I was thinking I could earn some extra cash making holiday arrangements such as wreaths, centerpieces and such. After purchasing the supplies I want to come out ahead but not exactly sure how much? Is it half of what it costs or less? Let's say it costs $12 for supplies for one. Is $24 too much to ask? I saw wreaths for $150 & up on some web site and just about died. I made one today and it looks better than a store bought one. What is the best way to sell them where people won't mind paying what they are worth? I don't want to rent a spot or sell them in a shop and pay them which would mean some of my profit would go to them. I could have a sale at home but don't know if that's the way to go or what. If I put them on ebay I don't know what kind of box to use since they are so round. I am so in the mood to make crafts this time of year and have the time to do it. Any suggestions?
Do you sell stuff like on EBay with Etsy? Lee I was just using that amount as an example. I just looked into Etsy and it is really cool. Only .20 to list an item for 4 months. I can see getting the right amount of money for an item on there. I just have to figure out what kind of box to use for wreaths. The one thing I don't see is where people sold things to get an idea if things really sell for the prices I see.
Look into local parishes and community organizations. They usually have smaller craft fairs that don't cost a lot to get a spot.
Figure out how long it takes you to create one and charge yourself an hourly rate. It's easy to say that you made a $12 profit. But that works out to very little if it took you four hours to make. Pricing things is tricky. You want to be fair, but be sure not to undervalue your time. I do cake decorating and this is something I struggle with a lot. Etsy and Craigslist may be good places to start. I get a ton of business from Facebook as well. I simply post pictures of my work and tag friends. I am not pushy about it, I merely show my work. It reminds people that I do this and tagging people helps get the word out. I also did a lot of cake "gifts" in the beginning. It helped me build a portfolio, got the word out and helped with word of mouth business.
If you don't want to do craft shows or get into a shop and you found people will pay highest dollar online - I would open a store online. Get someone to make you a website. Figure out how much it will take to pack and ship them. You could even do a build your own, where they get to choose the base, the ribbon, the flowers and customize it that way. I think I would pay more for that.
You could try craigslist, or etsy.com?
I love to make stuff like that, too, but never found a really good outlet for selling them...
To answer your other question, about cost vs. profit... it kind of depends on the item and how much money you have into it. If you made a wreath for $12, I would see no reason why you wouldn't be able to sell it for $24. (BTW, how are you making them so cheap?) It depends on the size of the item, the elaborateness of that item, and the money you have in it. Certainly, there are holiday wreaths out there selling for hundreds of dollars. And I, too, feel like mine are a lot nicer than ANY I see in stores, so I'd say as long as your prices are competitive with store prices for similar sized items, and your stuff is nicer, then you should be ok!
You could go to local craft shows or festivals. We have spring and fall festivals and people set up a booth for a nominal fee to sell what they have and take orders.
Sell to a mom or 2 you know and word of mouth travels quickly.
Of course online is an option as well. Keep in mind that the sizes you have are different and a simple box may not work for shipping. Shipping and packaging can get costly very fast.
Donate some handmade items to the school for silent auctions and prizes.
As for costs, you pretty much double it so you make some money. Keep in mind your processing charges for packaging, shipping, payments, etc. Your supplies are one thing but your time is money as well. My family owns a floral supply business and I was in outside sales with them for years dealing with florists and with people who just designed and made things from their homes.
You just have to give it a shot on pricing. Leave yourself some room to have markdowns and still have some profit. If your product looked as nicelas a $150 product, no way would I suggest pricing it at only $24. I'd go higher with my price point.
Shop around and see what some things like yours are actually being sold for and price accordlingly. Don't price yourseld too low... you can always come down on pricing, price increases are not as easy to push through.
Good luck.
$24 is too little depending on how fancy the wrath is. Most crafters mark up not just 50% of supply cost, but also time cost, so decide what to pay yourself for time.
Try etsy, look at the wreath selection and see how elaborate ones are priced versus simple ones. Remember you will also have to add on shipping...
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?search_submit=&q=...
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?search_submit=&q=...
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?search_submit=&q=...
I am an etsy seller mentor, I have over a 1000 sales and help people set up shop all the time. To contact me via etsy:
http://www.jeweledambrosia.etsy.com
You can also post your designs on craigslist, facebook. A friend and I have rented craft fair booths at high school/church bazaars... One thing a few of us did, is have a holiday sale in one of our homes and a community clubhouse. Some friends sold make-up, stamp supplies, scentsy, my jewelry, other handmade crafts like scrapbooks/tiles/vinyl stickers/quilts, fudge. We invited friends/family/flyers on neighborhood, we had brought a little snack table as well.
Try setting up a shop online...I have two on Etsy and they are very easy to maintain. Just make sure you take lots of pictures at different angles and that they are good quality. Check with the post office for flat rate boxes that will fit your wreaths and make that your shipping charge. Everyone who orders online knows they need to pay shipping. I personally think you could get a lot more than $24 but do your homework on Etsy and see what other sellers are asking. You can check the sold items in their shops to see how many of them actually sell.
Also, last year I did three craft shows. It was a good way to make a lot of money in a short amount of time but you have to be choosy on your shows and not spend so much in the booth fees that you cut into your profits. Downside... you have to make up inventory ahead of time and may be left with some of it so that is the con.
HTH and good luck!
Whatever you do, don't "overprice" yourself.
Yes, you can mark them down but by then you will have let several poss
would-be customers get away.
Price them to sell.
That's how you make your $.
If it costs, $12 to make, then double the price to make 100% profit.
Set out to be reasonalbe, not to get rich, to start out with & you should
see if they will sell.
W/the current economy, what may have worked 2 or 3 years ago, may no
longer work. People are holding onto their $ more than ever so don't
overprice. You are looking to make $ & a profit but not become an
overnight millionnaire.
My girlfriend made wreaths that were gorgeous, not overpriced and they
were still difficult to sell.
Having said that don't get discouraged and try anyway!
She sold @ local fairs, auctions, outdoor veggie stands, flea markets etc.
If shipping, I would recomment a pizza type square box but one that is deeper not so shallow.
You can always try etsy or craigslist (ship these, don't meet people).
Have a garage sale & display your crafts in a cute, boutique type way.
Good luck!
My friend makes and sells glass beads. She has an account on Etsy but she also posts pictures of her beads on facebook. As a result some of her friends have made purchases. She also takes request regarding color combinations. Perhaps you could customize your wreaths and other crafts too. Also make sure you factor in the hourly rate you want to make. Have fun and good luck.
