How To Sell Your Crafts

The cash register rings, and the person across the counter from you smiles as they take the bag you're handing them. As they walk away beaming with excitement, they're chattering with their friend that this is exactly what they were looking for, but just haven't been able to find.

You're beaming with that deep sense of satisfaction that comes from knowing someone else just walked away with one of your crafts, with a big smile on their face. You're reminded again that starting your own craft business was one of the best things you ever did.

For years people were telling you that your crafts were wonderful, and you should sell them. They told you that you had a real gift and that you should share it through your own craft business. Turns out they were right, and you're sure glad you listened to them. Now you're doing what you love, and making money at it.

As you read the above paragraphs, do you have that sense of longing to have your own craft business? Do you want to be the one hearing the cash register ring and watch people walking away with your crafts smiling as they go?

The difficult part can be just knowing how to get started. How do you go from the idea, to actually selling those crafts. While I can't cover everything in this article, I can give you some basics as to how to get started.

Decide On A Craft To Sell

One of the first things you need to do is come up with an idea of a craft to sell. If you don't already have an idea, there are lots of things you can do to get an idea. Here are just a couple of ideas.

* Solve an everyday problem - Look around you and see what it is around you that's a problem, and come up with a solution for it. It doesn't have to be complex, just something simple. For example, at our house, we always have tons of pens everywhere. You could come up with a great idea for a nice looking pen holder. There are lots of everyday things like this that can give you ideas.

* Improve on an existing product - Look at at a product you already own, and do a variation of it. Take the idea of a paper towel rack. You could make really fancy paper towel racks and sell them. Maybe make a set of kitchen items centered around a theme. Paper towel rack, napkin holder, salt and pepper shaker holder. This would be improving on something that already exists.

Decide On The Price Of Your Craft

Something else you will need to do is price your craft. This is where a lot of people make a mistake. They don't consider all of the expenses really involved in producing a craft. You need to consider not only the cost of the supplies, but also the cost of being in the show, gas, and lodging if you are staying away from home. Make sure that you take into consideration all of your costs when coming up with a price.

You also need to determine how much you want to pay yourself an hour. You certainly have to be realistic, but you don't want to short yourself either. You really do need to get paid.

When you come up with a price that you think is realistic, compare it to other products that are similar to see if you are in the ballpark. Also, ask friends and family for honest feedback. This can be a great way to get an idea if your price is likely to work.

Decide Where To Sell Your Craft

Third, you are going to need to decide on where you will sell your crafts. You need to consider the types of crafts you are selling, and fit them to specific shows. If you are selling items that don't fit into the show, you may spend money for space, and end up not selling anything.

There are lots of smaller shows that you can get started with, in order to keep the costs down. This will also enable you to test your products and prices without too much investment.

There are lots of websites that will help you locate craft shows. Just type craft shows into Google to find some of these sites.

You can also check with schools, churches and farmers markets to find more possibilities to sell your products.

Once you get rolling you will have more ideas than you can follow.

About the Author

For more information on selling your crafts visit Sell Your Crafts.

The Benefits Of Craft Fairs

Craft fairs provide some of the cheapest, and most fun, entertainment every Saturday in parks across America, as well as precursors to various holidays, especially the Christmas shopping season.

Craft fairs provide an opportunity for sellers as well as shoppers, and is a place to see the season's best in decorating trends, new products and inexpensive and unique gifts to purchase for yourself, your home or for presenting to others for birthdays, parties and holidays.

In many towns across America, fairs are huge events, with hundreds of booths set up for people to display their crafts and creations. Many times, fairs also offer foods, drinks and bake sales as well, a great time to enjoy tasting and filling up on confections that tempt the senses.

Craft fairs are an American tradition that serves to bring crafters and buyers together under the open sky or a gymnasium roof, though location doesn't really matter when it comes to one of these events. Kids, and adults of all ages flock to them even if they're not intending to buy anything in particular. It's an event that brings smiles and excitement to everyone and allows the sharing of ideas and creativity.

You can find a myriad of things at craft fairs, and the bulk of items offered are homemade. You can find everything from quilts to dolls to homemade soaps and candles as well as candy, wall decor and clothing to wood and metal sculptures and designs. Such a fair also displays items knitted, crocheted, pieced or woven, and the sky is the limit to the number of unique and thoroughly delightful products that proud men and women fondly display at each individual craft booth.

Craft fairs aren't only for women, and more and more men are not only attending these events, but also creating products for sale at national fairs. If you want to sell your own items, make sure you know the rules and obtain an application that can oftentimes be found at the local city Chamber of Commerce, the sponsor of the craft fair or local craft stores.

Craft fairs can be a profit-enhancing endeavor for many, but be aware that fees for setting up booths can also take a big chunk out of your profits. Make sure that you have enough items to make your booth worth the effort. Don't try to sell your crafts at a flea market or swap meet, as you'll more than likely lose money. Stay away from festivals as well, as your products will be an afterthought and not the main attraction.

Be aware that booth fees may range from single digit prices to hundreds, even thousands of dollars, depending on location, sponsor and type of craft show that is being advertised. Always read the fine print if you're considering paying for booth space and if possible, ask around for advice from veteran craft fair participants. Whether your selling or buying or just window-shopping, craft fairs provide plenty of entertainment and opportunities for both.

About the Author

For more information on crafts, try visiting http://www.craftguidance.com - a website that specializes in providing craft related tips, advice and resources to include information on craft fairs.

Is Craft Really Art?

During my 21 years of teaching art and craft in secondary colleges in Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria, I have constantly heard hot discussion on what constituted art and what was craft. Questions fly around: is painting fine art? Is craft really art? The answer often depended on what medium the debater was using when expressing their own creativity.

I made the distinction thus: art is when you generate an image, idea, concept or design using your creative skills; and craft is the medium that you choose to express your creative design with. Craft includes painting in various mediums, sculpture, ceramics, fabric, photography etc.

Those who believe that Art should simply come from a deep seated soul and simply burst forth, using whatever is at hand to create it, may have trouble with my definition.

Another regular question I get asked is Can you teach creativity? My response is yes. Of course there are people more skilled than others and some have greater natural abilities than others. But basically, creativity can be taught.

My experience with teaching is that the more structured you are, the greater the creative skills become. I no longer believe that you simply have to express yourself, whenever and however you wish. Those who are prepared to build on basic skills such as observations, drawing, colour, and tone, will more quickly come to a creative solution to a problem.

And that brings me to another point. If you have a problem to solve, you not only are more likely to be creative, but you can also expect more satisfaction from your endeavours. So how do you find a problem when all you want to do is paint a picture? Van Gogh certainly had a problem he wanted to solve. He wanted to capture the aggressive movement of light and colour in an ever changing landscape of wind and rain and dust. He did not go out simply to paint a landscape, he wanted to solve a problem.

I think this is the biggest dilemma of teaching art in schools. Teachers try to teach a skill such as ceramics or silk printing, but the results are often most unsatisfactory because students were not given a problem to solve.

Let me give you an idea of what I mean. I wanted to teach a class to use air brush to create a strong design image on a large canvas. They were not told what the medium was going to be. First of all I collected a large number of balls and had the students draw groups of balls for 4 hours (over two weeks). This was their research. I specifically made them aware of drawing the negative space (background) as well as the positive space (the actual balls).

Once the research was completed I gave them the problem to solve. They had to create a design using two colours only which emphasised the negative space. The best designs came from those students who began to treat both the positive space (the balls) and the negative space (the background) as abstract shapes. By using a light box, they got the shapes more and more simplified until a truly beautiful and creative balance of two colours was achieved. The final job was the craft, the airbrush and tape technique.

So,is craft, art? Well, I do not think so, as I see a lot of good craft with no real art awareness. But I do believe for you to be successful and produce worthwhile work you have to marry both art and craft in a sensitive and insightful end product of your Work of Art.

About the Author

Barbara Gabogrecan is a renowned author and award winning artist, having won 7 of the Australian Gift of the Year Awards, where she combined her art and craft into exceptional product. http://www.paintingandcraft.com

How To Find The Right Witchcraft Path

Witchcraft / Wicca is a positive, earthy religion dedicated to the Goddess and the God. Witches lead a spiritual and magickal life in harmony with Nature and recognize that all Life is an expression of the Divine.

Witchcraft is also called the Craft of the Wise. For the Witch, Wisdom is about interacting with everything and everyone around you in a respectful and considerate manner, it is about being humble - allowing your deeds to speak and not your words, it is about kindness, compassion and tolerance, it is about self-discipline, honor and responsibility, it is about healing, it is about thinking before you act, it is about balance, and ultimately it is about Love.

"In these eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill,
An ye harm none, do what ye will".

So, what will make you a Witch? In this article I hope to point you, the Seeker, towards the starting point of your journey. There are many roads leading to the proverbial Rome and as you learn, you too will find that path leading to your own spiritual fulfillment.

Getting Started

Seekers tend to believe that Witches have "powerful secrets" and "special incantations" and all sorts of "mysterious abilities" and that they will learn these once they belong to the Craft.

The truth is that each coven and each solitary will develop their own secrets, own incantations and own abilities over time. There is no universal form of the Craft and hence no universal secrets, incantations or abilities. Although the Craft predates Christianity, it has succeeded in retaining its individuality. Completely. The only universal aspects of the Craft are that the Spiritual Experience is the one shared with Deity and that the No Harm principle will apply at all times.

So, where to now?

The key to moving forward lies in Knowledge. We are in a very fortunate position today. There is an abundance of information available for the Seeker - both in print and on the internet. All it requires, is for you to be open-minded (i.e. not have preconceived ideas), to question all that is presented (this is not considered irreverent in the Craft) and to trust your intuition (gut feel).

To get you going, I am recommending the following books and internet sites:

There are two books I highly recommend to a Seeker. The one is Wicca: A guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham ISBN 0-87542-118-0. Scott wrote many books on a variety of subjects related to the Craft in his life time, all of which were practical, simple, informative and accurate. As an author he has contributed greatly to making the Craft accessible to Seekers and he was prepared to share his two or more decades of practicing the Craft in an open, honest and loving fashion. His books are recommended. The second is Solitary Witch by Silver Ravenwolf ISBN 0-7387-0319-2. This book is extremely comprehensive and contains most, if not all, of the information you will ever need to become a Witch. Silver too has been practicing the Craft for a great many years and is a Wiccan High Priestess and the Clan Head of the 28 Black Forest Family Covens in the USA.

By recommending these books, I am in no way implying that you should become a Solitary. This recommendation is aimed to assist you in obtaining the necessary Craft knowledge, before deciding on a coven affiliation.

About the Author

Rose Ariadne has been practicing ancient forms of Witchcraft for over 25 years. Get more info about finding the right witchcraft path here:
http://www.askroseariadne.com/editorials/how-to-find-the-right-witchcraft-path.html

How to Make Amazing Crafts with Kids

There are countless reasons why it is a great idea to do arts and crafts
with your kids. For one, working on arts & crafts helps to hone children's creativity.

Arts and crafts can also help promote teamwork and sharing, as well as offering the perfect opportunity to bond and find new common interests. Arts and crafts also allow kids to openly express themselves, even at very young ages. Nonetheless, despite all these positives, the best reason for getting your kids involved in arts and crafts is that it is fun!

If you are panicking that you will not know how to guide your child through their first craft, there is no need to worry; there are plenty of arts and crafts ideas for all ages from pre-schoolers up through teenage artists.

Best practices for doing arts & crafts with kids

1. Don't ask 'What is it?' when you are befuddled as to the identity of your kids final creation. Just ask your kid to tell you more about their art or craft, and let them explain how they see their creation.

2. There will be a mess. There is nothing you can do about it. As soon as you make that realization, the whole experience will be far more enjoyable. Indeed, sometimes it is even important to make a mess. Take that knowledge to plan ahead. Get a large clear workspace for your kids, and give them the opportunity to be creative without having to worry about getting paint on your new Persian rug

2. Making arts and crafts is supposed to be about using your imagination. For this reason, try not to show your kids a completed craft as an example. Instead, let your kids learn to interpret the instructions as they wish in order to truly be creative. This will also give your kids a good lesson on the best ways to follow and adapt instructions.

4. Making arts and crafts requires a lot of focus. For this reason, it is best to get your kids to calm down a bit before placing them in front of glue and scissors.

Basic supplies for making arts & crafts with kids

Just like your kitchen pantry, a kid's craft drawer should have a few staples. While you may need something more specific for special crafts, for the most part you will be able to get by with the following list: kid-friendly paint, scissors, crayons, etc. It
s also a good idea to keep a drawer stocked with construction paper, beads, glitter, paint brushes, glue sticks, and the ever popular 'wiggly eyes'.

The education benefit of arts & crafts

Arts and crafts can be used to apply hands-on learning to any subject. Using crafts this way helps kids think more in-depth about the subject of their artwork or craft projects. Virtually any subject matter can be taught using arts & crafts with a little creativity. For instance, if you are learning about world geography, you could have the kids make a tissue paper globe.

Learn about holidays, history, and any other topic your kids should study. Even math can be enriched through arts and crafts. Remember that school isn't the only place kids should be learning; your kids will be much more willing and excited to learn if you make learning fun with interactive arts and crafts projects.

Some ideas for kids arts & crafts

Kids arts and crafts can be quick and simple to keep the attention of on-the-go toddlers. They can also be sophisticated and complex for older kids who are up to a challenge. To get an idea of the scope of arts and crafts projects out there, take a trip to your local arts and crafts store or teachers supply shop. These stores will have pre-designed craft kits, including jewelry art, painting kits, and other craft ideas. Each kit will come with instructions and all of the materials you require.

Another good idea, once you have gained some experience, is to walk arts and craft stores to shop for kids art ideas. Here are some ideas: try straw painting, where kids can create arts and crafts by blowing paint through a straw onto a poster board or construction paper; or let your kids dip marbles in paint and roll them across the painting surface for a messy (but fun!) painting project.

If you are looking for something a bit less messy then try pipe cleaner art. This is a great craft because kids of all ages can join in. Young children can use their imaginations to create simple objects out of pipe cleaners. Older kids may enjoy incorporating other supplies such as beads into pipe cleaner art.

About the Author

Steve Dolan loves arts and crafts and has been creating amazing projects for kids and families for years. See his exciting new ideas at Arts and Crafts with Kids, and be sure to visit Arts and Crafts for more fun projects !

Selling at Craft Fairs: Are They For You?

You love what you create and you love sharing with others. Has anyone ever approached you and said, "You know, you should really consider making and selling these things!" While the compliment is very flattening, you may think that you enjoy making items yourself but wonder whether selling those items would be a good idea. Is it all worth it? It may or may not be.

If you have considered entering your products into a craft fair, it is important to do your homework first. This is very important; because the work you do ahead of time will make sure you are able to get into the fair in the first place! You have a lot to plan for, but first let's make sure this is right for you.

First, you will want to find out where the craft shows are happening. When and where will they be taking place? Call your local Chamber of Commerce. Look at local community bulletin boards, including school and church fairs. You may be surprised how many you find once you start looking!

In the craft show market, there are really two different kinds of shows. There are juried and non-juried shows. A juried show is one in which you apply and send in photographs of your items. A selection committee then makes the final decision if you will be accepted to display in that show. Juried shows have a limited number of sellers and the booth costs are likely to be higher. However, the attendance is often greater and there is often more advertising, meaning more prospective customers.

Non-juried shows are those in which all who would like to have a booth are welcome, or are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Typically, the booth fees are less than you will find for juried shows. Non-juried shows can be a great way to get started in this kind of business.

In addition to finding out the dates, times, and booth price, there are some other important questions to ask the organizer, which include:

- Approximately how many attendees do they expect?
- How many vendors are selling the same type of product as yours?
- How will the craft fair be advertised?
- Find out what is included in the booth price. A Chair? Table? Electricity?
- What commissions need to be paid, if any, to the organizer? Are a percentage of sales taken?

If you're not sure about the kind of show you should attend, then attend as many as you can as a consumer. This will give you a better idea of the shows in which you are interested in participating the next time they are held!

Second, it is important to find out any city or state requirements you have for your area. Because you likely must charge and then pay sales tax on the items you sell, it will be imperative that you register your business with the state and obtain a sales tax certificate. You can find that information by contacting your state agency covering sales tax (often available online). Check with the state and/or the show organizers to find out how the tax is to be collected. At some shows I've sold at, the state tax authorities pass around a certificate that needs to be filled out at the end and then turned in that day rather than filing later. Different states and shows vary, so be sure to find this information out before you begin.

Finally, perhaps the biggest question should be, "Do I have the time I need to invest into preparing for this show?" That is a question that only you can answer for yourself. If you choose to pursue this, then you may want to consider taking a look at your calendar and setting goals and deadlines for yourself to ensure you are not up until 3 a.m. the night before the big show! We've all been there...trust me! Look at giving yourself "office hours" each day when you can spend time each week making the items you will be selling. Be creative in how you streamline the process of managing your time. Rather than planning a large assortment of different items for your booth, consider finding a "niche" and focusing on just a few items so that you can make items in "assembly-line" fashion. This will help not only with your time, but also with your costs...and your sanity!

Preparing for and participating in a craft fair can be a lot of work, and yet very rewarding at the same time. To do what you love and get paid for it at the same time provides much satisfaction. You can feel good about what you are doing, so enjoy the journey! It is definitely a learning process, so don't become discouraged. You will learn new things each time you participate in a show. We wish you all the best in your creative endeavors!

About the Author

Kim Christopherson is the owner and creator of www.YouCanMakeThis.com. Find hundreds of downloadable patterns and "how-to" eBooks for your home and family. Sign up for the YCMT newsletter and receive a $75 ebook bundle package for FREE!

Making That Perfect Arts And Crafts Dream Catcher

Being bothered by nightmares? Native Americans believe that bad dreams can become caught in the web of a dream catcher and destroyed in the morning light. Dream catchers are so beautiful and artistic that they have become one of the most popular mass marketed arts and crafts
available. However, these lovely pieces can be made at home. In this article, we'll demonstrate how to make a dream catcher yourself.

Dream catchers were originally made out of willow, sage and deer sinew. Modern dream catchers are made with wood or metal wrapped in leather strips and artificial sinew. The decoration of the web along with the shape, size and colors used is left to the artistic tastes of the individual.

Feathers attached to the dream catcher are meant to assist the flight of good dreams. Although selecting the materials is usually a matter of preference, typically to make a dream catcher you will need about 7 feet of thin suede, glue, a 6 inch metal or wooden ring, waxed nylon string, 12-16 pony beads, 12-16 feathers, scissors and a clothes pin. The colors of the beads and feathers can be any you choose.

The most difficult thing about the arts and crafts project of making dream catchers is making the web. Once you have covered the hoop with leather or suede and the glue has dried completely, tie a long strand of sinew or another piece of suede onto the hoop with a secure knot.

Carefully work your way around the hoop making a slip stitch at about every inch, or inch and a half. Ideally, the spaces should be uniform but don't worry if they are not perfect. Once you get back to the top, slip stitch into the first loop that you made and repeat the process until you have just a small hole in the center. If you want to make your dream catcher more decorative, you can slip beads onto the web as you go. Tie a knot at the end and cut off any excess material.

To make the loop to hang your Dream Catcher, use a 12" piece of suede lacing. Fold it in half and tie a knot in the open end. At the top of the ring, attach the lacing and slip the loop end through the ring and then around the ring and over the knot. Pull the lacing tight to secure it in place.

To make the hanging sections, cut three 8" pieces of suede. Tie two 8" pieces of suede lacing about one third of the way up each side of the ring using a double knot. Slip 3 colored pony beads onto each piece of lacing and secure with a knot. Tie the last 8" piece of lacing to the top middle of the ring. Slip three pony beads onto each piece of lacing. Finally, push two feathers up inside the beads on each piece of lacing.

Arts and crafts make wonderful presents and a homemade dream catcher is an especially thoughtful present. It make take some practice to get the weaving right, but the effort is worth it.

As you get more experience with the craft of making dream catchers, you can experiment with different colors of suede and leather, beads, feathers and ring sizes. As with all of the artistic craft projects you may undertake, no two pieces need to look the same.

About the Author

A whole world of information about arts and craftseagerly awaits you from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our template crafts blog.