Capturing the Craft Show Market

Finding the right product to sell at a craft show is extremely
important in finding success on the craft show circuit. You may
already have an excellent craft product or line of products you
are creating or even selling, or you may be looking for a craft
to produce in order to enter the business. In either case,
market research is going to help you find a craft show product
that you can produce at a low enough cost to net a profit - and
one that you will enjoy making. If you don’t spend time looking
into what everyone else has at their craft show booth, you might
repeat what others have, or create a product no one really wants.

What exactly is a craft? The dictionary definition of "craft" is
to make by hand, therefore, theoretically anything handmade is a
craft. Although that's true, a craft typically falls into a
category of items that are normally sold under the umbrella of
arts and crafts that are either decorative or useful or both—and
that consumers generally purchase for ornamental or practical
use. The endless creativity of new craft show items is nothing
short of remarkable. The product you choose will likely be one
you enjoy producing or have a natural affinity for. It might be
a skill passed down from generation to generation in your
family, but you can also learn it on your own. You may decide
to take classes or apprentice to a master to learn a new skill
for producing a craft show item. Yet in order to make your craft
business a success, you should consider doing a little bit of
homework about what craft show item to make, ahead of time.

Market research

What sells? Wouldn't you like to have the answer to that
question before putting all your resources into creating a
product? How can you get the answer? Market research. Any large
company that manufactures products utilizes market research
before developing new products. You can use the Internet as well
as common sense. You can ask friends, visit craft shows,
galleries, retail stores, eBay and other websites to see what is
selling and what isn't. Ask other artisans and craft show booth
owners. Study trends by reading consumer magazines, trade
journals, the fashion section of the newspaper or even watching
TV.

Product ideas also come from everyday life—find a niche and fill
it – and you will most certainly find success in craft shows.
But, you need to make sure you stay on the cutting edge.
Children, animals and nature can provide inspiration as well.
Jot ideas for craft show items in your notebook or computer
whenever you come up with something you think would be a hot
seller. Compile a list of possible items and compare it to what
you might enjoy producing. Then ask yourself if the craft show
item is practical, decorative, unique, can be priced right (for
profit), has a personal touch, is of excellent quality and
offers exceptional value.

You might also want to check out the competition in any category
you select. How can you put a spin on your product to make it
distinct and stand out from the others? If you're a crafter,
you're probably highly creative, so use your creativity to come
up with something imaginative. Without plunging into it full on,
see if you can make a few samples and solicit feedback from
friends or store owners. Do a small craft show and gauge
customer response. If all systems seem to be saying "go" then go
for it!

Find a craft you enjoy making, that you can construct
efficiently and cost effectively, and one you can sell, and you
have the craft show market cornered. But, you probably aren’t
going to land the perfect product without some groundwork done
beforehand. If you want to find the utmost in craft show
success, then take the time to deliver a product that you have
researched, and watch craft collectors flock to your booth!

Natalie Goyette shows you how to make your craft show

business profitable in her best selling ebook:

Craft Show Success Secrets. Visit her site:

Craft Shows

How To Profit from a Craft Niche

One of the things that you might consider is finding
a niche for your craft. Maybe you have some expertise, skill, or
interest that might be a creative tool for you to use in creating items
for craft shows. Below are some hints to finding what that area might
be for you:

What interests you? – You can take an interest you
have and turn it into a craft show success. If you are a gardening
hobbyist, why not come up with something every gardener needs. Provide
that craft inexpensively and you might have yourself a winning craft
for spring craft shows.

What do you have knowledge of – Maybe you
are a model railway buff, along with being a crafter (the two go
hand-in-hand) and you want to provide railway buildings or railway
terrain for people to use in their own train sets. You have the
knowledge of what needs to be built and used – so why not combined the
two joys in order to come up with one profitable craft show item?

What
are you good at? - If you are a good cook, then make a quick recipe
book. If you are pretty good at organizing things, then why not come up
with a desk organizer that anyone can use.

What are other people
doing? – This is certainly not an open invite to start copying the
design of other people at a craft show. Instead, it is an opportunity
to see what is out there and for you to be the one that says, "You
know, this craft would be better if it was… (fill in the blank)." Once
you fill in that blank, it might trigger an idea inside your head of
how you can improve this product or maybe even come up with one that
works WITH it.

When in doubt, teach others – This is becoming a
great way to make extra profits at craft shows. Some crafters love to
take the bull by the horns and make their own crafts, so why not
capitalize on that? Provide them patterns or instructions and unmade
kits at a cost – so it takes the labor out of it but you are still
selling the product.

At last resort, create a niche that works
for a craft you have in mind. Sometimes that niche is staring right
back at us and we don't even know it. If we are good at something, or
interested in another, or you see something you can improve on, feel
free to take the initiative to take it and make a profit from it at
your craft shows!

Natalie
Goyette shows you how to make your craft show business profitable in
her best selling ebook: Craft Show Success Secrets. Visit her site: Craft Shows

Craft Idea

What do you do when you're ready to sit down in your
crafting area, and you don't have a single craft idea?! Sometimes we
want to make something, but we're just not having a creative day. Where
can we get a new craft idea to encourage the creative juices to start
flowing again?

The internet is the prime target for finding a new
craft idea to work with. The abundance of information you can find
online is amazing. Sometimes you have to narrow down your search
results or rephrase your search in order to get better results, but the
craft idea you are looking for is out there some place! You can simply
type “craft idea” in the search engine, and go through the results for
more ideas than you'll know what to do with! You'll get a huge variety
of topics with a generalized search term like “craft idea”. If you are
looking for a specific kind of craft idea, you'll need to be more
specific. For example, if you know you want to work with clay, type
“clay craft idea” in the search engine. If you're looking for free
patterns to follow for crotcheting or knitting- than that is what
you'll want to type in the search engine box.

Another way to come
up with a new craft idea is to browse your favorite crafting magazines.
You could read the articles for specific instructions on how to make a
craft, or have a little more fun with it and just look at the pictures!
When you find an item you like, use it as your craft idea and see if
you can create something similar just by looking at the photograph!

Sometimes
you can come up with a craft idea just by walking through your local
craft supply store. Usually, the items you see will spark a craft idea
you would like to attempt. The silk flowers might give you an idea to
make a fancy, all season wreath to hang on your front door. The baking
supplies might give you the idea to make fun shaped cakes for your
child's class party. Walking down the aisle of pretty glass containers
can spark all sorts of interesting ideas, and many popular craft stores
have fliers with a craft idea posted near the item it uses.

Warren
and Karen have been involved in the internet for a number of years and
run several websites. They are most interested in providing
opportunities for people to connect with information relating to
business, health and creativity. Check out their Craft Idea blog for more information.

Craft Show Ideas - Stone Cold Profits

I will provide you a few ways to capitalize on the
stones and other hardened material like stones (glass, beads), and then
can take it and run with it from there. The beauty of this type of
craft is that you can find the stones you want inexpensively – and you
can hike up the profit margin. When you are buying the stones in bulk
for your craft show items, it makes it easy to keep the costs down and
the profit margin up!

Here are 3 ways you can incorporate stones into your craft show items:

1.)
Mosaics – Mosaics are a craft that allows you to create a picture or
design out of a variety of materials. You piece the stones and other
material and it looks like a patchwork of pieces that eventually comes
together to form a great picture. This art form is enjoying a
renaissance in the craft show world, and it might be time for you to
get involved.

2.) Jewelry – Everything from bracelets to
necklaces and even smaller, basic rings can be made. Depending upon
your experience making crafts and working with metals – you might be
able to create elaborate jewelry for craft shows. Once people show a
desire for your work, the popularity can spread like wildfire. Take
some time to find out what other people are making for jewelry – and
then come up with something completely original and you might just have
a craft show winner on your hands.

3.) Decorative pieces – You
can make stand alone decorative pieces from larger stones, or you can
use nice, polished and colored stones to trim your other craft show
creations. Stones make great highlights for some pieces – for example,
it could be trim on a birdfeeder or nice stones can be inset into
pottery. You can come up with a variety of ways to use the stones as a
part of another craft show item.

With the multitude of stones
available (and those that come in bead and colored glass), you can
surely make it a part of your craft show item. They are inexpensive and
they are versatile in their use. Why not add a little pizzazz to your
craft show booth and maybe even a few dollars to the bottom line by
working with stones.

Rob
Goyette shows you how to make your craft show business profitable in
his best selling ebook: Craft Show Success Secrets. Visit his site: craft shows.

Sell Your Crafts In An Online Craft Mall

To sell your crafts successfully in an online
crafters mall involves more than simply opening a craft store, selling
online takes time and a basic understanding of marketing your
particular craft. When you open your store in a mall remember that it
is an extension of your off-line business and all of the same marketing
principals apply for your business to be successful both online and off.

When
you first open your craft mall store contact all of your existing
customer base and let them know that they can now shop at your new
online store 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Offer a discount on their
first purchase as an incentive to visit your online store.

A
great way to market your products is to place ads in craft
publications, generally these types of publications have a large
following of people interested in buying handmade arts and crafts.
There are also many free places you can advertise your products like
online craft classifieds, craft forums and craft directories. A couple
of hours or work advertising daily and you will see your online
business grow very quickly.

Craft Shows are also a great way to
grow your business both online and off, take advantage of the hundreds
of potential customers that come to the shows by handing out your
flyers and business cards with your online web address, also invite
them to sign up for your monthly newsletter. Having potential buyers
sign up for your monthly newsletter gives you the opportunity to
contact both new and existing customers on a regular basis about your
new product, or sales you might be having.

If you decide to sell
in consignment shops ask the owner if you can place a display with your
online craft store address, or leave a stack of business cards and or
flyers with the web address of your online store.

About the Author

Catherine Stabler is the owner of the GLC Arts and Crafts Mall http://www.goldleafcrafters.com, which brings together crafters, artists, artisans and designers with interested buyers worldwide via the Internet.

How To Profit From Craft Shows

So, what does it take to start profiting from selling
your crafts at craft shows? Following are the first four steps I would
take to getting your small business off the ground:

1.) Choose
the right craft – This part is easier said than done. If you have to
make a craft for $10 each, and you can only sell it for $12 at a craft
show, you probably aren’t going to be happy with the overall profit at
the end of the day. It is important for you to choose a craft that has
a low start up cost and a higher sale price – this is basic business
101. Something that only costs you $3 to make and you can sell for $10
is going to give your bottom line a huge boost.

2.) Set your
price right – This is just as crucial as choosing the right craft. In
order to set your price right, you need to know EXACTLY how much the
craft costs you to make. This includes all of the costs associated with
making and selling the craft: transportation to and from craft shows,
driving to get the supplies, the supply costs and even a little bit of
a labor cost, too. Once you have your costs fixed, then you can set the
retail price, and provide yourself a decent return on the investment.
You probably don’t need to make a fortune of your crafts, but it would
be nice to see a healthy profit at the end of the day.

3.) Lower
supply costs – Do whatever you can to keep the supply costs as low as
possible. This is where you are going to incur the most expense when
making your crafts. If you think about it, if you can drop the cost of
making your craft by $1, just by making smarter supply choices, each
time you sell a craft, that dollar now goes into your pocket.

4.)
Choose your craft shows wisely – If you have to pay $500 for a weekend
craft show, keep in mind you need to include that in the overall ‘cost’
of your craft. If only 1,000 people come through the doors of that
craft show, you likely aren’t going to make enough money to recover the
cost of the show. That might be an extreme example, however it
illustrates the point. Take some time to choose the event that is going
to get you the most bang for your buck. It will likely take some time
to weed out the craft shows that aren’t working for you, but before
long you will only be going to the shows where you know there is a
strong demand for your craft.

Those are just four things to think
about to start profiting from craft shows. The right craft at the right
price at the right craft show – with low supply costs – is going to
help you bring home a heftier pay day at the end of the weekend. Good
luck!

Copyright 2006 Natalie Goyette

Natalie
Goyette shows you how to make your craft show business profitable in
her best selling ebook: Craft Show Success Secrets. Visit her site =>http://www.craftshowsuccess.com

Benefits of Craft Kits

Craft kits make a great activity for kids of all
ages. But did you know how beneficial they can really be? Not only do
they keep kids occupied and allow you to spend family time, but the
benefits over craft kits can out weigh basic crafts by quite a bit.
Before you jump into your next craft, be sure to read the following.

1. Save Money

A
craft kit comes with just enough supplies for the craft you are making.
No wasted leftovers, and no buying large amounts of items you may or
may not use again.

2. Save Time

Instead of searching
everywhere for supplies, you save time just buying one kit with
everything you need. Some kits even include basic items like the glue,
crayons, etc.

3. Better Finished Product

As great as our
imagination can be, sometimes having already made pieces can make a
better product. This makes it much easier to make crafts for gifts for
others that they will love.

Craft kits can be found in lots of
different places, but be sure to see our website for our top picks.
Craft kits aren't as expensive as you may think, and a few dollars can
make a lot of crafts! For example, our favorite place to buy craft kits
offers packs of kits that make more than one of the same craft. Which
is great for gifts, activities at birthday parties, or rainy day fun
with friends. This particular site also has fantastic prices on their
crafts, making it easy to buy several different kits at a time.

Have fun!

Kara Kelso is the mother of two and owner of Idea Queen, a resource site for parents. Be sure to visit Idea Queen for suggestions on craft kits for kids.