10 Ideas for Your Home-Based Craft Business

Most people do arts and crafts for fun, for stress relief, or for a creative outlet. They spend years honing their talent and skills, without getting any reward except the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a project. Well, what if you can earn from your hobby? 10-ideas-that-are-perfect-for-your-home-craft-business

Craft making may not be the most fancy or greatest money-making business out there, but the industry itself is lucrative and valued at $44 billion in 2016, which has grown 45 percent from $30.1 billion in 2011. The interest is only going to grow in the coming years.

Starting your own craft business won’t require a huge capital, especially if you already have the tools. You won’t need to commute to the office, and there won’t be somebody breathing down your neck all the time.

Put your skills into good use, and make money doing what you love. Here are ten craft-business ideas to get you started.

Accessory Making

An outfit isn’t complete without accessories. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and hair accessories enhance the appearance and add sparkle and character to an outfit. If you love fashion and have the vision and the skills, try your hand at designing and making accessories.

Create an Inspirational Board Full of Ideas
Source: Pinterest

Accessory makers use a variety of materials, including wood, clay, metal, and gemstones. There are fashion or costume accessories and fine jewelry. Fashion or costume accessories typically use inexpensive materials and follow trendy designs (e.g., floral crowns and lace chokers). Fine jewelry, on the other hand, uses precious and semiprecious metals (e.g.,gold and platinum) and gemstones (e.g., diamond, emeralds, sapphire, etc.) and require more sophisticated tools and skills to create. You can always find inspiration in a lot of places, if not, create your own inspirational board to see which way you want things to go.

Choose your specialty based on your skills and the tools you have, and broaden your accessory line  as your business grows. You can launch your own website or go to social media to sell your creations.

Source: Ideal Me

Bag Making

The market for bags is far and wide. Every day, men and women buy bags for practical or style purposes. If you venture into bag making, you’re sure to find a demographic for your products.

Moreover, you don’t have to be confined to one type and design. There are backpacks, sling bags, handbags, totes, and traveling bags. You can also work with different materials, such as fabrics, leather, vinyl, rattan, and rubber, to name a few.

Check out these 17 easy drawstring bag patterns to sew in one hour or less.
Source: Ideal Me

Making Gifts and Cards

Nothing says thoughtful more than a personalized gift does. For those who have an eclectic set of craft skills, a gift- and card-making business would be the most ideal choice. There are countless things you can make and give as a present—a card, scrapbook, special portrait, painting, knitted apparel, etc. You get to explore the depths of your skill and try out exciting new projects.

You can also accept commissions to create invitation cards and programs for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and special occasions or sell pre-prepared greeting cards. You don’t need to make everything from scratch. You can customize blank pocket invitation cards to make the work faster.

Source: Sew Colorful Designs

Calligraphy

Recently, interest in calligraphy has increased, especially among young people. Go to Instagram, Tumbler, or other social media platforms, and you’ll find lovely images of inspiring quotes written in pretty and elaborate script. If you have the skill, you may as well use it to start your own calligraphy business.

As a calligrapher, you can earn by accepting commissions to create various hand-lettered products, from customized invitation cards, to gifts, to home decoration. You can also sell premade works, like bookmarks, framed calligraphy, and greeting cards.

Source: MJ CREATIVE CO

Basket Weaving

If you haven’t noticed yet, there’s a basket craze going on in the home improvement and DIY community, especially for wicker baskets. Wicker baskets are made using ash, cane, oak, reed, or willow, but there are also other materials used for different types of basket-weaving. These materials include grass, palms, New Zealand flax, tree roots and bark, and yucca, among others.

Baskets are popular home accessories because they are organizers that double as decoration. Aside from storing things, they give off a homey, quaint feel that no other accessory can replicate.

You don’t need many tools to weave your own baskets. All you need are your skills, raw materials, a knife, a ruler or tape measure, a weight, and a basket weaver’s bodkin.

Source: Lovely Greens

Beading Business

Beads are used for various purposes, for jewelry, clothing, home decoration, and arts and crafts. You may notice a lot of beads in your everyday life—on a necklace around somebody else’s neck, on a pretty blouse, or on a table runner.

Decorative beads are made from different materials, such as clay, paper, plastic, glass, and wood. The process of making beads can be either simple or complex depending on the intricacy of the design and materials used.

You won’t need to create your own beads, though, if you start a beading business. The focus will be on designing, creating, and decorating pieces—bracelets, clothing, home accessories—with beads.

Source: Jewelry Making Journal

Candle Making

Candles are perfect for setting the ambience, whether you want something romantic, relaxing, or frightening. Scented candles are especially popular to use for meditating, inducing sleep, or unwinding.

How to make your own candles, so easy
Source: Love And Renovations

Candles are easy to make. You don’t need specialized skills or too many materials. The main ingredients are candle-making wax (e.g., paraffin, soy wax, and beeswax), coloring, and fragrance oils (for scented candles). The ingredients are melted in a double boiler and poured into a mold with the wick then left to try.

With the discovery of electricity and the invention of light bulbs, people rarely buy candles for their old purpose (i.e., lighting dark rooms/places). If you are engaging in a candle-making business, it’s best to widen your range of products.

Source: Apartment Therapy How To Make Scented Candles At Home

Clothes and Costume Designing

If you have a passion for fashion, clothes and costume designing may be the perfect home-based craft business for you. There are a lot of options you can explore when selling clothes.

9 Tips You Can Actually Use If You Plan to Start a Clothing Line
Source: Pinterest/Marie Claire

You can create your own clothing line and make clothes from scratch. You can also sell printed clothes with original designs if you’re not keen on designing your own garments. Or you can go into clothes modification.

Fashion trends are fleeting. If you want to succeed in your clothing business, you should keep up with the times. Alternatively, you can find a more stable demographic so you don’t always have to adjust to the volatile market.

23 DIY Kids Costumes
Source: Life Beyond Laundry

Home Decorations

Starting your own home-decoration business is another way you can make use of your craft skills. There’s a large market for unique and customized home decors that you can exploit. Plus, you can explore varied work and projects since home decoration can be anything, from accessories to furniture.

Many of those who venture into the home-decoration business eventually go into renovation and remodeling. If you’re just starting out, you may not need to learn how to use power tools. But if you have any intentions to grow your business, it will help to gain knowledge and skills related to construction.

Chip & Joanna Farmhouse Projects For Your Home
Chip & Joanna Farmhouse Projects For Your Home

Final Word

Starting your own home-based craft business is no easy task. But if you have the right inspirations, skills, passion, and perseverance to see it through, you can succeed in the business you choose. Don’t wait for the elusive right time to venture out. You don’t need a large capital or sophisticated machinery at the start. These things will come in as your business grows.


[…]
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7 Tips for Working Moms to Juggle Kids and Career

7-Tips-for-Working-Moms-to-Juggle-Kids-and-CareerWe cannot be perfect in everything that we do. No matter how much we want to, we cannot possibly give our 100%. It is quite normal yet a struggle for some. Especially for us working women who have the responsibility of their children, career, and household on our shoulders. What we can do, is find a balance; a work-life balance, which is quite similar to walking on a tightrope while holding a pole in hand with family and home on each end.

It can get stressful. A full-time mother tends to feel guilty as her attention is divided between work and family. If you want to have a successful career without sacrificing your family time, the key is to formulate a plan and stick to it. It is very important to get organized. Get your priorities in order both professional and personal. In order to do that and figure out your responsibilities, ask yourself some questions. Again, prioritize the tasks on which you cannot compromise. Are you going to be okay with some things being just good enough and not perfect? When you are able to give clear answers to these questions, you will be in a better position to make adjustments and decide what you can, and cannot do.

Listed below are 7 tips to help you out in finding the right work-life balance:

Finding the balance:

When it comes to marriage, motherhood, and a career, I’d be happy to burst this bubble that there is no perfect balance. But, you can try. Only you know what a priority is and what isn’t. Remove the word SHOULD. Don’t listen to people who tell you what you should or shouldn’t be able to accomplish. Don’t stress yourself out by telling yourself that you should be able to do a certain thing because someone else can.

What you need to do is, focus on your own needs and well-being. You should think of yourself first. If you are having a tough time finding a balance, list down everything. Observe and reevaluate. You could try re-allocation of your work duties along with your parenting duties as with the passage of time they are bound to change.

Set Time Limited and Avoid Getting Distracted:

When you are a working woman every minute counts. No matter if you are at home or on the job. Did you know that getting distracted at job leads you to waste three hours every day? And this needs to be done both when you are at home or at work. If you wish to be productive at work and stay focused, make sure that you do not waste your time scrolling down Facebook newsfeed, browsing the internet or gossiping with colleagues. Spending too much time in exchanging emails, internet surfing, and long lunches are time wasting. It also makes you less productive. It is ok to catch a short break but you have to set specific time limits regarding social media and phone usage etc. But focus on your tasks first. You can talk to your colleagues during lunchtime and coffee breaks.

Not only that, you have to be disciplined in following those time limits. When you are at home, avoid spending too much time on the TV. You can use that time to be with your children or partner. It is essential that you keep away from multi-tasking when you are with your children.

Sometimes It Is Ok To Be “Good Enough” And Not Perfect:

Do you how much energy is drained out of women while trying to be the perfect wife, mother, and a worker? You can give yourself a break. You deserve it too. Whenever you have a task ahead of you, ask yourself that does it have to be perfect or ‘just done’ would do too? Tell you what? At least 8 out of 10 times, a simple ‘get the job done’ is more than enough.

Let go of the Guilt:

As a mother and a working woman, it is natural to feel guilty about not spending time with your children. Think about how your work is helping your household or helping you even as you are pursuing something you want to do. Maybe, in the long run, you can spend more on your child’s education and get them enrolled in certain classes or courses that wouldn’t have been possible without the extra income? Successful career moms have found a midway to be efficient in both worlds and that, needs the acceptance of one’s roles. It calls for coming to terms with the options and then focus on what is important currently.

You have to accept that you will have your share of good and bad days. Working mothers should know that they are not alone. When it gets overwhelming, share your feelings and thoughts with your partners or other working moms. Reaching out for help is a great means to achieve work-life balance.

Stay Connected with your Children:

Knowing whether your children have reached home safely or knowing that they are not wasting time on social media has been made easy with technology. You can stay connected with your children while they work at the office. You could make a video call when you are on break. For a child, seeing their mother is comforting and helps them in knowing that you are there and available for them. It could also help them get through a bad day if they are having one. Child-monitoring-apps-including-Xnspy-have-proven-to-be-a-great-help-to-working-mothers

Child monitoring apps including Xnspy have proven to be a great help to working mothers. Mothers can know what their kids are doing on the internet along with their whereabouts. To control screen-time and make sure that your child doesn’t waste time on his smartphone while doing homework, you can lock the device remotely even. If there is a school event you won’t be able to attend or be late, do something to compensate for that. Like a small note or just make them feel valued and special. And whenever you spend time with your children, make a big deal out of it so that they can learn how important it is to spend time with your family.

Set Boundaries between Home and Work:

The way things are going nowadays, this is quite the task. Easier said than done. When we carry out most of our work with our smartphones even at work, it has become difficult to simply turn off our job responsibilities when we get back home. The same way, it is difficult to stop worrying about your home life or kids when you are at work.

It is extremely important for you to set boundaries so you can focus wholeheartedly on both personal, and professional aspects of your life. When you leave for home, don’t bring work home. When you are spending time with your children or spouse, don’t use your phone for sending emails or discussing some work related issue. In order to strike the right balance, you have to take care of your personal relationships.

You need to learn to say NO. Say NO to anything that does not align with your priorities. It is the key to successfully manage your professional and personal life. The first thing to do about it is to establish firm rules regarding your availability after office hours. The environment of your workplace plays an important role and, it might be as simple as not responding to emails, text messages, or work-related calls after a certain hour. When you stick to it, people will get the point. You have to make it clear to your colleagues when you are at home your time is for your family. This also assists you in spending quality time with your loved ones without any distractions.

Put your Phone Down:

Seemingly a small and harmless thing, it can make a big difference. It affects relationships too. When you get home from work, avoid using it for work but also try leaving it on do not disturb mode. Breaking this habit can be difficult with half of us being so addicted to your phones but, it can bring remarkable changes in your relationships both with your spouse and children. When you are talking to someone and constantly use your phone, it not only feels rude the other person feel rejected too. It affects the quality of communication you share with your partner and children. Putting-down-your-phine-increases-the-quality-of-communication

Cut down on your social media use as well. This is also directly related to phone time. You are physically present but not really interacting with the people around. Set a time for checking up on your social media. See it right after work or after dinner. Avoid using your smartphone right before sleeping as the blue light emissions from smartphone disturb your sleep cycle along with your circadian rhythms as well.

Make use of a reliable child monitoring app and find quality childcare:

A child monitoring app comes in handy to monitor your children’s activities when you are at work. Xnspy was designed keeping in the mind of parents and especially, working parents who cannot be with their children during the day. It is an app you can trust completely. And it is not only simple to use, but it is also quite easy on the pocket. All you need to do is subscribe to the app and then install it on your child’s phone. After 24-48 hours the app will fetch data from your child’s phone and upload it to your web account.

The app monitors everything from text messages, calls, and locations to web browsing history, social media activity and a lot more. So, even while staying at work you can monitor your child’s activities on the internet, see where they are in real-time and keep a check on how much time they spend on their phones. It is extremely important to make sure that they do not neglect their study or homework time. Xnspy lets you keep an eye on that.Here-are-some-of-the-features-of-the-Xnspy-app-to-give-you-an-idea-what-this-app-is-capable-of

Here are some of the features of the Xnspy app to give you an idea what this app is capable of:

  • Access Emails:

If you notice your child acting tensed of off, and you notice him checking his email more than usual, it might need a look. And Xnspy lets you do that by giving you access to their emails. Cyberbullies have many ways to bully others. Apart from your social media accounts’ they also get into your emails and send harassing or threatening messages/images. You can timely intervene and take action by checking your child’s email.

  • Access Apps and Multimedia:

Nowadays, social media are all the rage for communication and having fun with friends. Xnspy allows you to monitor Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, Tinder, Kik, Viber, and Facebook Messenger.

  • Location Tracking:

It is natural for teens to be spontaneous and adventurous. They would want to visit places you would not approve of. Yet. They can be reckless that is part of the adolescence age. With Xnspy’s GPS location tracking feature you can know the location of your child. The app tracks the location of your child’s phone. This feature is also great in finding a lost phone or if your child goes missing. Parents can also benefit from the geo-fencing feature of the app. Xnspy lets you add certain words to its Watchlist so you get an alert whenever that place is entered or exited.

  • Keylogger:

If your child has an Android smartphone, then you can make use of Xnspy’s keylogger feature. The keylogger feature lets you record keystrokes on all the frequently used apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, and Facebook Messenger. Even if the messages are deleted, you can know about the keystrokes made on the phone.

  • Monitor Text messages and Phone calls:

Teens love texting and it is a popular means of communication. With the help of Xnspy, you can remotely access the incoming and outgoing text messages with completed details such as dates and time stamps. You can access everything that is going on the phone with the help of Xnspy’s online web account. You certain words that you deem age-inappropriate or too explicit according to your child’s age can be added to Xnspy’s Watchlist. The app will notify you whenever any word from your added list comes up in the chat or conversation.

You can also see a detailed call analysis of the frequent callers and call durations.

  • Monitor Web Browsing History:

There is tons of content on the internet. Your child can be exposed to abusive, hateful or sexual content on the internet. Xnspy’s lets you view the internet web browser history. This way you know the kind websites your child access. You can even block certain sites on your child’s phone. Xnspy lets you see the Top 10 Websites. This way, you know which sites your child is accessing.

  • Remote Control:

Xnspy lets you get the remote control of your child’s phone. With the help of Xnspy child monitoring app, you can:

  1. App blocking
  2. Access to installed apps
  3. Remote lock of the device
  4. Live screenshots
  5. Switch on the microphone of the target phone
  6. Wipe data from the target device

Apart from using a child monitoring app, you could ask among your circle for references to daycare centers, nannies, and babysitters. A good childcare provider shouldn’t only have impressive references but, an extensive experience and a record to prove is critical as well. A good daycare should provide you with the facility of flexible hours, updated licenses, an outdoor space, and trustworthy employees.

Last but not least, the secret to maintaining an ideal work-life balance is to take out time to do something that you really love. Anything that gets you relaxed. It could be a spa, or a massage, reading your favorite book, driving around or watching reruns of your favorite TV series. Even doing nothing at all and spending time at home. It can be anything. It is important that you learn to take care of yourself first and pay attention to your well-being. Only then, you will be able to take good care of your work and family.

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Moms Resources:
Four Ways to Make Some Extra Money Online

Four Ways to Make Some Extra Money Online

Learn-four-ways-to-make-money-onlineWhether you are looking to make some quick cash to cover emergency expenses, or you’re hoping for more long-term, sustainable income, there are certainly plenty of ways that you can make some money online today. And, the good news is that making money online isn’t always as difficult as it’s made out to be – however, it does require a certain amount of discipline. Whether you’re looking to make some extra money as a one-off, supplement your monthly income, or turn working online into your full-time career, here are some options to consider.

Take Surveys

Taking surveys might not be the quickest or most mentally stimulating method of making money online, but it’s a tried-and-tested way of making some extra cash. Many companies offer surveys in order to help them determine marketing decisions and will pay you for your trouble of letting them know which options you prefer. There are many sites offering surveys that you can choose from including Swagbucks, GlobalTestMarket, and more. All you’ll need to do is create an account and they will talk you through the rest.

Take Advantage of the App Economy

If you’re looking to make some money to cover immediate financial needs, the app economy could be a good fit for you. You can make a decent amount of quick money using apps like Task Rabbit, or if you have a car or motorcycle with business insurance, you can deliver food using apps like Deliveroo and UberEats. And, check out apps like TopCashBack and Quidco, that allow you to earn cashback on eligible purchases made through the app with often substantial amounts of money back for essential purchases like insurance and home utilities.

Sell Some Unwanted Stuff

The unwanted things you have at home might be worth a lot to others, so it’s always a good idea to consider if you have anything that you’d be able to sell. These days, pretty much anything sells online, from old electronics to clothing and household items, and the best part is that you can list them for free on sites like Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree, or for a small fee on eBay. If you enjoy selling online and want to make a more sustainable income from it, you might even want to consider starting an e-commerce store; these payday loans can help you get some cash to get started with a website and domain name.

Start a Blog

If you’re looking for a way to make money online over the long-term, starting a blog can be a great idea. If there is a subject that you are particularly passionate about and would be happy to write about on a regular basis, then starting a blog about it can be a great way to make money while spending more time on your hobbies as well. Whether you’re into gaming, makeup, fashion, home improvement, money management, movies, or something else, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to stuff that you can blog about online. And there are many ways to monetize your blog, including affiliate links, selling merchandise or other products, or selling advertising space.

Try one or all of these tips to help you earn extra money fast!
[…]
5 Ways Blogging Can Make You Money
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Turning a Hobby into a Business

Have you ever thought about turning your hobby into a business?

Turning a hobby into a business can make you some serious money
Image: Skirball Cultural Center

I’m pretty sure you have that one activity you derive immense pleasure and fulfillment doing daily. Could be writing, cooking, painting, barbecuing, we could go on and on, the list is endless but it all boils down to the fact that you’re happy doing it. Most of the time, it could be all that is needed to light up your day that has so far been hellish. But you are so engrossed in the excitement that you barely think of monetizing it. For you, it’s the joy that it brings that’s most paramount. However, if you’ve ever thought about monetizing – converting your hobby into a business, then that’s quite thoughtful of you and I’ll be sharing with you 6 helpful tips that will give you a head start. 

1. Understand the Business Potentials of Your Hobby
Before trying to turn your hobby into a business, it’s of utmost necessity that you look at the business prospects of the hobby. It’s the very first thing you should consider. If you venture into business without taking this into consideration, you are making a blind move and chances are, you are going to crash sooner or later. Is my hobby in demand? Are people constantly in need of what I’m about to sell? These are questions you should ask yourself. I’m not trying to sound like a pessimist or realist but trust me, the last thing you want is answering questions nobody gives a hoot about by selling something no one is interested in buying. So ask yourself, will people buy what I’m about to sell? Ask the people themselves too “hey guys! Are you going to buy this thing I intend selling?”

Beading Classes On Craftsy

2. Get Terrific at Your Hobby
Whatever it is you love doing, be certain you are very good at it before you think of towing the business lane. Mediocrity is going outlandish and people love the extraordinary, so if you really want to sell, then you’ll be better for it by bringing your A-game to the table. Take out time to hone your hobby which from tip one above, you’ve realized its marketability, then gather resources and glean from them. What you do in business pre-season determines the goals you are going to score when the league kicks off. So use your pre-season to prepare very well.

3. Establish a Reputation
How many people know you are a hot-shot cook in your neighborhood? How many people are aware that the key to your happiness lies in counseling people all day? You see, when people know you for who you are, the journey becomes less stressful. Thinking about making some cash out of your hobby? Then gain a widespread reputation for what you do. Let them know you for who you are and they will run free publicity for you when you eventually start your business. This reputation can be gained by offering free services to people around your locality in preparation for the business on the pipeline, this shouldn’t be a problem if it’s really a hobby.

4. Start Your Plugging
Plugging is synonymous to pitching, publicizing, preaching or promoting whatever you do either by word of mouth, social media or proxy. Employ any means possible to get the word out on the street that you are very good at what you do. This is a sequel to building a reputation but the slight change here is that you are selling yourself to the entire public and telling them that you are an ace at what you do. Your reputation, on the other hand, is all about your activities in the neighborhood that’s silently building you a brand.

5. Get a Business Plan if Need Be
Not every money making venture requires a business plan. Before you raise your brows at me, do you need a business plan to start singing and getting paid for it? But you need a business plan if you love cooking and you’re about to open a cafeteria right? It’s all about the nature of your hobby and the business direction it’s leading you to. Basically, most businesses that demand capital investments go with a detailed plan. Write a business plan if necessary.

6. Don’t Quit Your Job Just Yet
Granted, the adrenaline rush is energetic and you can’t wait to stop working because it is said that “when you convert your hobby into a job, you won’t have to work a day in your life.” I had to paraphrase that to fit into the context, be that as it may, do not be tempted to quit your job. It takes time to fully turn a hobby into a full-time business. While carrying out all the listed tips above, retain your job. When things pan out fully, you can quit, but in the meantime, stick to your 9-5.

Conclusion
We all have various types of hobbies. You have and I do, but what matters most is what we do with them. Your hobby has the potential to make you rich. This can only be achieved if you develop that hobby of yours. You might love to sing, but if you don’t develop yourself in singing, your chances of monetizing it become slim, same goes for other hobbies.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I might receive a small commission if
you make a purchase using an affiliate link.


Related:
Have You Ever Thought Of Working From Home
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