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.

crafts to make and sell for profit

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 lamp made to sell

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!

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Creating rustic styling on a budget by giving new life to old things and using the beauty that is already found in nature. Read more about me.
10 comments
  1. What a creative idea! I can really see this working with the neutral colours that are so popular right now.

  2. Ooops, had to come back to post to Debi.

    Neutrals/shabby chic is trending VERY hard right now. Check out the popular magazine covers, it’s all over them.

    Have you painted/distressed any of your signs with whites/grays/robin egg blue? Try a few, I think you’ll do well.

  3. More thanks for the tips. Thankfully, we’re doing ’em too and are tried and TRUE.
    If you ever do a post on Craft Show set-ups, let me know. My BF/partner does the most amazing set-ups.

    OH, and great job straightening up your comment section. I’ve been chattin’ at ya’ all night, lol.

    1. Thanks Tee! That gives me a good post idea. Yes, I’m glad comments are working effectively now 🙂

  4. Thank you, what a fun post! Yes we still see the country decor with hearts! You have given a lot of food for thought!

    Carol

    1. Thanks Carol, I’m glad you liked it!

  5. Deb,
    Melissa brings up a good point. Check out all my posts under “Craft Business” where I cover where to sell and how to promote your site.

  6. Deb
    you can cross reference you web site address on face book. What about selling on Esty?
    Just a few thoughts
    Good luck

  7. thanks for your tips…thankfully, i’m going by a few of them already…i’m trying to get my website started (it’s up and running, just not making many sales)…i’ve sold more items thru work and facebook than the actual site! i make wooden signs which is top on your list…but i’m not selling as much as i’d like to be…maybe i’m not creating what people want in their decor, i don’t know…at work they sold like hotcakes! anyway, i will keep trudging…i just retired and would like my crafts to supplement my income a bit…maybe it just takes awhile…thanks for your tips…

    1. Hey Debi, You are welcome for the tips! If you just got your website up and running, it does take a while to start bringing in traffic to your site. Be patient…if your signs were selling well at work they probably will on your website too. Just do everything you can to make your site search friendly and you will be found :).

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