How To Start a Crafting Business

I’d like to delve into strategies on how to go about buying supplies for your art and crafts. I imagine, like me, you are concerned with the prices of your supplies, especially if you are selling your craftsmanship. There are many ways to keep afloat as far as keeping costs low. Here a few of the things that I do to make sure that I am not overspending.

First and foremost, THRIFT SHOPS! The single most important way to find interesting and affordable supplies is taking at least 1 day out a week to scout out your local thrift shops. I have found critical art supplies at Goodwill. Just think, I found the exact printer I have at home with 2 nearly full ink cartridges! That is a value of at least $70. Not to mention all the supplies that you can utilize as experiments to gain experience with. There are countless visits that I have found stamps, ribbon, fabric, scissors, paints, glass vases, storage bins, photo paper, I mean the list goes on! Do not fool yourself by thinking Michael’s and Hobby Lobby are the only places you can find quality crafting materials! I have saved so much money on these items, it is unreal. Not only that, but do you really need to spend $30 on a single storage rack when you can get a whole set of storage bins for the same or less?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I scout out the Michael’s and Hobby Lobby frequently as well. Now when it comes to these guys, signing up for their emails is the best way to keep up with their weekly circulars as well as coupons. Michael’s has leveled up over that past couple years by adding a 40% off 1 full price item coupon in their emails as well as other specials. Keep an eye out for Hobby Lobby’s seasonal deals as well. I compared their half off deals for burlap wreath ribbons to Amazon and other competitors, and I could not find a better deal. Hobby Lobby tends to offer great deals during the seasonal changes.

Another thing to consider is if you are planning on selling your project, make sure to tally up or at least keep a mental checklist of how much in total your project is going to cost you. Yes, you could buy that wonderfully sparkly ribbon that just dazzles your eyes, but in the long run, is it that going to send the price of your project over a reasonable price point that a customer is most likely not going to want to pay? You may want to settle for the left over ribbon you already have at home. You, after all, don’t want to lose money on the project rather than make money. There’s nothing like making a profit, and you certainly don’t want to sell yourself short.

I’ll share some more tip next time... don’t forget to like, comment or share 😊