the 12 by 18 inch Assorted Craft Foam Sheets Value Pack. This package comes with 12 foam sheets in red, blue, black, white, green and yellow. These brilliant and soft sheets can form the basis for many works of art. They are easy to cut and glue, and glitter and other items adhere to them very well.
Use Super Hold Foamies Craft Foam Glue to affix various items to the foam sheets. It also bonds wood, paper, cardboard and plastic, so your kids will find their creativity free to try just about anything. The two ounce bottle will last a while, too, so your kids should be set for the afternoon. Use the glue to affix any of a number of cut-out shapes. The Foamie Craft Foam Basketball Cutout or the Football are great for sports-themed art. There are even Foamie Craft Foam Team Spirit Shapes that include various tiny T-shirts, numerals and letters.
Have your kids put together pictures of themselves or each other, using 10MM Paste On Neon Googly Eyes for fun. These can be affixed to foam, fabric or other materials. Keep a package of 7mm Googly Eyes on hand, too, for the larger works of art. Youll be amazed at the silly and creative images your kids can design. Monsters are a natural for a rainy day, but your kids will undoubtedly make them funny monsters with these googly eyes.
Buttons are another fun craft item, so be sure to keep plenty of them in your craft supplies collection. There are small buttons like the Assorted Mini Natural Buttons. These come in assorted natural colors like cream, beige, brown and red clay. They can be used in all sorts of craft projects, from pictures to doll making. Holiday crafts can make use of the 1/2 Pound Buttons Galore Fire Engine Red buttons for St. Valentines Day or the Halloween Buttons or Spooky Stuff Buttons for that October holiday. Raking Leaves Buttons make wonderful Thanksgiving or Autumn-themed decorations. There are even Christmas Eve Buttons for use in Christmas crafting. Your kids can make all sorts of fun decorations for the tree with these Santa, sleigh or reindeer buttons.
Drag out your collection of pipe cleaners and see where their rainy day imagination takes your children. The Assorted Bright Neon Pipe Cleaners are perfect for making fairytale figures. Bring out the googly eyes for another touch of silly fun. The Assorted Giant Pipe Cleaners will come with seven project ideas that will keep your kids busy for hours. Even more entertaining is the Bright Multi Color Pom Pom and Chenille Stem Kit. This kit comes with 12 inch pipe cleaners in an assortment of bright colors, as well as wiggly eyes, pom poms and feathers. Youll be delighted at the creations that spring from the minds of your children when you add a touch of glue and glitter and set them loose at the kitchen table.
And speaking of glitter, there arent many projects that wouldnt benefit from a little added glitz. There are plenty of ways to purchase craft glitter, too. You might want a lot of it, so choose the Big Value Crystal Glitter Jar. This acetate crystal glitter comes in iridescent, red, silver and plenty of other colors. Or choose a smaller ¾ ounce Red Sparkle Craft Glitter, Crystal White Sparkle Craft Glitter, or Silver Sparkle Craft Glitter. Choose the size container you need based on the size of your kids hands or their ability to control how much they sprinkle. Youll find almost every color in each type of glitter.
Your kids might like to use Sparkle Glitter Glue, too. This handy product will allow them to apply the glitter without adding extra glue. Its great for embellishing any project and is not messy like other glues can be. There are also Deco Art Glitter Paint products in a variety of colors. Christmas Green and Twinkles Crystal are just a couple that you might like to keep on hand. Use these with paint brushes to add just the right amount of glitter to any project.
Styrofoam, sequins, pom poms there are so many craft supplies available today that you might need more than one rainy day for your children to expend all the creativity building inside them. So order a wide variety after all, no two kids are alike in their creative desires. Then when those rainy days rumble around, pull out your craft supplies and give them free rein to dream up whatever art they want.
Richard A Mason is a freelance writer who writes about hobbies and interests including products such as craft supplies.
Article by Diane Palmer
If you are wanting to start a craft business, why not start with a DIY Christmas Craft Show?
If you have a passion for creating, and you have a houseful of products, this is one of the best times of year to make the leap from hobby to business.
The best place to have your Christmas Craft Show, is your own house. It doesn’t have to be huge, but you do need to do some prep work.
Start by clearing out the room you plan to have your craft show in. Get a couple of tubs, and start clearing away all your knick knacks, and pictures on the wall, and store them in another room. This is important, because you don’t want someone trying to buy your grandmother’s teapot! (Don’t laugh this happened!)
Once you have cleared away everything, give the room a good clean, and then start displaying your products, with description and price tags on. If you make Christmas ornaments, then setup up a tree, if you paint, set up some easels. If you quilt, then setup some quilting racks. This is where you can get creative. Also use your couches and chairs as displays, you don’t want customers sitting around and yakking. As nice as that is, your purpose is to get your craft business going!
Invite family and friends and neighbors. Make sure and put the time on your invite, and have a sign out front on the day, with balloons. Make sure and leave some room for parking. Move your own car to a neighbors.
Have some good quality apple cider on the stove on low, or in a crock pot, and some goodie trays. Have some Christmas music playing softly. All of this creates atmosphere, and will let your potential customers feel relaxed and not pushed as they would be at large Christmas Craft Shows.
Make sure you are armed with business cards, order forms, and a sign up clip board for an “online newsletter” Collecting email addresses from interested clients, is a good way to let them know of any new products you have created.
Have lots of change on hand, and make sure the rest of your house is closed off, so as not to have wandering neighbors going into other rooms. Keep your pets locked away for the afternoon as well.
You don’t need to have Christmas themed products, as people are also looking for original or unique gifts to give, not just to decorate for Christmas.
This is a great way to meet new people and potential customers. Dress nice, smile and enjoy your Christmas Craft Show
make crafts for cash and put money in your pocket with your creations! Find out your passion!
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Article by Natalie Goyette
In fairness, for some of you long-time craft show warriors, this might be review. And in reality, there is only so much to know – and then the rest is probably learned from experiencing the actual craft shows themselves. But, take a look at the 4 things I have included in this article, and then you can judge for yourself!
Here are 4 things you didn’t know about making money at craft shows:
1.) Double, triple or more your cost – That’s right! If you are making a craft for each, depending on the craft, you can double the price minimum – likely triple it, and possibly charge more. One of the biggest problems with crafters is that they sell their crafts short – and it affects the bottom line. Figure out your cost, and then make as much as you can on it!
2.) Added value sells crafts – It likely doesn’t even matter how valuable the added items are, but the perception from the buyer is that are ‘receiving’ more. This can be a powerful tool in selling your crafts. It can also allow you to charge a little more for your craft, because the perception of receiving more allows it.
3.) Eye level sells more crafts – If you have a variety of crafts in your craft show booth, you want to keep the ones that are going to make you more profit at eye level. Studies show that people tend to buy more products that are at eye level than if the (crafts) were near the floor, or up above the head. People like to see what they are buying, and they like to have it convenient – so eye level is always best to sell the crafts in your booth.
4.) Provide all pay options – The more options you accept for payment, the more sales you are going to make. Many crafters will make sales by credit card and by cash, but you can make even more if you allow buyers to use their personal banking card – as if they were at an ABM (Automated Banking Machine). This is a convenient option that is sure to convert a few more sales in your craft show booth.
I certainly hope you weren’t disappointed. I know these things are going to help you make more money in your booth – some of them might be common knowledge, too! Still, if you incorporate just two of these suggestions, I believe you are going to see a definite increase in the profit from your craft show business!
Natalie Goyette shows you how to make your craft show business profitable in her best selling ebook: Craft Show Success Secrets. Visit her site:http://www.craftshowsuccess.com
Article by Sheena Louise
Most people think that making wire name jewelry is too difficult for them to learn, no matter how beautiful the end products can be. What many of us do not know is that it is quite possible to learn wire name making. And all we really need is a good guide to help us.
Click Here For Own Craft Business Instant Access Now!
Wire name making is indeed an interesting craft to learn. Not only can we make a hobby out of it, it can also give us a good way to earn extra cash. Most people think of wire name jewelry as they look for gifts or souvenirs. And in cases like this, learning this craft can come in quite handy.
What does it take to learn this kind of craft? If you do not have time to take classroom lessons in craft schools, you have the option to learn this craft at home. How is this possible? With the help of guides and tutorials. The next thing you will need is access to tools needed for this kind of craft. And of course, to the kind of materials that you will be using.
Once you have everything ready, you can start working on your new craft or hobby. And you may not realize it but you might soon be making a good dozen of wire name jewelry that you can give away as gifts or sell to interested people. And what is even better is you need not spend days to finish a piece of wire name jewelry.
If you find yourself with nothing to do most of the time, it can be best to learn a new craft or hobby. And why not consider wire name making as one? Not only will you be able to make great pieces of jewelry, you can also have the chance to earn a little extra from them.
Click Here For Own Craft Business Instant Access Now!
This author writes about Wire Name Jewelry at Wire Name Making
Article by Sheena Louise
Most people think that making wire name jewelry is too difficult for them to learn, no matter how beautiful the end products can be. What many of us do not know is that it is quite possible to learn wire name making. And all we really need is a good guide to help us.
Click Here For Own Craft Business Instant Access Now!
Wire name making is indeed an interesting craft to learn. Not only can we make a hobby out of it, it can also give us a good way to earn extra cash. Most people think of wire name jewelry as they look for gifts or souvenirs. And in cases like this, learning this craft can come in quite handy.
What does it take to learn this kind of craft? If you do not have time to take classroom lessons in craft schools, you have the option to learn this craft at home. How is this possible? With the help of guides and tutorials. The next thing you will need is access to tools needed for this kind of craft. And of course, to the kind of materials that you will be using.
Once you have everything ready, you can start working on your new craft or hobby. And you may not realize it but you might soon be making a good dozen of wire name jewelry that you can give away as gifts or sell to interested people. And what is even better is you need not spend days to finish a piece of wire name jewelry.
If you find yourself with nothing to do most of the time, it can be best to learn a new craft or hobby. And why not consider wire name making as one? Not only will you be able to make great pieces of jewelry, you can also have the chance to earn a little extra from them.
Click Here For Own Craft Business Instant Access Now!
This author writes about Wire Name Jewelry at Wire Name Making
Article by Julia Dave
Doll games and dress up doll games are popular all over the Internet because of the opportunity they give girls of all ages to play in a fantasy world of dolls, clothes, accessories and makeup. Girls can change their doll’s looks as often as they want. Most dress up doll games are free, and can keep a girl busy for hours while she discovers all of the different combinations and possibilities for styles and colors. Try a doll making and doll dress up game to kill some time and check out the latest fashions.Cartoon DollCartoon Doll is an easy to use doll program that allows girls to customize a bright-eyed, Japanimation-style cartoon doll. Girls can choose from a myriad of different-style outfits, including tops, shirts and pants, dresses and even accessories like purses, jewelry and shoes. You can even dress up your doll for the winter, complete with a warm coat and earmuffs. This dress up doll maker game is a great choice for those who like more fanciful and whimsical dolls and don’t want to take the game too seriously. Try all of the different combinations by simply dragging and dropping the outfit on your cartoon doll to create a new look every time.Flora’s Dress Up DiaryFlora is a more mature dress up doll that you can make and customize to your own tastes. Instead of the usual offerings of flouncy dresses and whimsical accessories, Flora boasts a diary that is full of fashionable items. You can dress Flora up for a day at work, and then change her looks for drinks afterward. Targeted to older and more mature doll enthusiasts, Flora is a way to satisfy the need for style without ever setting foot in a shopping mall. You can even give her work-appropriate hair in different styles and colors with this addictive doll maker game.Unique Doll MakersIf you want to create a doll and dress one that looks just like you, then try Unique Doll Makers. In this versatile program, you can choose from hundreds of options to customize a doll that looks just like you. Just choose the components that you like, and drag and drop them onto the colored canvas found at the bottom of the page. Clothing, hair and accessories are all at your fingertips for you to play with. You can change your doll until she looks perfect, and then save her to your computer for use in signatures, on social networking sites or anywhere else you want to show off your customized doll.
Playing dress up games helps you create your own style and test your knowledge about fashion. This is a very simple game. Kids, teen, or Adults can play!
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