to think it's not really possible to make a decent living from handmade/crafty-type businesses?

[Tinklewinkle]

I really enjoy making stuff - knitting, sewing, anything that takes my fancy really.

I've made things for my home, my kids,, as gifts and as favours if people ask me.

I recently made an appliqué cushion for a friend to give as a gift, and off the back of it, I've been asked if I'd like some stalls at some of our local festival/fayre events over the summer.

I'm really proud of myself to be asked actually as the standards at these places are quite high, so as a confidence boost/feather in my cap I'm really flattered, but I'm just not convinced that once I've accounted for the cost of materials and my time, people are willing to pay the true cost of handmade products.

For example, the appliqué cushion - a couple of hours, at the minimum wage, plus a few quid for fabric, plus a cushion pad, we're looking at £20-25.

I recently made a clock and a mirror for my living room, people who have seen them have been really complimentary about them and suggested selling them, but again, by the time I've accounted for materials and time are people really willing to pay £££ for it - I had an old pallet, plus an old mirror and paint already so cost wise it was less than a tenner for a clock movement on eBay, but they took a few hours to made, and I won't always have access to free wood, an old mirror, etc. There are similar on websites like Etsy for £90/100 ish, but it just seems way too much to me - which is why I made them myself in the first place

So, AIBU to think, yes, it's a lovely dream, but when push comes to shove you can't make a proper living at it?

Oh, I have a range of little bits that I can churn out about that many of. I spend a day a month re-stocking one or two of those designs. They are the steady, cheaper, sellers, keep my shelves moving, my Farmers Market stalls in profit and popular.

Monotonous, hand finished in front of the telly... the effort goes into the original design and then a concerted effort into simplifying it and getting a good process going

But, like your friend, NickyEds, I am working towards making the art pieces pay more for themselves, cards/pictures of the process, original inspiration etc.

This is the reason I only do my handmade silver jewellery at Christmas for friends. It is an enjoyable hobby and I can sell the odd bit. The real value with time and materials adds up to £££.

NickyEds she makes pendants and rings. She doesn't get 200 all the time just when her jewellery is featured on buzzfeed, bored panda etc. I presume she re stocks in quieter times but I don't really know. I know last Christmas she hired an extra 2 people to get through the rush.

I have an online fabric shop, and make intricate quilts for pleasure/to advertise my products. I often get asked about quilt commissions, but only a whopping one person has ever actually commissioned me after being told the price. Someone badgered and badgered me for a quote on a particularly intricate double quilt a while back and got really arsey when I said it would be the best part of a grand to recreate! (Hundreds of fabrics, would take about a month to create if I worked on it 30-40 hours a week).

This article may be of interest

I run a small food business and I can tell you, it's difficult to make a "living" from it.

If I wasn't working full time, I could cook/make my product during the day; but I'd still have to go out and sell it. That usually means every weekend in a month, and all the bank holidays. During the summer and at Christmas, I usually take extra days off my full time job to make and sell - evening events, 3 or 4 day weekend events.

Once you've made the stock and booked and paid for the event, you have to spend the time actively selling your product. That might mean hours of standing behind your stall, not selling anything but knowing you need to sell X products, to make your stall fee back before you start making a profit.

If you are lucky, you'll be at a well organised event, which has had plenty of advertising, good social media presence, a wide range of good quality sellers and visitors who have money to spend.

Making anything over minimum wage is pretty rare in this kind of business; and if you think you might work over 25-30hrs in 2 days, but hardly earn any actual money, it can be quite depressing.

I've banked over £1000 after a big 4 day show in central Manchester; knowing that by the time I'd covered the event fee and the cost of what I'd made, plus petrol etc, my profit was basically min wage, and that was working 11/12hr days (inc travelling etc)

I think the only people making profit are those with a skill/craft that isn't easy to teach yourself (or have a go yourself). So, stuff with kilns etc. If you want handmade glass or pottery things you can't just give it a whirl in your garage without some initial investment, so are probably more likely to buy from someone.

I crochet and have had lots of people say I could sell them, but really, there's not much point. I make for gifts or to donate.

Yanbu.
I make historical underwear now and then and sell that.
It's niche but I do get commissions from here and abroad regularly.

I get what I would get if I worked part time after childcare. And I only sell a few different things so I can run stuff up regularly quickly.
I probably could makeore but it wouldn't necessarily be a 'living wage'

And yes to the other poster's remarks of good photography. I make my stuff for a mate's website which has been done really well.

Oooh, what kind of people buy historical underwear?

I've a friend who makes a v good and truly profit from her cake business . It has taken her years to build it up but she is very successful. She sells at the top end and never ever does favours or mates rates and therefore nobody takes advantage of her. Her work is outstanding, she buys all her supplies in bulk and she's an excellent social marketer and has deliberately moved herself in the direction of celebration special birthdays / christening and wedding cakes as well as corporate orders so that she can charge the highest price possible.

mitzy
A real mix!
Some are people having burlesque/historical weddings, some museums like to have hoop petticoats.
There are LOADS of historical reenactment societies in America and Canada.
I like making shifts and pantalettes. I can do shifts from tudor to edwardian with the correct fabric/class association.
I'm a pants geek.

YANBU

That's really interesting IJust. I forgot that the American's are fond of a civil war battle re-enactment so probably a fertile market there!

That's a proper niche interest and skill. Yay for being a pants geek. No one's going to look at a hoop petticoat and think 'oh I bet that's easy, I could knock one of those up when I'm watching TV tonight'.

YANBU. I paint (less now than I used to!) and have occasionally had people say I should sell things but with a full time job and a baby I doubt I could even break even. I'm quite happy making things for myself as a hobby - I have recently made some decorative plant markers by painting stones with acrylic paint and if I do say so myself they look quite nice!

iJust I honestly find that fascinating. I would never have thought there was a market for/interest in historical pants. Every day's a school day!

I only take commissions now from friends. I know they will pay me the amount it actually cost to make, as well as including the hours but I still undersell as its for friends. I make probably £10 on each thing, I don't know what that is an hour. Like someone upthread said, its written off as part of my hobby time.

I did a craft fair once and made the money for the stall, that was all. Although I still saw a lot of people buying the mass created 'home' crafts like the kits that you can get for wall hangings and personalised bottles, rather than the sewing/knitting/crochet/silver work that takes actual skill.

People think they want handmade. What they want is a handmade look with little care for how it was created and a cheap price. That's why I am friends only now.

I enjoy crafting for my own pleasure and would be doing it anyway as I like to be occupied in my leisure time
I find crochet and knitting a labour of love and will only do for family and friends if they buy the yarn - sometimes I make smaller items as gifts
In the past I used to make jewellery and found that much more profitable - but never as a full time business - I used to save it up for holiday fund which worked well for me
Many years ago as a struggling single parent with young children I made enough money to pay the mortgage by selling antiques, Bric a brac and up cycling small furniture items - I sold through a variety of sources including antique centres, markets, fairs and on the Internet
The market changed and as DC grew I could earn more in paid employment
I still deal a little for pleasure and to fund bigger purchases

Tywin I think you're absolutely right when you say people think that they want handmade but really they want the look. I've had friends ask if I know someone who can handmake something special for them, I'll recommend someone then they'll baulk at the price and buy something mass produced that looks kooky.

Thanks all!

Definitely food for thought. Will have another look at Etsy.

Looking on FB, everyone seems to want handmade, but wants it cheap, same with the festivals and fairs I've been to round here.

We have Dunelm, Matalan, etc, all selling quite nice, appliqué/handmade/etc looking stuff, but at a price I just can't compete with.

Have a look a velveteen babies the things she makes are lovely and sounds like you could do similar. She has a huge following on Instagram which seems to generate business.

Velveteen Babies is lovely.

I've just had a look at the Molli Sparkles blog - it's surprising, you just don't realise how much £ quilts cost to make. I've made a few - for my kids and as a gift, and love doing it but they take a while, even as the person making it I don't quite get it. I've seen beautiful quilts for sale on FB for £35 and people still commenting they're too expensive

i think if you can make a little bit, its great.

I have a friend who makes crochet handbags, lovely things, she buys the wool in bulk so its cheap, and sells them for £25, makes about 60% profit on them.

She didn't start out to make money, but enjoyed making them and ended up giving them as gifts but people liked them and started asking her to make them as presents...etc.

I make pompom blankets, i make about a 40% mark up on the wool cost, i don't charge for the time, because i enjoy making them. Most people are happy to pay about £20 for a home made baby blanket :)

I also sell on a friends stall at festivals (she makes jewellery), so i make fabric bibs and little hair bands and kids cooking aprons and raggy tutus from fat quarters, simple to make and you can easily make a little profit.

I dont make big money, but its stops my hobby cluttering up my house!

I've just had a look at Velveteen babies and the things I make are very similar Maybe I could do it after all!

I make around £200-£300 a month from my Etsy shop. It's not a living, but it's a nice supplement :) just make sure you register yourself with the taxman! I'm currently doing my tax return, it's not fun but needs doing. Normally I don't make near enough to have to pay more!