New Forest to Fuel Country Crafts

Wow... what a great idea! The British Council for Culture and Tourism is planting a forest in the city of Kirkham in order to provide woods for crafts and bio-fuels. The trees, which will be harvested every five to six years, and will provide wood for local craftspeople.

The trees will also help fight climate change, enhance the environment, provide additional leisure opportunites, and also serve as an educational asset for the school children of the area. This is a wonderful way to make crafts environmentally conscious, and something I hope the government here in the United States takes note of.

Happy Crafting!
Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show

Fabric Origami Workshop

Just a quick update to let you know about a cool site I stumbled upon. It's called the Fabric Origami Workshop, and it shows you how to do some VERY interesting boxes using fabric. For crafters, this may be a very unique way of packaging your products (if they are small), and would even make a great craft to sell to others looking for a unique package for a very special gift.

Happy Crafting!
Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show, origami

One Family's First Craft Show

I found a really great article by a crafting family from Maine who endured their first craft show. It talks a lot about what crafters who are aspiring to start a crafting business can expect from their first craft show. I found it to be a good read and very informative.

Check it out!

Happy Crafting!
Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show

Craft Business Movie Trailer

I came across this movie trailer for a documentary about people making a living on the craft show circuit - basically travelling around and selling their crafts. This is one option for people who want to make a living with their crafting, and can be a very exciting way to live (especially if you don't have any children or your children are older).

You can find out more about the filmmaker at her YouTube profile page.

WARNING: There is a bit of salty language in this trailer. You want to make sure that your little ones, or people who are offended by a small amount of cursing, are not within earshot. I don't condone the language, but the content was good so I thought it would be a shame not to share.



Happy Crafting!

Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, publicity

Local woman turning briefs into business

A Fitchburg, MA woman is using her crafting skills not only for a growing crafting business, but to help a local Fitchburg man who was injured in a car crash. And her choice of crafts - turning men's brief underwear into halter tops for women. You can find more on the story at the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise - Local woman turning briefs into business.

This is a very unique idea, and helping out with a charity will do wonders for your new craft business (as seen by this story in the local newspaper). And remember - any free publicity you get (of course, as long as it is positive) saves you money on advertising. A coordinated marketing plan will help you drive customers to your new business, instead of having to constantly work the craft fair circuit.

Happy Crafting!

Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, crafting charity, publicity

Customer Service Lesson

I recently ran across this article in the Miami Herald about one crafter's experience with another vendor at a small church-sponsored craft show. Basically, she purchased an item from another vendor at the show, who then cashed her check and did not deliver the item.

There are some great customer service tips you should take to heart in your own crafts business. The name of the story is: One bad vendor can ruin a bazaar.

Check it out!

Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, scrapbooking, quilting, small business, work at home

An Online Craft Fair

I'm just writing a quick post before I head out to golf...

I just stumbled onto an online craft fair that will allow you to sell you crafts in an online environment designed to invoke the wide-ranging array of products available at a crafts fair. Called artsEfest.com, this new site offers very reasonable pricing for displaying your crafts for sale. Created by Brian Appell from Holyoke, MA, artsEfest.com could be a wonderful way to create an initial online prescence for your fledgeling crafts business.

Check it out!
Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, craft fair, small business, crafts, sell crafts online, sell on eBay, eBay