Crafts To Make And Sell For Profit

Everyone always wants to know what crafts are the best sellers and which will bring in the most money.  The answer is that there isn’t a certain craft.  Instead it is all about a few key factors, which I will be getting to. You could sum it up by saying the best crafts to make and sell for profit are those with little cost that can sell for the highest price. In other words, what brings you the highest rate of return? However, there are other things to consider.

Which Crafts To Make And Sell For Profit?

Let me start with the experience that my husband and I had with selling primarily birch lamps.

Initially, if we had been looking for that specific craft item was that was selling like hot cakes, we definitely would not have found birch lamps on the list.

In fact, at any of the craft shows that we had visited, before selling, I don’t think that I ever saw a booth selling birch tree lamps!

Are you wondering if they were a good seller? Well, the answer is that they were HOT! We could hardly make them fast enough, between shows, to keep up with the demand. We had a great little business going and probably would have kept up with it if it hadn’t been for a job change and relocation.

Here are a couple pictures of some we kept for ourselves.

This DIY birch tree floor lamp is easier to make than what it may look. The unique rustic look is what helped us with sales.

Table lamps and wall sconces were also very popular. You can see how to make these at my post, DIY birch lamps.

So, what made are lamps profitable? Here are the keys to their success.

Key Elements To Making A Best Selling Craft

1.  Quality

Make something that you are good at. Don’t try to force yourself into a niche that you are not comfortable or proficient at. Just because someone else has been super successful at selling jewelry crafts doesn’t mean that you will be if you don’t have the same passion or know how for that type of craft. Stick with something you enjoy and make it well. Chances are, if you enjoy your craft it will be reflected in how the end product turns out.

2. Uniqueness

Don’t try to be just like everyone else. Buyers will get tired of seeing the same thing booth after booth. Add some type of unique element to your design that makes it stand out from the rest. This will give you an edge over your competition, especially if you are creating a common craft.

3. Pricing

Compare what you are selling to what is out in the market and try to price your craft as low as you can with still making a nice profit. For example, no one was selling lamps like ours at craft shows however you could find manufactured lamps or artisan made, that were similar, in retail rustic stores. We found that many of the floor lamps were priced at above $300, and some much more. Since our costs into the lamps were quite low, we could price the floor lamps at $120-$150 and make a nice amount of profit. The key is to find ways to keep your material costs as low as possible. We found a wholesale lamp company that was willing to sell us lamp parts and shades at wholesale prices if we bought a certain amount per year. This helped us tremendously in keeping our costs down.

4. Style Trends

If you are making a craft that is to be used for home decor it is very important to stay on top of style trends. Some items are fairly classic and traditional but the more trendy items will not stay in style forever. I remember going to craft shows when I was first married and seeing nothing but Country crafts – shelves with the heart cutouts, wooden figures to set everywhere, cute little wooden signs. Today, Country is still in but the look has changed a bit. It is now more shabby chic with distressed signs and more use of vintage and old wood. Just little changes that could have a big impact on the way your craft appears. Keep up to date with decorating blogs and magazines for what is being seen in homes right now and be willing to update and change your craft decor as needed.

Ideas For Crafts To Make And Sell For Profit

So now that I have explained all of the key elements to keep in mind, maybe you are still having a hard time coming up with what you want to sell. Maybe you are good at making a lot of different things and need help narrowing it down. I can tell you what I see people purchasing at craft shows. Those items would be good crafts to make and sell for profit. The following seem to be popular categories to think about.

• wooden signs
• kid toys/decor
• trendy decor
• jewelry

I hope this helps you to narrow down your choices.

Good luck and happy selling!