Crafting can be a great source of income.  If you feel you’re ready to turn you hobby into a money-making venture, there are several ways by which you may go about it.  You can start small and test the waters with only one method, or jump in with both feet and do them all!

Sell Directly From Your Home

An easy way to start is with friends and family.   Give them free items in exchange for spreading the word.  Don’t forget teachers, doctor’s offices, clubs or parents from your child’s various activities.

Print business cards at home with your business name, phone number and/or email. These will also double nicely as tags.   Give extras to friends and customers requesting they hand them out to anybody interested in you creations.

Donate to giveaways and raffles held by local schools, churches, sports organizations, nonprofits and churches.  Be sure to include one of those business cards with your donation and provide plenty of extras to be given to everyone who falls in love with your amazing work!

Sell At Craft Shows

Craft shows and street fairs are popular and held year round, especially during holidays because many people love to give a more personal handmade gift, but lack the time or talent to make it themselves.  Check with local churches, business associations and artisan groups for dates and costs to participate.

Other events such as car shows, home shows and county fairs may be a good venue for you to sell your craft.  Contact your local Chamber of Commerce to get a calendar of events held in your community.

The costs for booth space vary.  Some are free and only ask for a percentage of sales, while others will charge a flat fee.  This fee can be small or very large.

When choosing which shows to participate in, be sure to consider the popularity and location of an event.  Ask other vendors who have participated before how successful the show was for them.  Consider whether a particular show will attract your target customer.  Consider your audience when choosing what you will sell at each particular show.

Make sure you are handing out those business cards.  You can also print up a list of upcoming events where you will be selling to hand out as people browse your booth.  Team up with another vendor or crafter that sells complimentary items and trade business cards to hand out to customers.

Don’t be discouraged if your first show isn’t as successful as you had hoped.  Use it as a learning experience to discover what works and doesn’t work for your next show. .

Sell Online

An easy way to start selling on line is to create a Fan Page on Facebook.  You can post photos and sell directly from there.

Etsy , Kollabora and Zibbet are popular sites for selling handmade items online.  Create a virtual storefront in these communities dedicated specifically to selling and promoting handmade items.

Finally, create your own website.  Maintaining your own website can be time consuming but you will have more control over the overall format and design.  Vistaprint, Weebly and Shoppe Pro are website hosting sites which make this process simple.  They can offer both paid and free subscriptions.

To greatly increase your customer base, use the various modes of social media to make presence known.   Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and blogs are great tools for marketing your craft business online.

Sell in Stores

Selling opportunities often overlooked by the small craft business are boutique and specialty stores.  Look for stores that fit in with the craft you are selling.  You will have better luck convincing them to carry your items and the customer will more likely be interested in purchasing what you’ve made.

For example, if you are selling children’s clothing, check with local children’s clothing boutiques.  Ask the owners if you may place a small quantity of your clothing in their stores.  This would work for other items like hair bows, whimsical artwork and child themed home goods. Offer them a percentage of your sales in return.  If sales are successful and they like your product, the stores may agree to just purchase from you at wholesale.

Consignment stores also take in a variety of items.  There are clothing consignments as well as general merchandise stores that offer a lot of flexibility in the items that may be sold on consignment.

Choose What Fits Your Lifestyle and Goals.

Combine a variety of methods to grow your business and gain a even wider customer base.  Utilizing all four will certainly give you the best income opportunities.  Learn what it takes to be successful in each and you will be on your way to becoming a money making crafter!

 Juicy Craft Reads

• Easy Crafts To Make And Start Selling Right Away
• 15 Quick & Easy Holiday items to sell in your Craft Business
• Sizzling Summer Crafts
• Choosing a name for your Craft Business
• Pat Bravo: Heart and Soul of a Successful Designer
• How to name your Craft Items in your Craft Business
• Different ways of selling your Craft – besides Etsy