Craft Show Success Secrets. Your talent. Your hobby. Your fortune!

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Learn To Make Money At Craft Shows.

Do you want to know how to turn your hobby into a business? Are you interested in selling your crafts at crafts shows? Or do you just want to make a little bit of ‘fun money’ for the crafts you make?

Craft Shows - Make Money At Art and Craft Shows

Here is just a sample of what you'll find inside:

Two factors that contribute to crafting success (page 11)

Types of craft shows (page 36)

Tips for finding out what people will pay for a craft (page 16)

How much money was spent buying crafts in the US (page 8)

Selling your crafts on the Internet (page 54)

8 tips for buying crafts supplies (page 13)

How many craft shows in the US per year (page 33)

The Art of Customer Service (page 50)

The demographics of crafters (page 9)

That’s a lot of information already, but it doesn’t end there. This easy-to-read book is full of information on pricing your crafts, selecting the right craft shows and tips on setting up your booth at a show. Here’s more of what you can find in Craft Show Success Secrets:

5 tips for a successful craft business (page 4)

The top 10 craft shows in the US (page 38)

How to set the ‘mood’ in your craft booth (page 46)

Why you should start at local craft shows (page 7)

Conducting market research for your crafts (page 12)

Planning your shows in advance (page 53)

Patenting a craft (page 29)

Information on licensing (page 21)

9 factors to evaluate your craft (page 15)

What are the 7 concerns of professional crafters (page 7)

Promoting a craft show (page 40)

Why a ‘hang tag’ adds value to your craft (page 31)

Tips on lighting your craft booth (page 48)

The formula for setting the best price for your craft (page 16)

Key craft show tips (page 60)

Selecting the right craft show for you (page 33)

Should you work from home or a studio? (page 26)

What you need for your first craft show (page 43)

You might think we’ve covered everything in this book – Craft Show Success Secrets, but we haven’t. Here’s more of what you will find in this valuable craft show resource:

Planning your craft business (page 20)

Tips for protecting yourself during a craft show (page 49)

Tips for a great booth display (page 45)

Crafts that can be copyrighted (page 28)

Questions you should ask every craft show promoter (page 35)

Why a professional display is important (page 45)

A checklist of everything you will need at your booth (page 52)

Plus a BONUS!

Three pages of valuable resources that will help you get on your feet in the craft show business! (page 56, 57 ,58)

But wait, there's more...

4 free bonus books that will give you the inside edge on your competitors, business tips and lots of inspiration for your projects.

You are getting Craft Show Success Secrets for the very low price of $27.77. This is a lot less than what it would cost you to sign up for a half-dozen or more craft shows in order to learn the tools we have included in this book. Think of it as an investment in your business. This low price is an introductory offer! I have been told by many people the information I am offering is worth much more, and I am not charging enough for this book. I may raise the price at any time (in fact I already have, twice. I only charged $9.99 when it first came out). Please act now and take advantage of these great Craft Show Success Secrets before I raise the price again.

There's an eight week no-quibble guarantee, so there's absolutely no risk to you whatsoever.

Go for it! Think of the pride and pleasure you'll get when other people show how much they appreciate your work by PAYING for it!

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Related Information

How to Prevent Shoplifting at Your Jewelry Booth by Rena Klingenberg

If you sell your handcrafted jewelry at shows, fairs, or festivals, it may be a target for thieves. You should know how prevent shoplifters from stealing your jewelry right out of your booth. I don't mean to imply that shoplifting is rampant at every show, or that you can't trust your customers. But it's an unfortunate fact that jewelry is an increasingly frequent target for theft. It's attractive, relatively small, easy to slip away with, and has a high perceived value.

After an onyx and opalite bracelet was shoplifted from my booth, I decided to learn how I could prevent my jewelry from "evaporating" at shows.

I discovered that you can greatly reduce your risk of becoming a victim of shoplifting in your jewelry booth - simply by being aware of how jewelry thieves operate, and learning a few simple prevention measures.

Tactics of Experienced Jewelry Shoplifters

Awareness of how thieves operate can help you keep your jewelry safe. Here are common shoplifting ploys used by thieves at art and craft shows:

1) Some thieves work in pairs. One thief poses as an interested customer, distracting you by pretending they want to purchase jewelry, while the other thief unobtrusively slips some jewelry into a pocket, tote bag, shopping bag, or purse.

2) A shoplifter working alone pretends to browse your displays, and the moment you're distracted, he or she easily brushes jewelry that's displayed near the table-edge right into an open bag, purse, or baggy pocket that's just below the table level.

3) A thief sets a personal item (such as a purse, shopping bag, or jacket) on your jewelry table while pretending to shop. When the thief picks up her personal item, she neatly lifts some of your jewelry along with it.

4) Experienced jewelry thieves know the most vulnerable times for an artist at a show, and wait for an opportune moment to take advantage of your situation during these critical times:

- While you're setting up and taking down your booth, especially if you're dealing with a tent or anything else that requires a significant amount of time and attention away from your jewelry.

- When your booth is crowded.

- While you're loading and unloading your vehicle.

- When you take a bathroom break.

Awareness is your best defense against shoplifters. Once you have an understanding of how these thieves operate, you can determine the most vulnerable areas of your booth and how to safeguard them. With a bit of reorganizing, you can easily set up a profitable jewelry booth that discourages shoplifting.

About the Author

Learn 8 effective ways to protect your jewelry booth from shoplifting, plus hundreds of success strategies for selling your jewelry at shows, in Rena Klingenberg's ebook Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth.

All You've Ever Wanted To Know About Embroidery by Samantha Brown

What is Embroidery?

Embroidery is decorative needlework used on clothing and other textiles. The word embroidery may come from two different places, one a Frankish word meaning braid, the other a Germanic word meaning border or edge. There are many different kinds of embroidery in the world and there is no clear concept of who may have done the first embroidery in the world. An art form with a long history in almost every culture the many styles and variations that have been created throughout the years are not surprising. However, most kinds of embroidery fall into one of two main categories.

Two Main Categories of Embroidery

There are two main categories of embroidery. The first, known as counted-thread embroidery includes styles like cross-stitch and needlepoint. All counted-thread embroidery is made by counting the individual threads of the canvas being embroidered when placing a stitch. Even textured fabrics like cotton or linen are usually used along with cotton embroidery floss to reproduce grid like patterns and pictures.

The second kind is known as free embroidery. Unlike counted-thread embroidery, free embroidery does not pay attention to the individual threads of the canvas. Instead it is able to spray freely across fabric, allowing for more realistic and less constrained designs. Chinese embroidery is an example of free embroidery.

Embroidery Embellishments

There are many different kinds of decorative stitches. Some of the most commonly used stitches are the straight stitch, the cross stitch and the knot stitch.

A straight stitch goes up and down through fabric and will tend to move in a single direction. Cross stitching is usually done by creating a series of diagonal lines going one way and then going back along the line to create turn each angled stitch into an individual x.

Knot stitches are made by wrapping thread around a needle while it moves through the fabric. The result is a tiny nub on the upper side of the fabric. It is used frequently as the center point of a flower.

Intricate embroidery has long been a sign of wealth. The number of jewels and decorations on individual's apparel is a time-honored sign of power and respectability. Embroidery can be done with a wide range of textiles and can be embellished with almost any material. Beads, charms and other ornaments made of glass, metal, plastic and wooden can all be incorporated into embroidery. There are practically an unlimited number of ways to create embroidery and just as many accent pieces can be used for additional embellishments.

Art or Craft

Creating beautiful embroidery is both a handcraft and an art. Many kinds of embroidery can be done well after only a little practice. Many areas in the world use embroidery styles that are distinct to their locale. A study of the many kinds of embroidery shows how time and fashion has created new styles of embroidery to take advantage of modern innovations. While there are some people who use complex embroidery machines to speed up the process of embroidery, the age-old hobby will always be of interest and the finest results of the art will always be in demand. Supplies for most kinds of embroidery are easy to find at both craft supplies and fabric stores.

About the Author

Samantha Brown enjoys Embroidery in her free time when she can find it. To learn more about the craft visit her Embroidery Web site http://www.embroideryhowto.com today.

Craft and Scrapbooking Merge 2006 by Anissa Wardell

In the last few years we have had so many projects that we once would have considered a craft project, turn into something you could actually use on a scrapbook page/layout. In reverse, we are also seeing a lot of things that we would have considered only scrapbooking items being used in craft projects. Scrapbookers are incorporating stitching, fabrics, painting and trimmings into scrapbooks. Embellishing with yarns and painted fabrics. The merging of the craft and scrapbooking industry seems to be due to our inherent need to express ourselves and be able to do so by intertwining crafts and scrapbooking. Crafts have been around for a very long time. Scrapbooking seems like a newer craft, but it has really been around for quite a while also. The term Scrapbooking has been around since 1825. Manufacturers are becoming a lot smarter and depending on the materials you use or the theme you choose the possibilities are endless.

When you turn on the tv or go online there are shows created just for crafts and scrapbooking, there are also online classes and how to videos. You can even listen to your favorite podcasts! There has been such a demand for new ideas that much of what we would have thought of as traditional crafts or scrapbooking layouts are now fast becoming very similar. These art forms can range from crafts that at one time were just a ceramic or wood craft, but now have the ability to be used in our scrapbooks. It used to be that once you completed a scrapbook layout, you put it in your book and occasionally looked at it, but now you can take it and have it made into a portrait that can be hung on your wall. Crafts and Scrapbooking have evolved into what more and more people consider an art. Here is just a sampling of embellishments for crafts and scrapbooking: acrylic paint anchors bead trim beads tabs book plates bottle caps brads buttons cd's chalk charms chip board cocktail skewers coffee filters crystals date/phrase stamps decoupage die cuts digital software elastic cord embossing powder embroidery floss ephemera eyelets fabric paper fabric fabric flowers fasteners fibers foam game pieces hemp hole punches ink & distressing ink jellies jewelry trinkets jump rings jute label tape magazine/brochure cutouts mesh metal frames metal strips negative strips paint chips paper clips petit tabs photo corners playing cards recycled packaging resin accents ribbon ribbon buckles rivets rub ons safety pins slide mounts snaps specialty papers spiral clasps stamps staples envelopes stencil punch outs stickers string clasps tags tape tickets toggles, spacers & beads transparencies twill twine twist ties vellum vintage photos wax seals wire wood letters zippers Whether you like to scrapbook or participate in other crafts, look around for new things to incorporate into your own particular craft. Tole Painting and wood crafts merged and were a very popular craft in the '80's. Today, crafts are so diverse, you can do anything you want and incorporate just about anything you want into whatever the project is that you are involved in. Every moment is an opportunity to look around us and imagine uses for ordinary and obscure items that are around us every day. Keep your options open. Unleash your creativity, and avoid perfectionism. If you like help when starting new projects or would like to know more about what there is out there, you can purchase daily project calendars for different crafts whether you're a crafter or scrapbooker.

Scrapbookers & crafters are always looking for new and exciting ways to celebrate their memories and now they can with manufacturers' rushing to create new products or improve on old ones and with retailers stepping in to show us how to use these great new products. Use the resources that are available to you. Go to all the free classes, invite friends to classes or start your own group and share your ideas with each other. Take an online class or watch online videos or podcasts. Be informed, and help others by informing them of the endless possibilities!

Anissa is a member of the design team at http://scrapbooking.craftyplaces.com.

About the Author

Anissa is a member of the design team at http://scrapbooking.craftyplaces.com

Crafts Business Basics 1 - Product by Peter Ng

This article is the first in a series of 4 articles that will guide you on how you can start your own crafts business using the 4 Ps of Marketing - Product, Place, Price and Promotion.

The crafts business is an evergreen business. Even in today's high-tech world, people are still craving for that nice, sweet, little hand-made craft item because they add a personal touch and demonstrate sincerity, something that high-tech products will not be able to achieve.

In this series, I apply the traditional 4Ps of marketing to the crafts business and show you how you can follow these steps and start your own profitable crafts business from home. We begin the series with the first P - Product.

1. Product

It is simple to start a business nowadays, especially an online one. Too many people know how to set up websites and payment processors are making it easier and easier for us (and them) to collect payment.

However, the fundamentals of business remain. Without a good product, we can hardly expect to have good sales. Even if you have the best killer sales letters or promotional materials and managed to get good sales in the short-term, bad products will give you ruin your chances of repeat sales and may result in a lot of refunds.

On the other hand, having the right product can result in tremendous sales! The right product will bring joy to the buyer, and as a gift, will bring delight to both the giver and the receiver. What's more, it will result in many repeat and referral sales!

So what are the right products? Yes, we all know that we need the right products to succeed. How do you know what the right products are? Here are some considerations.

Cost ---- We might, in our enthusiasm, forget how much it costs to create the item and price it too close to our cost price or even at cost price!

Cost is not merely the raw materials, but marketing cost, labour cost (hey it's your time and your life!) and the cost of facilities (should you need warehousing) as well. Remember to add them all up then add another 33% or so as your profit. (You'll read more on pricing in Day 3 of this course)

I know some people go as far as to say that if they can't make 33% they won't sell the products but it's your call. I wouldn't mind a lower percentage personally.

The point of mentioning cost in this section on products is to say that some product ideas, while being very original and lovely, may not be able to be easily commercialised due to the high cost of production.

Some craft items really take a long time to create but can only be sold for a few dollars each. If you spend a day or half a day on a craft item that you can only sell for $10, you'd have effectively lost money, even if your materials cost you nothing. Imagine if you do nothing but create that craft item for a month. You'd have earned $300 for a fulltime job, including working on weekends. Not worth your time, is it?

Production Time --------------- Related to the earlier point, if you don't take this into careful consideration, you may find that what you earn is not worth your time. If you take 1 hour to create an item which you sell for $4, even though your materials only cost you $0.10, you'd be making much less than what you expected, definitely less than what you're worth.

Ideas/Demand ------------ Where do you get ideas for new products? How do you know what people want?

Ideas for new products are all around us. Exercise a little creativity and get inspired from the things around us. Here are some things you can do.

* Take a walk around the house and observe the small things, especially gifts that you've received in the past.

* Take a walk in the park.

* Take a walk at your local mall and look at the crafts that people are selling. Observe how the trend is changing and what are the gifts of the day. Over the years, I have observed that there will always be some craft items that suddenly become very popular and there are some that remain popular regardless of the season. You need to familiarise yourself with the market if you want to do the business. I think that is a fundamental thing to do, regardless of the business you're going into.

Here's a list of different categories to help you brainstorm for new products.

* Baby items * Office accessories * Gift items * Jewelry * Home decoration items * Houseplants * Gardening * Signs * Furniture * Automotive accessories * Wedding accessories * Decorations

We also need to stay abreast of what's going on to ensure we have a constant stream of ideas for products that are in demand. Here's what you can do.

1. Look at all craft books available in craft and hobby stores. 2. Subscribe to craft or hobby magazines, or read them at your local library. 3. Go to gift sections of department stores. 4. Ask people which items in craft items they like and why. 5. Wherever you go, talk to people and ask them about things they might want (this includes people you sell to, friends, and family). 6. Go to gift, trade, and craft shows.

A show allows suppliers or craftsmen from many different parts of the country to set up booths and show their wares. These shows will give you an opportunity to find out the latest developments In your particular skill, and will give you product ideas. The people who display at these shows can provide a wealth of information and ideas. They also may be helpful in:

* Teaching you now techniques in your craft * Giving you names of suppliers * Giving you names of places to sell your products * Telling you about other craft shows.

If you've run out of new ideas, perhaps the best thing you can do is not to go for new fresh and original ideas. Go back to something that works and improvise on them. Sometimes a simple little change can give you a new product or help the same old product reach a totally new market!

* Go back to one of your current or old products and see if you create a whole product line starting with that product.

* Sometimes all it needs is a little twist. If you have a male bear, how about a female bear and a baby bear? Then add on grandpa and granny!

* You could also add on related products. If you've created a nice wooden spoon, why not add forks, knives, plates and bowls as well?

* Think of new applications for one of your current products and with a change in your marketing, you could open a flood of new users for a product you thought nobody wanted anymore.

Arm & Hamme originally sold it baking soda product as a leavening product for baked goods, but over the years home-baking has become less popular and the demand for the product has declined.

However, people soon discovered that the baking soda absorbed odors and started using it as a deodorant in refrigerators, carpets, laundry, dustbins etc.

Some people even used it as a mild cleanser for countertops and sink drains and even for brushing teeth!

Because it's digestible, some people took it as an antacid and some applied the baking soda to their skin as a soothing lotion for skin irritations and tired feet.

Arm & Hammer took advantaged of these discoveries and changed its marketing strategy. Instead of selling baking soda, it now sells a natural cleanser and deodorizer. What has changed? Maybe just the box. But the company gained a whole new group of users for that same product.

So, if you see people using the toy dogs you've created as footstools, don't be upset. Maybe that's a new product in the making.

Visit Craft Business for more craft-related articles and resources.

Consign Yourself to Success with Your Hand Made Crafts by Bill Weaver

If you have a love for making hand made crafts, there are several ways to become successful at what you do through creating your own business. However, when beginning this business, the first steps that should be taken will be what ensures either your achievement of the business, or its failure.

The first thing that you should keep in mind when you decide to start selling your hand made crafts is to make sure that you enjoy what you are doing. If making craft items seems tedious to you, then it is probably not a good way to try to make an extra income. Even if it is only a part time hobby that you are doing, if you begin to prepare and find a niche, the business will eventually grow and find new customers. Always be prepared for what you are getting into.

The second thing that you should do when starting with your hand made crafts is to find a certain niche. This will draw new customers to you, as well as allow older customers to return. The niche can include anything from what types of crafts you make, to the materials and colors that you use for your craft. It also includes finding the right type of people who will naturally be drawn to your craft. This part of the sale usually requires some research and understanding of different demographic factors, such as age of those who will be interested in your product. By understanding the market in which you will be selling your crafts to, there will be more room for your success, with less energy spent in order to find the right crafts and how they fit with the right target market. This is the most essential thing to set up before you start your business, and to continue setting up as you progress and grow with your craft sales.

One thing that you will want to do when starting a craft business is to write a business plan. This will allow you to see where the problems with the business will be so that you can find the solutions to before you invest too much time and money into it. Writing a business plan should cover everything from naming your business, the amount of finances and investments needed, time spent on making and selling your craft, to how you will begin to advertise your product and to whom you will be selling it to. It also includes finding how your niche will fit in, as well as the customers' needs and wants in relation to the craft and finances. There are several ways to find the proper information and guidelines that can help you to understand the different parts of a business plan and how to be successful with this planning in the selling of your crafts.

The next step that you can take is setting yourself up as a business. This means filling out the paperwork and making your self look professional. You can begin to do this by filling out tax forms that states that you are a craft business. This will cover you legally for anything that you sell. There are often times different types of paperwork that you will have to fill out, depending on the approach that you are taking for your craft business. The next set up is creating things for advertising and marketing, such as a website, brochures and business cards. The more professional you look from the beginning, the more likely you will be able to find the customers that you need.

Once you have done the preparation work, and have begun to invest time into your craft business, then you can find ways to sell your work. This includes everything from tagging onto a wholesaler or gallery, building a website, and renting a booth or space at the craft shows that are offered in your locality at different times of the year. Depending on the niche you have decided to take, and your target market, you can sell your crafts at any of the places that you have found will be successful for you.

By following simple steps and using guidelines for your hand made craft business, you can be ensured success. The most essential aspect of starting a hand craft business is planning and preparing to make the rest of the business fall into place and becoming a simple way of making a profit.

About the Author

FREE information on Scrapbooking -- Every topic is listed! It's FREE! Click here: www.ScrapbookingTechniques.info

Do Craft Shows Tell a Tale of Your Success? by Bill Weaver

One of the most successful ways to sell hand made crafts is through the use of local and regional craft shows that are in your area. Craft shows will not only boost your business, but will also allow a place where you can find networks for future business. Because of the nature of hand made crafts, most that are in the crafting business use the craft shows as a major way to sell their product.

Because of the wide variety of craft shows that are available, there is a certain amount of research and preparation that you can take in order to ensure that you will be successful. The first thing is to find the craft shows that will fit with the types of things that you are making. If, for example, your crafts center on Christmas gifts and items, it would most likely not be logical to rent a booth or space at a summer festival. You can find the right craft show by networking with other crafters or looking for magazines and online publications that will host events and are looking for crafters. There are not only local and regional shows available, but also international and national events that you can take part in when looking for the right place to sell your craft.

The second thing to keep in mind for a craft show is to make sure that there is enough of what you are selling. Often times, someone will buy a craft from you, which will then begin to move around the space where you are selling. Others see the craft and want the same thing. It is best to come with plenty of stock. This always makes happier customers and will help you to look more professional.

When setting up your booth at a craft show you should find a way to make your booth and the product stand out. This is simply by decorating your area, and making your products look professional, while organizing them in ways that are catchy to the customer. Another way to stand out is through the actual craft that you are selling. By having unique colors and style, you will be differentiated from the rest of the crowd.

In the booth that is set up for your hand made crafts, you should also carry business cards and more information about the business that you are in. This is not only to look more professional, but also to gain more potential customers. Sometimes, a customer will want to revisit your craft outside of the craft show. If you are prepared, even if the sales are not outstanding at the particular show, you are building networks with potential customers and target markets with all who stop to look at the product you are selling.

One technique that is important to keep in mind and will also help you to stand out is when you are able to tell the customers about the craft, how you make it, why it is unique, etc. This strategy will help to build on the uniqueness of your product as well as making you seem like a true crafter who really enjoys the craft that is being made. This is often times, appealing to the customer.

Craft shows have been rated to be the best way to sell crafts. The nature of hand made crafts is different than most businesses. Customers like to see the craft in person, feel the material that you use, and understand the different parts of the craft. This gives them a good sense of the quality that is in the handmade craft. It is also important because they often times like to get to know the crafter, as it can be a part of the product that they are buying.

Most customers, even if they shop online, will often use craft shows to find exactly the right fit for the item that they need. There are several factors to this type of market and why this is successful. Because of this, if you are making hand made crafts, it is always important to be prepared with enough inventories, go to the right craft shows, and make sure to make the booth you have to stand out. This will guarantee you the success that you need to begin or continue in the hand made craft business.

About the Author

FREE information on Scrapbooking -- Every topic is listed! It's FREE! Click here: www.ScrapbookingTips.info

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