Eight Ways to Make Extra Money From Your Craft Skills

If you sell your crafts, you know there are times when craft sales can be painfully slow. This can be of particular concern if you earn your primary income through the sale of your designs. Would you like to discover some ways to supplement your craft income while still doing what you love? Here are some ways to bring in extra income when your craft sales are slow:

1. Share your craft expertise at the local level

Offer to teach your craft at your local college as a noncredit course. Ask for a certain percentage of the enrollment fees as your payment. You could do this on an ongoing basis and make quite a nice supplemental income. Alternatively, you could set up a similar arrangement with your local craft store and offer a variety of craft classes on an continuing basis. This is a much needed service in most communities and can be quite lucrative for you.

2. Share your craft design expertise online

Consider producing a DVD showing how you make your craft and sell it from your website or on Ebay. This could open up a whole new market for your craft design expertise. There's a large demand for new crafting ideas and techniques and people often don't have the time to take a class at their local craft store. You give them the opportunity to learn a new crafting technique at home.

3. Publish your craft expertise in the form of books and magazines

You could either self publish your own books and ebooks on your crafting technique or you could write how to articles for magazines some of the crafting magazines.Publishers such as Lark Publishing are always looking for talented craft designers to write books relating to their particular are of craft expertise.

4. Market your craft designs in kit form

With so many people pressed for time these days, there's a large market for craft kits. Could you modify and simplify your designs a bit and offer them in kit form to crafters who don't have time to shop for supplies? You would be reaching man entirely new and potentially lucrative market. You could market your craft design kits via a website and through local craft stores.

5. Sell bead and jewelry making supplies

If you currently sell your crafts, chances are you're buying your supplies wholesale. Why not supplement your income selling your excess supplies? You could parlay this into a separate business by arranging with wholesalers and manufacturers to buy in larger quantities. You could then sell crafting supplies to beaders via a website. This would not only allow you to establish a supplemental business, but would increase the profit margin on your existing craft design business by allowing you to buy in larger quantities.

6 . Become a craft marketing consultant

Starting a new craft business can be overwhelming for the beginner. You could offer your services as a craft
marketing consultant and help new craft businesses find a market for their handmade designs. Are you a pro
at the craft show circuit? You could help beginners design effective craft booths. ( I know there's lots of
uncertainty and confusion on how to do this). You could also help fledgling crafters get started in the craft
home party business if you have experience in this area.

7. Start a craft co-op

If you have a good location available with foot traffic, you could start a small craft co-op. You would charge crafters a small fee to rent out space in the co-op to exhibit their designs. They would also be required to work at least one day a month to provide employee coverage. You would also have the opportunity to display your own crafts in the co-op, plus earn a little extra money as a bonue!

8. Publish a newsletter

If you enjoy writing, you could publish a newsletter for beginning crafers. Fill it with specialized tips, techniques,
and projects. You could also publish a newsletter on marketing crafts which is sure to have receptive audience.

As you can see, there are lots of options available to supplement your craft income. These supplemental businesses give you the opportunity to expand into new markets and reach new audiences for both your services and your handmade crafts. Why not give them a try?