Is a full-time, liveable income possible for wah crafters?

[deannatroupe]

Originally Posted by cwah_mom_ohio

my daughter has just gotten into sewing. she did some research on etsy to see what had lots of sales. .

How did she find out what was selling on Etsy? I've been trying to figure this out for quite some time and I am not sure how to do that.

[lorah]

You can do a search on Etsy for items that you might be considering making. When you click on the photos it takes you to the store and you can see the 'feedback' the person has as well as when they started. It can be a bit misleading though, just because the feedback counts both sales and purchases from that person. Not sure if there is a way to just see "seller" feedback.

[deannatroupe]

Okay thanks. That's what I was thinking. I know ebay has a way to do that. I didn't think etsy did. I have been looking at people's feedback trying to figure out what was popular.

[Smile Steady]

I've got a friend who embellishes hats, and she does it full time. Her hats are in something like 60 boutiques across the lower U.S.

She works probably 6 hours or so each day, but she also has hired help to make certain lines of her hats. She also has an accountant, etc. for the business side of things. I can only hope to get that big one day!

[Yolonda Jordan]

It is doable as someone else mentioned you will have to look at your cost of living and what type of lifestyle you plan to have if you craft business is your main source of income. Right now my crochet business makes me more income than my day job during the fall/winter months but I am still trying to find a way for it to sustain me during the spring/summer that is one of my goals for next year.

Also for those asking about seeing what is popular on Etsy you can also click on where it has the number of sales a particular shop as had I think it is below the feedback and it will show you what has sold and the date that item sold.

[ShyBrooks]

I have wondered about making extra money selling crafts so thank you for this post

[SarahLovesToStamp]

I think it is easier if you have a product to sell that you don't actually have to produce, like with a direct sales company. As a rep for Stampin' Up!, I KNOW it is possible to make a living doing what I love. But I can make one card and post it to my blog versus having to make 5 of that same card to sell. The goal is to make others want to stamp in my case and being able to share it with them via my blog or in one of my YouTube videos. However, I know there is a market out there for handmade items too (look at the popularity of etsy). Good luck in whatever venture you choose!!!

[Chris in VT]

I was just snooping around and came across this thread.

You can indeed make a living doing crafts. I do craft shows for a living and I make a decent 'middle class' income.

But this is not for everybody. First you must have a passion for what you do. You can't look at it as just a job or you'll fail. The very first thing you must realize is that you will work weekends!

Second, you must have a product nobody else has in order to be successful. The last thing any show promoter wants or needs are jewelers! They've become a dime a dozen. Have something different!!!!

There is an art to doing shows. You must have a nice looking display as many of the professionals have 3 sided booths with plenty of lighting, not a table.

I have been doing craft shows since 1980 and they are my sole source of income besides my website. But I use the website as nothing more than a tool, it was never considered to be the main sales source. You won't make any money doing that.

I do about 30-40 shows a year, starting in February and going until the second weekend in December. I then work 8 to 10 hours a day making my product. And from Sept to Christmas, between making, travelling, and doing shows, I have no days off.

Like I said, you must be passionate about what you do. Many of us are, and many do 6 figure incomes.

[gingerbread]

Originally Posted by Chris in VT

I was just snooping around and came across this thread.

You can indeed make a living doing crafts. I do craft shows for a living and I make a decent 'middle class' income.

But this is not for everybody. First you must have a passion for what you do. You can't look at it as just a job or you'll fail. The very first thing you must realize is that you will work weekends!

Second, you must have a product nobody else has in order to be successful. The last thing any show promoter wants or needs are jewelers! They've become a dime a dozen. Have something different!!!!

There is an art to doing shows. You must have a nice looking display as many of the professionals have 3 sided booths with plenty of lighting, not a table.

I have been doing craft shows since 1980 and they are my sole source of income besides my website. But I use the website as nothing more than a tool, it was never considered to be the main sales source. You won't make any money doing that.

I do about 30-40 shows a year, starting in February and going until the second weekend in December. I then work 8 to 10 hours a day making my product. And from Sept to Christmas, between making, travelling, and doing shows, I have no days off.

Like I said, you must be passionate about what you do. Many of us are, and many do 6 figure incomes.

Would you be kind enough to share what it is you make and sell?

I know there are many things that enter into a person being successful with a business. I was curious as to the price of your crafts and how long it takes you to make a particular piece.

I have read a little, about a few, that have been very successful with selling their crafts online and like you said their crafts are unique.

I also know with a small business more people fail then succeed.

It's wonderful to hear from those that have made their business a success but I too know it takes a lot of work and also maybe a little or a lot of luck.

Congrats on your success.

[Jolly]

When people tell you they are successful ..ask them if their schedule c woud reflect that.