Making Money Cross Stitching & Crafting

I’m constantly on the hunt for money saving tips and small business ideas. I can’t begin to list all the hours I’ve spent online searching through spammy offers or just wishing I could come up with one perfect business idea that I could start that could be started on a budget.

The experts say, “To do what you love and the money will follow.” I wasn’t always sure that I subscribed to this way of thinking because I never felt like I was good at very much when it came to art and crafts. So, I started by making a list of things I am good at and or those things that maybe I wanted to learn to do. In a previous post I mentioned that I am not good at cross stitching and that is still true. But, I am however good at quilting and crocheting.

That is when it occurred to me that someone that is good at any of these types of crafts can and should start selling their items. With Pinterest and Etsy on the scene, there really isn’t any craft that you aren’t capable of selling if done right. You can combine finished pieces with patterns or one or the other. But you can also team up with some other crafters that do crafts that are not your specialty and sell them on a blog if you want to eliminate the third party, such as Etsy.

I have a friend that hand stitches crystal grid patterns. Most people don’t even know what that is, although there are plenty of people that do. I have another friend that makes pet blankets. And yet another friend that makes wine coasters. All three are simultaneously different but there is a market for all three.

What are you good at? What can you specialize in? So many people don’t realize that you CAN turn a hobby into a small business and get paid for doing what you love.

Cross stitching is a labor of love but there is no reason that you can’t make money for doing something you love. I have a good friend that cross stitched something for me years ago that is framed and on my wall.

Below are some easy ways to turn your crafting hobby into a business.

Teach others – if you cross stitch or quilt or cook, you can teach others to do so as well.

Sell your items – as mentioned above you can use Etsy, find local craft shows or make a blog to sell your already made items. If you have a love for a specific craft but you aren’t good at it you can also buy those items at wholesale and then resell them. I’ve used this method before, quite successfully. Hobbyists are known for being passionate and enthusiastic! My best friend’s mom doesn’t blink an eye at buying a quilt that cost four figures!

Blog about it – You can teach others in two ways – you can mentor and actually show someone how, which will depend on location. But you can also write instructional articles and/or videos showing others how to do your craft.