Can one really earn substantial income from arts and crafts?

1. 65

   crystoliteposted 10 years ago

   Is it possible to make money from handmade arts and craft or is it a waste of time?

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   1. 61

      Silverspeederposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      My daughters make some extra cash from craft cards, a sort of cross stitch greeting cards and some knitting of nativity scenes at Xmas, it all amounts to about £1000  ($1500) a year extra which is not bad from your spare time.
      I make a little jewellery and sometimes sell some of my paintings, this is more about getting the cash to continue than making extra.
      I believe that act of producing art and crafts can increase concentration and meditation and give benefits to health and can reduce pain and discomfort. i wrote a few hubs about the subject.

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   2. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I think you definitely can, but you need to do far more than just make the items.  You need to understand how to run a professional business, including how to promote your wares online.

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   3. 95

      purl3agonyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Certainly there are people who make their living by producing art and crafts.  Some people can make a living by producing their work alone, others make additional income by teaching arts or craft classes, and others work in or own galleries or shops where they sell their work and others.
      
      I think Marisa is right - you have to have a profitable and reliable method of selling your products, price them correctly, and also find a balance between marketing/selling your work and yet still find time to be creative and make your product.  (There's also little details like possibly needing to buy your own health insurance, getting a business tax id number, paying your income taxes, and - if you are selling your items online - shipping expenses and regular trips to the post office).
      
      One of my past bosses used to make his living as a basket maker.  He made beautiful baskets and got into well respected exhibitions and crafts fairs early in his career.  However, he found that the time it took to market and manage selling his work took too much time away from actually making his baskets.  After a few years, he got tired of it, got a "regular" job, and now he makes his baskets on the side and sells them in a few local shops.

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   4. 61

      Kevin Peterposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No, it can never be considered to be a waste of time. There is a neighbour of mine who earns a lot by making and selling such art works. But patience and creativity is very necessary for such works.

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2. 86

   ComfortBposted 10 years ago

   Yes, one can make a living off arts and crafts. Though it takes a lot of time investment, patience, and determination. May not see much profit at first, but eventually your hard work will pay off. Browse around on etsy dot com, and you'll see thousands of crafters that who sells hundreds of their handmade items (arts & crafts daily).

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3. 70

   hazeltosposted 5 years ago

   You can make money with crafting but you have to be patient.  I think Zazzle and other great sites online.  You can attend and sell you craft items at various shows.  I always used crafting as a way to make extra money and sometimes it was very successful.  However, I found that it is not as steady as a paycheck.  You can make money but many times you need a backup plan.

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