Home Craft Business

by Shasta McLaughlin, copyright 2009

A home craft business can present challenges in a tough economy. Artists and crafters need all the sources of income we can get, whether we sell arts and crafts on the side or we have a full time home craft business. Below are some craft business ideas for other things we can do with our art and craft skills and supplies to give ourselves another source of income.

Teach Classes

1. Decide what age groups you would like to teach classes for and if you will be giving classes to large groups or one on one.
   
2. Design an easy project for each group you will be teaching.
   
3. Have your kids, grandkids, neices and nephews, or a friends kids try out the class first to be sure it will be age appropriate.
   
4. Choose a place to hold classes. Rent a place if your workshop or studio won't work. Decide how much workspace each participant will need and find out how many tables are available.
   
5. Build kits for the projects and set a price for each kit as well as for the class. Include in the kits all the tools that each individual will need unless they are large or expensive. Have several of the large more expensive tools available for use.
   
6. Break the course down into several classes if necessary. Teach 1or 2 classes a week until the project is finished. When one course of classes is over have another one prepared so that participants from the first class can sign up for the next round of classes.
   
7. Make fliers showing the finished piece. Include an attention catching headline aimed right at the person who would sign up for the class, as well as the day, time, place and cost of the class and of kits, as well as your name, phone, and email. Hang the fliers where the people who would be interested in your classes will see them.

• Weight of kits to transport to and from classes.
• Drying time of materials like paints.
  
• Proper ventilation where paints will be used.
  
• Protecting tables and floors of rented spaces.
  
• Having helpers available so everyone gets the help they need.
  
• Safety of all participants and materials.

Classes make fun birthday parties, good evening or weekend entertainment for kids, great adult education courses, exciting family reunions, and are great for in home parties. Other events and occassions where your classes might be appropriate are club, church or group meetings, fund raisers, and girls or guys night out.

Classes are a good way to fill the down time between Christmas and Mothers Day when there aren't many shows happening.

Have a binder showing the classes you offer (and all the information needed to sign up) in your craft show booth. Have a registration form so participants can register at the show.

Sell Craft Patterns and Kits

Consider making kits or patterns of the crafts you create to sell as part of your home craft business. There are always those people at craft shows that won?t pay your price because they can make what you do. Sell them a kit and instructions to make it. Remind them to buy enough kits for all their gift giving needs. Include a reminder that the pattern is copyrighted and that they can not sell items they make from the kits.

Instructional Articles, CD's, DVD's or Videos

You can obviously create a craft so if you have a microphone for your computer a camcorder or a digital camera you can make tutorials.

People love to be taught how to do something. Have someone use your camera to record you (or speak into your microphone or tape recorder) while doing the classes above. Upload the recordings to CD, DVD, video or to a downloadable file. Sell these on your website or in your craft show booth.

Sell Craft Supplies

You buy supplies for your home craft business in bulk and probably have some odds and ends left over. Make grab bags of your leftover supplies. Grab bags can be random supplies, color, theme or style coordinated.

Some themes for your grab bags might be sewing, beading, jewelry, scrapbooking, stamping, summer, winter, spring, fall, beaches, kids, butterflies, flowers, and so much more.

Write a Book

You design and create your own projects for your home craft business all the time. Next time you are creating a project write down the instructions step by step and take pictures as you go. Compile your articles, the instructions and pictures into a book or e-book and sell on your website or in your craft show booth.

Guest author Shasta McLaughlin has always been an artist and crafter, attending shows with her mom since she was a child. She attended and promoted The Extravaganza Craft Shows. She now publishes a newsletter to help artists and crafters make their craft show businesses more profitable. Visit extravaganzacrafts.com/Blogs to find out why Attending Arts and Craft Shows Isn't Just About Selling Arts and Crafts.