Two years ago, I reached the point where I was making more money crafting than I was at my part-time day job. So I quit.
Is crafting your dream job, too? Don’t you wish you could do what you love, and be valued and compensated for your talents? There are many ways to earn income from your hobby! In this blog post, I’ll share a few different ways to make money crafting.
Sell Locally
Research craft fairs in your area. Approach small boutiques or gift shops and ask whether they’d be interested in a partnership. You can typically expect to pay about 30% of your sales to a shop that hosts your items. A local school allowed me to sell my handmade cards in their faculty room, as the staff appreciated the convenience. You might also be able to sell locally via a FaceBook page or word-of-mouth.
Before you begin selling locally, consider:
- Are you willing to make deliveries? Are you comfortable with buyers coming to your home?
- Who needs your product? If you were selling handmade cards, you might consider finding placement in a cupcake shop, a hotel front desk, or a hospital gift shop.
- Be prepared to stay on top of inventory. You’ll need a system for keeping track of sales, and for replacing low stock.
Etsy
You’ve probably heard of Etsy, the online shopping destination for handmade crafts. Opening an Etsy shop takes minimal effort, and it only costs a few cents to list an item. Before you open your shop you’ll need to:
- Take beautiful photographs of the item(s) you’re selling. A lot of photographs, shot from different angles.
- Decide on your shop’s policies. How will you handle customer service issues? Will you take special orders? What about returns?
- Be prepared to dedicate time to business inquiries, shipping, and keeping your shop’s listings current.
I’ve sold more than 800 items in my shop, and I have a 5-star rating. Customer service is key, as buyers can leave feedback and ratings. Visit Made By Marzipan’s Etsy Shop here.
Craftsy
Craftsy is currently the best place to sell PDF sewing patterns. (As of publication, you can only sell sewing PATTERNS on Craftsy, not completed items.) It’s free. Yes, completely free to sell! You can even have listings automatically renew once sold, so that there’s essentially zero effort on your part as seller once your shop is set up. Before you open your shop you’ll need to:
- Have pretty photographs of the finished, sewn item. It’s best if you sew several using different fabrics so buyers have a better idea of the possibilities.
- Draft a printable, PDF pattern. This needs to be done in a professional manner in an adequate computer program. Don’t even think about tracing, drawing, or scanning your pattern pieces! I use Adobe Illustrator. Include such details as seam allowances, sizing, labeled pieces, etc.
- Write clear, step-by-step instructions. Give a crafty friend the pattern and instructions and ask them to try sewing the item. Have them mark any steps that were confusing, and draft again.
This aspect of Craftsy is fairly new, but I’ve sold 500+ patterns there in about a year. Visit Made By Marzipan’s Craftsy Shop here.
Craft Stores
I spent several years as a project designer for my local craft and scrapbooking store. I would walk into the store, grab anything I wanted, take it home, make a project, bring it back, and pick up a paycheck. Sometimes I would design mini album scrapbooking kits. Eventually they would let me take the items I made home. It didn’t pay a lot, but every month I got hundreds of dollars worth of free craft merchandise to feed my habit :)
Craft stores often hire teachers, as well. If you’re patient and personable, you might enjoy teaching others how to scrapbook or sew in-store.
Before you look for a job at a craft store, you should:
- Create a non-traditional resume. In this case, it’s okay to showcase your creativity, so don’t rely on a template. You could even add a row of thread stitching down the margin, or watercolor flowers for the header. Don’t forget to include crafting and teaching experience: magazine publications, online features, teaching at 4-H, etc.
- Include a portfolio. Take photos of your best projects and attach them to your resume. If you score an interview, take along one of these smaller projects in your bag. You’ll know if and when to share it with the interviewer.
Blog or Website
A blog is something you can start today! Don’t worry too much about followers as you get started; just focus on building great content. Take photos of every project and add instructions.
Once you have a sufficient number of posts, you can consider ad space. GoogleAds is probably the easiest option for beginning bloggers. As your site grows, you can approach companies you feel would be a good fit, and companies will come to you with offers.
Before you publish a crafting blog or website, you ought to:
- Visit other craft blogs. What works? What doesn’t? You don’t want to copy another person’s website, but you can use the information you gather as inspiration for your own site.
- Decide what your blog is and isn’t. Will it be only crafting? Will it include cooking? Parenting advice? Cleaning tips? Travel ideas? Develop a clear vision for your site that will distinguish it from other blogs. For example, I’ve decided Made By Marzipan is a crafting & sewing site, and all of my tutorial projects must be fairly easy to replicate. These are my guidelines as I decide what to post, and it makes my site clean and simple.
- Spend time making it appealing. You’ll need a beautiful header, a layout that’s easy to navigate, and a nice headshot.
- Be prepared to devote your time to publishing fresh content and communicating with your followers. Reply to comments whenever possible.
YouTube
I posted my first video to YouTube a couple of years ago, and it’s grown to 25,000 subscribers and 4.5 million views. YouTube has zero overhead cost for uploads, so it’s a great way to make money. You can either become a GoogleAds partner, or you can seek out an affiliate network to host ads for you. (Some affiliate ad networks are great, some are terrible, so be sure to read the fine print before signing with anyone.)
Before you make your YouTube channel public, you should:
- Do a practice filming before shooting the final version. Can the viewer see what you’re doing? Are you speaking clearly? Are you rambling? Is there background noise?
- Be sure to turn off music as you’re working, as even background music can cause your video to be rejected for ads. Be aware of restrictions: you may not upload any content licensed to anyone else. No music, no screen shots, no video clips that are owned by someone else.
- Be ready to listen to criticism and put it to good use when you can. Always respond in a professional manner, even when the comments are rude. Don’t delete comments unless the language is offensive– everybody is entitled to their opinion.
- Tag videos properly. YouTube currently has no limits on the number of tags you include, so try to think of anything a user might search for. For example, I might tag a sewing video for baby shoes with: sewing, crafting, tutorial, how-to, instructions, directions, baby, boy, girl, infant, boots, shoes, sandals, booties, fabric, free, pattern, etc. Tags will help viewers find your video.
Check out Made By Marzipan’s YouTube channel here.
Sponsors
I work with a variety of sponsors who pay me to create projects featuring their products. I’ve been lucky, as most of my sponsors have seen my work and sought me out for a partnership. However, don’t be afraid to promote yourself to a company that you feel would make a good sponsor.
Before you enter into a sponsored partnership you should:
- Send them photos of previously completed projects that feature their product. Demonstrate your range and creativity.
- Research the company and their products. Be knowledgeable about who they are and what they sell. Never agree to promote a product you don’t actually like. Not only is your reputation on the line, but you need to be sure you comply with…
- FTC guidelines. Study them. You’ll need to include a disclaimer on posts that you have been compensated for, either with free product or monetarily.
- Work out the details of the agreement with your sponsor. How much do you get paid? By check or PayPal? Do you keep the finished item, or send it to them? What do your fees include: written tutorial, video, photographs, online promotion? Who owns rights to the tutorial content?
Don’t Forget…
You may be able to claim some of your supplies, utilities, and expenses as tax deductions, even if your little business isn’t legally incorporated. You may also be able to deduct travel expenses to conferences and other events. Of course, you’ll also have to pay taxes on your hobby income (typically when you make $600 or more). Meet with a certified accountant if you have questions.
My crafting hobby has become a legitimate home business that helps to provide for our family. It’s been an empowering journey, and I’m so grateful to my followers who have taken it with me! Have any more ideas for earning legitimate hobby-based income? Share them in the comments below!
