Most times its people who are selling their own handmade craft items that go to craft shows. Would these people be angry if I were to sell supplies. Could it be seen as encouraging new people to start up in competition with them?
What should I charge for my crafts? As the owner of an online craft mall, I often get asked this question. Correctly pricing your items is an important factor in determining how successful you will be as a professional crafter. There is no single answer but there are some key points to consider when you set your prices.
It is very critical to cover your costs. First you need to calculate what it costs you to make the item. For example, say you create fabric checkbook covers, take the price of a yard of fabric and divide it by the number of covers that you can create from one yard of fabric. There may be other costs involved beside your raw materials. You probably have a good idea what those costs are but don’t forget to add a little for things like electricity if you use power tools, computers or sewing machines and general supplies like glue or thread or paint. Another major cost is labor, the time it takes you to create the item. Everyone likes to think their labor as being very valuable. However when crafting, you need to consider the fact we live in a global marketplace and you are competing with very low labor costs of other countries. Another consideration is why you craft in the first place; does it relax you, entertain you or satisfy your basic need to create? Would you be crafting even if you were not selling your items? We all would like to make big bucks for our work, but in reality, if you can make a couple of dollars an hour you are doing pretty well.
Next add the right amount of profit so the item does not appear overly expensive or too cheap. Do your homework. Find similar items for sale on the Internet, at craft shows and gift shops. Unless your crafts are very unique use the similar items as a guideline to setting your prices. Make note of the items with the highest prices and the lowest prices then price yours somewhere in the middle.
Do not ignore the psychological aspect of pricing either, it will cost you sales. Ever noticed how almost everything you buy ends in .99 or .95? Many studies have been done by big corporations to arrive at just the right price point. Price your items in a similar fashion. It just makes buyers feel more comfortable. If you feel your item is worth $25.00, set the price at $24.95. Stay away from odd figures like $12.17 and even numbers, it drives buyers away. With a little thought you will be able to come up with the most popular prices like the ones you see regularly on television, at gas stations and grocery stores. The big companies do it because it works.
Remember, you are the manufacture of your crafts and you can make price changes when you need to. If something is selling out very quickly then raise your price just a little until you find it selling at a rate you can keep up with. If an item is selling too slowly, put it on sale. If you see a big increase in sales at this price, that just might be the perfect price for your item.
Pamela Wylie, Craft Site Owner
HandmadeCatalog.com – The Online Place to Buy and Sell Crafts Since 2002
Owner of HandmadeCatalog.com, one of the top Craft Malls on the net since 2002. A crafter, business women and Internet marketing guru.
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Rug hooking has made a big comeback.. this is an older craft, that is now a form of art and stress relief!.. as it is a relaxing craft… Get started now for your fall hobbies or craft business!
There are a couple of basic types of rug hooking, the first one is the latch hook type, which usually comes as a kit, and has a picture already on it, and once you learn to use the hook, you follow the instructions with the co-ordinate pre-cut wool pieces.
The other type, is using fabric strips, this one takes a bit more planning and preparation but the results are works of art. They can be done on a burlap backing, or a stiffer backing, depending on what you want the rug for, whether its to hang on the wall as art, or you are going to use it on the floor.
Either way, you can design your picture right on the burlap backing, and then find or make strips of fabric in the right colors, and the hooking is more of a continuous loop rather than small pieces.
Its like creating a painting in fabrics, getting supplies can be difficult sometimes, but with the advance of the internet, you can find lots of different supplies online. With the summer winding down, and the kids going back to school, why not check out rug hooking for your new hobby, or craft business..
This is also a great alternative to painting, why not create your work of art with fabric strips and a hook, and have an original unique rug.. people tend to love “useable art” at craft shows, and this would qualify for sure!
www.make-crafts-for-cash.com/rughooking.html this is a website by Diane Palmer, who has over 15 years in the crafts business.
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There is a new handmade movement sweeping the nation! More people than ever before buy handmade online thanks to popular online marketplaces like Etsy.com and virtual craft shows like HandmadeCraftShow.com.
Many folks know about online marketplaces and they enjoy buying handmade crafts from the gifted handmade artists who have setup shops there. But virtual craft shows are now becoming the fun way to find and buy handmade online.
Have you heard of a virtual craft show before? Let me introduce you to one of the most popular virtual craft shows online that showcase unique handmade from artisans from all over the web, yes including from the online marketplaces. HandmadeCraftShow.com has become one of the leading virtual craft shows after launching in 2009. On HandmadeCraftShow.com you can find new and popular handmade by browsing virtual craft show booths, meet interesting artists and learn what inspires them to create by reading artists interviews, and you can even find the latest and greatest handmade by visiting the craft blog or signing up for the newsletter.
Now, let me explain a few differences between online marketplaces and virtual craft shows. Well the really big difference is that virtual craft shows compliment marketplaces, by showcasing lesser known but equally talented handmade artists who get overlooked on the larger sites like Etsy.com and Artfire.com.
Now what do I mean by “showcasing”? To help you understand, think of a traditional craft show. At a traditional craft show, handmade artists rent a booth/table and display their unique handmade creations for you to see. When you find handmade items you like, you make your purchase directly from the handmade artists. Well that is what happens at a virtual craft show. You browse virtual craft show booths that display a sampling of handmade artists’ crafts and information about them as well as their specialty handmade. When you find handmade that you like, click the link that takes you directly to their online shop or website, select the handmade you love and then checkout.
Virtual craft shows like HandmadeCraftShow.com do not have shopping carts. Their main purpose is to introduce handmade artists and then lead visitors to artists’ shops that located on popular online marketplaces like Etsy.com and Artfire.com. In a nutshell, you can say virtual craft shows are advertising venues that make it easy to market handmade crafts online and fun for those who love to buy handmade.
To see a virtual craft show in action and or to learn more visit HandmadeCraftShow.com.
HandmadeCraftShow.com is a fun way to buy handmade online. If you love handmade, then you should visit our virtual craft show. You will find new and popular handmade!
Are you a handmade artist? Do you you need help marketing your handmade online? We understand that marketing and selling crafts online can be a very daunting task. Which is why HandmadeCraftShow.com works very hard marketing our artists and increasing their online exposure.
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Stained Glass is about creativity that is pure excitement, passion and yes fun satisfaction. It happens when you least expect it for some it happens while staying at a cottage at the beach. The salty air, seashells and interesting things lying on the beach spark creativity. Stained Glass art and craft is born every day in the souls of those in need to make something.
Creativity equals satisfaction. Creativity must be affordable and accessible to everyone.
Stained glass art is a passion yet at the same time a medium that people are drawn in by its textures, light and infinite colors. It is different from drawing, pottery, and other forms of art yet it fuses all other mediums to come up with a new way of viewing our world.
Sadly, many people who attend craft shows think of stained glass as a decorative craft. Often I will tell an acquaintance that I own a stained glass business and they automatically ask me if I could make them a sun catcher, lampshade, or maybe a sidelight. Most people don’t understand the cost of glass, foil, came and solder, not to mention the patina and use of tools and time.
Most who walk into Wal-Mart can find a stained glass lamp for $20. The problem is that they probably purchased something made in China and sadly made by someone who earned pennies just so big Wal-Mart could profit off of slave wages. Another concern is that due to a profit margin most who makes stained glass lamps or sun catchers must cut corners in the types of materials and the amount of materials they use.
It was mentioned recently by a stained glass artist in Roanoke, Virginia that they’ve been commissioned to fix stained glass pieces made in China and noticed that the pieces weren’t properly soldered. It comes down to that you get what you pay for.
Another strong association for many of us is religious art in church windows. These are all appealing and appropriate uses of stained glass, although lately I’ve noticed churches in Roanoke using opaque glass as opposed to translucent. It’s not a design just some pretty glass they thought they would hang.
It is exciting seeing contemporary stained glass art. Stained glass as a hobby is easy to learn, and it isn’t hard on the hands and lastly don’t take as long as say knitting. It’s a great hobby for retirement communities, home schooled children and aftercare programs. I’ve actually made stained glass panels with 10 children ages 9-13.
Like a painter, I explore light, color and texture. Like a sculptor, I create pieces that are both 3-dimensional in reality and also give the viewer a 3-dimensional illusion; and they are tactile – at a recent show, nearly everyone who stopped to look at my windows also touched them and felt the contours. Most people love glass, and are fascinated by its transparency or translucence, and the way it toys with light. Colors and textures float in it as though in free space, and shift with changes in the light source as though alive.
Most people love glass, and are fascinated by its transparency or translucence, and the way it toys with light. Colors and textures float in it as though in free space, and shift with changes in the light source as though alive.
Stained glass is often called an architectural art form, because it is usually a part of a building. However, the work can serve two distinct functions within the architectural setting. Some work is architectural in design, comprising abstract or geometrical features that are continuous with or reflect lines and shapes in other components of the building, or maybe modify the look of the world beyond the window. It is part of the architect’s try and creates a new place. The connection that the window in the wall of the building is not seen as a connection between outside and inside, but as a frame for art and the daylight is used to bring the image to life.
Glass of different degrees of transparency is used so objects or what is beyond the window may be visible through it. They become part of the work – dynamic because they are subject to different lighting conditions.
Stained Glass is enjoyable for those to look at its beauty, and miracle that the everyday person can make. So go out and get some glass and make something you don’t have to hang on your refrigerator but in your window.
See the world through light!
Lori Rehfeldt is a stained glass artist and owner of www.stainedglassa2z.com and stained glass artist at the community school in Roanoke, VA.
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With everyone thinking “green” these days, the tote bag has become popular once again. In our Grandmother’s day, they would always carry their own shopping or tote bags, but then came the quick and easy throw away plastic bag.
Now we are turning the tables again, and the tote bag is here to stay. Even the grocery stores are offering them for sale. This is a great place to start for a craft business.
If your passion, is painting, sewing, quilting, appliqué, embroidery, or even stamping, then you can create the most gorgeous tote bags, for yourself, for unique one of a kind gifts, or to sell at craft shows or online. They are lightweight, and strong, and they really are an open canvas.
With all the latest and greatest craft supplies out there now, you can get printable fabric that you can put in your computer printer. You can print a photograph from your computer, right onto this fabric, which you could then appliqué to the tote, it is washable. This could be a great craft business idea. This works well with pet photos. Everyone loves their pets, and would love to show off their pets picture done up nice on a tote bag.
Make one for yourself and make sure to use it everyday, and you will get people asking about your tote. This is great free advertising.
Stamping also works well on blank totes. The ideas are endless, but make sure and take a picture of your original totes and keep in an album for potential customers to see. Tote bags are a great form of usable art, and pretty soon you will see your artwork on display everyday as tote bags. What a great feeling that would be.
If you love this idea, then why not get your tote bags in bulk?.. Some craft store sell them, but I find them to be most affordable online. You can purchase all different styles depending on what artwork you will put on it. Go ahead, and make some useable art and help keep the planet green.
blank tote bags online now
Find lots of blank tote bags online now in bulk and get crafting!. Don’t forget pets make great subjects. Article and website by Diane Palmer
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If you want to start a home based craft business, but are terrified of selling in public or dealing with people, or exchanging money, then you would have had problems a decade ago.
Bu with the advances in the internet, you can actually design, create and even get supplies as well as sell online, and still be in your pajamas if you so wish! It is a great tool for research as well as selling. You can monitor other people’s craft business’s and watch what is selling and what is not. You can follow trends and more.
This a great idea for the shy person. Not everyone wants to be in the public eye, or feel confident at selling to the public, such as with craft shows, but yet wants the benefits of a home craft business..
If you love crafts, and making them, and would love to sell them, but have been put off by craft shows, and are terrified of approaching retail stores or art galleries, or setting up to sell anywhere, then you don’t have to give up your dream of a home business. There are many opportunities to sell your crafts without even leaving your house.
1. If you like the idea of local craft shows, you can pair up with another crafter. Preferably one that creates something totally different from you, so as not to be competing, and help pay for the show fee, and have her/him sell your creations for you. You could give them a fee or commission. This would have to be someone you trust.
2. If your creations are easily mailed, or you can come up with some great craft ideas, that could be easily dropped in the mail, then consider Ebay, or other online stores. All you will need is a good camera, and be able to write a great description of your craft, and price it well, and research the postal fees up front. People like to know what their total cost for a product will be right from the beginning. You could advertise that you offer free shipping, depending on the size and price of your product.
If you love all aspects of a home business.. no boss, make your own hours, let your creativity go free, make some extra money.. then don’t let anything stop you. Using the internet is a great way to get started. Your customers can be from all over the world. You can even download postage online, if you don’t want to go to the post office!
The internet has made it much easier to work at home, you could be living in a rural area, but as long as you have the internet, and a post box (once you download postage, you have to drop it in a mailbox) you can make money from home with a great craft business, and stay in your jammies, if that is your dream!
Want to work at home?? But don’t know what to make? GREAT CRAFT IDEAS find what craft inspires you, and then get your home business making you money today!
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How To Start Your Own Craft Business.
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A virtual craft show is an online craft show that allows artisans a chance to promote their crafts online. Online craft shows, such as HandmadeCraftShow.com, are easy to use both by artisans and visitors to the site.
The best virtual craft shows are ones that allow visitors to purchase directly from the artisans. This way artisans are able to receive all of their profits instead of having to share a percentage of it with the virtual craft show.
There are many other benefits to showcasing your crafts in a virtual craft show. Such as being able to link directly to your shop or web site. This way you are increasing the traffic to your site, that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Another benefit with virtual craft shows, such as HandmadeCraftShow.com is that you don’t have to worry about uploading your items. You simply provide 3-5 pictures to represent your crafts and craft show visitors simply click on the pictures to be brought to your site to see more of your crafts and to make a purchase.
There are many other benefits to exhibiting your crafts in a virtual craft show. I invite you to give it a try by joining us on handmadecraftshow.com. Handmade Craft Show is a never ending online craft show that allows crafters to get the online promotion they need to sell their crafts online. We allow handmade crafters a chance to select virtual booths of their choice and add up to 5 pictures that represent their crafts. We are quickly becoming one of the most popular virtual craft shows so if you are a crafter, we invite you to stop by and join us now.
Join us on HandmadeCraftShow.com for great handmade crafts. HandmadeCraftShow.com is a never ending virtual craft show. Promoting and marking handmade crafts created by handmade artists and crafters are our specialty.