Crafting for Cash: Starting Points to Help You Decide What to Make, Sell

How do you choose what type of project to work on? Start with your likes. Do you like certain sports or holidays? What type of work appeals to you more: Working with small detailed objects or larger objects? What about preferences for paint and wood or working with clay? What type of an audience are you looking to target? What types of volume are you able to or are willing to produce? Categories that are more common include jewelry, quilting, and ornaments and all offer a wide range of variety to suite each crafting needs or desires. Your personal budget may also determine the scope of choices.

Workspace
A table space near an outlet or two with dedicated space for your supplies nearby is helpful if a hot glue gun will be used. Make a dedicated space in your home for the crafts to dry if paint, glue, or ceramics are involved. Some crafters who are limited on space put their supplies in plastic tubs and use a shank of smooth wood over the edges of sturdy furnishings when necessary to create a mobile workspace. Places high on closet shelves for crafts to dry on paper plates or other similar materials keep pets and children from accidentally disturbing the crafts during the drying processes.

Jewelry
Many jewelry-making supplies now can be found in the crafting sections of larger national chain brand stores for simpler projects. More specialized materials when needed such a certain type of specialized glue gun for detail work may only be found at crafting or fabric stores. Gather clamps, beading thread, crimping pliers, and beads of choice. Patterns for earrings, necklaces, and bracelets can be found at these stores as well.

Ornaments
Most crafts in this category are made of fabric, cotton stuffing, beads, pictures, glitter, or small clay projects. A hot glue gun is almost always used to glue a string to the top of the ornament. When possible, these are sewn in. Painting miniature wooden carve outs of houses, letters, or picture frames work.

Brainstorm your ideas no matter how silly they may seem. Jewelry and ornaments are not the only categories available for you to choose from. Usually a crafter knows they've found a project or two when they find themselves thinking, "That is a good idea. I bet I could add _______ or take away _______ and make it into a _________instead/too. I could actually make that!"

Part of creating is enjoying the work you make. Realize that when you make more than one item for sale, not all of the items will come out the same. No matter what craft a person decides on, many originally began with a pattern in mind but simply modified some of its features as they went along and used patterns as a reference for techniques when needed.