Craft Show Profits - Away From Craft Shows!

As you gain experience selling your crafts at craft shows, you'll be planning your schedule a year in advance. Although a business plan isn't essential, a marketing plan is a good idea to have as you plan your shows. You'll want to keep your customers on your mailing list informed of new products, special sales and upcoming shows. You may need to update your marketing materials from time to time as well. In addition, between shows, you may decide to pursue other paths to selling your products. Some of these are: the Internet (your own Web site or eBay), retail (your own store, space in a gallery or retail store), wholesale (trade shows, distributors or sales reps), trade or consumer magazine ads (extremely costly), mail order, catalogs, TV shopping networks and home shows.

Selling wholesale at galleries, stores, trade shows or through reps or distributors cuts your profit in half. The only way to make it up is through large quantity sales—and then you may find yourself in a bigger production mode than what you feel comfortable with. Selling wholesale has other drawbacks, like return policies, cancellations and late payments. And some shops and galleries will only take you on consignment.

Although billions of dollars are spent by consumers buying products over the Internet, online sales for craft items has not been spectacular—and nothing compared to craft show figures. However, it's relatively inexpensive to sell over eBay and for under $1,000 you can have a decent Web site designed. Check out eBay for yourself to see if anything like your items are being marketed there. If you have to sell way too low to match the competition that you won't make a profit, it's not worth it. Put up your own Web site and let it be a virtual shop for you—for existing customers to see what you're up to and to attract new buyers. You can post your show schedule, have information about yourself and your crafts and sell whatever items photograph well and ship safely.

Research other Web sites selling similar products, decide how you would like your electronic store to look and find a competent Web designer. Make sure you are quoted all costs up front including monthly maintenance so you can keep your site updated. Design your Web site with the same care you designed your booth—so it represents you and your product in the best light. Make it easy for people to buy and to contact you. Have your phone number and e-mail address so they can ask questions. If your Web designer is not marketing savvy, have someone help you submit your Web site to search engines and do whatever you can to make it visible to potential buyers.

Another way to promote yourself online is to join craft forums or chat groups, where buyers and sellers gather to discuss crafts. If you position yourself as an expert answering various questions, people may visit your Web site to gain more contact with you. Also consider having links and resources on your site so people will see you as a source of knowledge about crafts. As a creative person, you'll probably have so many ideas to enhance your Web site—just don't become obsessed so it takes you away from your first love—making crafts! Once you have a Web site, put the address on all your marketing materials—from business cards to show schedules.

If you are doing well selling your crafts at craft shows, that may be all you need to do. The more avenues for sales you take on, the thinner you spread yourself, and the less you're doing what you love most and what you started this business for—creating crafts!

Anyone Can Craft

Everyone has said or heard someone say, "Oh, I could never do that! I'm not THAT talented!" I challenge you to BE that talented! Let's take the first step into a new world of creation.

It becomes human nature to create. As a society, we have created items which add to our needs, convenience, and comfort factors. When looking at items which are crafted with great precision and time, often they are looked upon with awe-inspiring eyes and the longing to be able to create the intricate items seen in our society today. Believe it or not, you CAN craft. It may take some trial and error to find that special item that you feel comfortable with and do well, but in the end, you can create just as well as anyone else.

First things first. Make a list of things you think you would like to try. So many things are just waiting for your attention!! Once you make your list, put it in the order of interest. Take that one thing and find some online groups or you may have a local group that meets weekly or monthly in your area. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce or go to your local hobby and craft stores to search for announcements of up-coming classes and join them. You will be less likely to quit or give up if you have personal support.

Do not be tempted to go on a spending spree simply to indulge your most recent challenge. Completing your craft doesn't require having the latest and greatest tools. Most of the time, if you join a group, someone will be willing to lend you supplies to try it out. Go to garage sales and thrift shops to find used items for pennies to get you started. You can also search online or at your local craft supply store for the supplies or to get a kit that will walk you through step-by-step and give you all of the tools you need to create your new craft.

Remember not to be frustrated as in our world of convenience; we often expect things to happen immediately. Crafting takes time. Set aside an hour or two each evening for some relaxation time and work a little bit more. Depending on the size of the project, in a few days or a week, you will have your creation and ready to show it off.

Once completed, you can give your creation as a gift, sell it, or display it in your home. Crafting can be so much fun for the entire family as well as relieving stress while possibly making a little bit of money in the mean time. Hand made gifts are much more appreciated than something you "think" they might like which could be thrown out or handed down later (unless it is clothes, of course). Crafts also create a feeling of accomplishment, giving you self-worth. Children love them and proudly display them on the front of the refrigerator or on the front of their door. If it is larger, it can be displayed in the yard or around the house. Don't be afraid to try something new. You never know, you may find yourself a new passion!

Happy Crafting!!

The Craft Of Crochet

The early development of the craft of crochet is linked to the imitation of lace and lace making.

The word crochet comes from the French ‘croche’ or ‘croc’ meaning to hook.

In the 16th century nuns taught the craft to their students and it became a recognised accomplishment of a high-born lady. Crochet was considered to be suitable only for the rich with the poorer people having knitted items.

In the 1840s crochet instructions began to be published and so crochet became more popular. Before this time crochet had been handed down through families with each generation passing on the skills.

Many older patterns contained just a picture with just a few of the more complicated sections explained, as a consequence you were expected to work from the picture for the majority of the pattern!

Irish crochet is often considered to be crocheting at its highest expression and is done with the finest thread and hooks in intricate patterns, usually displaying a motif of leaves or flowers set in an open web-like background.

When trying to imitate lace very fine threads and hooks were used but nowadays it is more usual to use soft yarns to produce clothing, home furnishings and wall displays.

How to Crochet

When you begin to crochet you start with a slip stitch on a hook. However, unlike knitting, crochet uses this single starting loop to work a row of individual chain stitches. So each new loop is formed by catching the yarn and drawing it through the previous loop.

Then you work back along this series of chain stitches, each new stitch being looped through a stitch in the previous row.

Each stitch is completed when only a single loop remains on your crochet hook, and then the next stitch is worked. Although this may sound complicated in practise it is very easy to do.

By using various combinations of stitches it is possible to create a variety of textures and patterns. These combinations can have descriptive names such as pineapple and popcorn as well as the more usual chain, double, and treble.

An Ideal Craft for the Busy Person

Crochet can be done with the minimum amount of equipment and mess, and is very quick to tidy away.

This makes crochet an ideal craft to do when you’re travelling. There is only your yarn and a crochet hook, and possibly a crochet pattern, to carry. If you drop a stitch or make a mistake it is easy to pull the work back to a ‘correct’ single loop and restart from there.

Crochet Pattern e-books

Crochet pattern e-books are great value and very convenient. You can print out just the instructions for the pattern you are making.

This allows you to have only a page or two for your pattern and you do not need to carry a whole crochet book.

If the pages you’ve printed get damaged or lost it is easy to print the pattern again from the e-book allowing you to complete your project.

Crochet is an interesting hobby. You can crochet straight forward items almost immediately and once you’ve mastered the basics you can go onto the more complicated patterns when you fancy a challenge.

Craft Idea

What do you do when you're ready to sit down in your crafting area, and you don't have a single craft idea?! Sometimes we want to make something, but we're just not having a creative day. Where can we get a new craft idea to encourage the creative juices to start flowing again?

The internet is the prime target for finding a new craft idea to work with. The abundance of information you can find online is amazing. Sometimes you have to narrow down your search results or rephrase your search in order to get better results, but the craft idea you are looking for is out there some place! You can simply type “craft idea” in the search engine, and go through the results for more ideas than you'll know what to do with! You'll get a huge variety of topics with a generalized search term like “craft idea”. If you are looking for a specific kind of craft idea, you'll need to be more specific. For example, if you know you want to work with clay, type “clay craft idea” in the search engine. If you're looking for free patterns to follow for crotcheting or knitting- than that is what you'll want to type in the search engine box.

Another way to come up with a new craft idea is to browse your favorite crafting magazines. You could read the articles for specific instructions on how to make a craft, or have a little more fun with it and just look at the pictures! When you find an item you like, use it as your craft idea and see if you can create something similar just by looking at the photograph!

Sometimes you can come up with a craft idea just by walking through your local craft supply store. Usually, the items you see will spark a craft idea you would like to attempt. The silk flowers might give you an idea to make a fancy, all season wreath to hang on your front door. The baking supplies might give you the idea to make fun shaped cakes for your child's class party. Walking down the aisle of pretty glass containers can spark all sorts of interesting ideas, and many popular craft stores have fliers with a craft idea posted near the item it uses.

Craft Project

The internet is a wonderful resource for finding ideas for craft projects. Whether you're looking for holiday craft projects, kids craft projects or just craft projects that will give you something to do on a rainy day- the internet has ideas to get you started.

Craft projects take many shapes and varieties. You can make your own soap, create candles of different shapes, sizes and textures, create your own jewelry, make a quilt or sock puppet, design a memory album or make greeting cards to send to friends and family.

Some craft projects can be completed in a matter of minutes, and are just a fun activity to do with the kids or on your own. Other craft projects can take a day or two, a few weeks- or even longer! It all depends on the amount of work the project requires, whether paint or glue needs to dry in between stages, and how long you're able to work on your craft projects in one sitting.

Quick Craft Projects

If you have an hour or so, you can do many different quick craft projects! If crafting gives you a release from the stress of daily life, try to fit in an hour or so a day of crafting. Here are some ideas of craft projects you can do in about an hour:

• create a scrapbook page
• greeting cards
• candles
• soap
• hair scrunchies
• paper dolls & clothing

Longer Craft Projects

If you like to work on craft projects over a long time period, you would enjoy creating more detailed crafts. When the inspiration strikes you, you can sit down to your craft projects and create- and when it's time to stop, you can just put it away until the next time you can work on it! Here are some ideas of craft projects that you can work on long term:

• quilting
• crocheting
• complete memory albums
• wood crafts
• jewelry
• stenciling
• clay objects

Craft projects make wonderful gift items, since they are handmade and come from the heart. People love to receive craft projects as it lets them know you care about them enough to spend time on creating the item for them. You can prepare for the gift giving holidays all year by crafting and saving your craft projects to give away as gifts to family and friends.

If you run out of ideas for craft projects to work on, you can look through a magazine or surf the web. There is always something you can craft.

Crafts People

Crafts People has the largest collection of fine crafts in the Hudson Valley. All major media are represented, and the 500 craftspeople selected for the shop are among the finest in the United States.

Our vast and diverse selection of handcrafted items is housed in four buildings (6000 sq. ft of retail space). Soft music and places to relax and enjoy the complimentary refreshments add to the ambience. Often "regulars" just drop by to browse and partake in some gentle conversation.

An interior shot of building # 1

A 14K gold brooch with Peruvian blue opal, diamond, cultured pearl, and emeralds by Mary Elwyn, resident jeweler.

Crafts People is nestled in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in a most scenic area between Woodstock and Kingston, N.Y. We are in a rural setting and border the Ashokan Reservoir (NYC's water supply) with its magnificent view.

Owned and operated by craftspeople, the gallery has an air of excitement; pots directly from the kiln, craft demonstrations, special one-of-a-kind designs, etc.

Craft People has unbeatable prices; our overhead is low and many items are sold directly to you without a "middleman." Many craft items at Crafts People are available exclusively here - created by local artisans just for Crafts People!