Generally, there are three “phases” in clinching sales: preparing for selling your craft, the actual sale and of course, post-sale.  What are these “phases.”

• Preparation

Everything starts with a business plan. When writing a business plan, there are several things to consider like your budget, market research about your competition, and never forget to highlight the things that make your business unique. The plan should also include back-up plans to address unexpected events or changes.  When unexpected and sudden blunders happen, you do not have to abandon the whole plan.

Whenever you are entering a business, it is important to never undermine or shortchange your competition.  You do not have to declare war against your competitor, they are the best source of information about the market.  Remember what product or your craft that makes you different from other handcrafting business.

Aside from the competitors, also never assume that you know everything about the market and the customers. Include customer demands and getting to know their behaviour in your market research.  To get an idea, attend craft fairs festivals to see what kinds of crafts are getting attention and sales.

A business plan should include plans on whether you will make wholesales, profit margin, maximum or number of handcrafted items you can sell to a buyer, and how will you fulfil orders.  One of the biggest problems of entrepreneurs would be failure to follow the business plan.

• Actual sale

Just because your shop is already open, it does not mean you have to stop promoting your crafts.  There are easy ways to continue marketing and promotions without spending too much.  Participate to community events like shows, festivals, community auctions, and even school activities. Participation would allow possible customers to know your craft store and your products.  You could donate some items as a prize or an auction item.

When attending craft shows and festivals, show and maintain professionalism in your booth design.  Make sure to price your products in the same range with that of the other crafts on sale.  Pricing it too low can cause speculations on its quality, pricing it too much will drive away customers.

A useful addition to your shop and whenever you are participating in fairs and shows would be a credit card machine.  Since most people have credit cards, this would be great  way to make a sale.  Aside from that, if your crafts cost much then credit cards could provide safety.

Maximize online sales and promotions. Online shopping has increased in popularity because of its convenience.  There are also different craft sites where you could advertise or plug your products in discussions and forums.  You could also lend your talent and host craft classes to both children and parents.

•    Post-sale

It does not end in selling. Just because a customer bought your product it does not mean that you would stop building relationships with your customers.  Craft business could be tough, since stores would build their own niches or place in a market.  You need to build a solid and loyal clientele.  Handcrafters could conduct post-sale surveys to check the customers on how they could improve crafts and services.

A scrapbook works like a photo album in the sense that they both keep photographs. But how are they different? Scrapbooks are not limited to just photos. They may also contain keepsakes and mementos such as birthday cards you received from friends, menus and tickets reminding you of your first date, invitations to a special event you attended or organized, fabric from a gown or dress you wore on an occasion, and cutouts of your favorite recipes from newspapers or magazines. Just about anything that tells a story you would like to relive for the rest of your life can be included in your scrapbook. But if the object you want to place is too large to fit into your scrapbook, you can just take photos of them or scan them so that they can be included in the layout.

Who says scrapbooking is only for posting memorable items? You can extend your creative limits by having dedications or poems written by your family members, friends, or any relevant persons in your scrapbook. And of course, you can put your own captions to each of the photos. When writing captions, tell the story behind each picture as interestingly as you can. You can also say what your feelings are about the photos. Make sure the captions answer the five basic questions: who, what, when, where, and why.

If you have old photo albums of your parents or even your grandparents, why not volunteer to create a scrapbook for them For sure, they are going to appreciate your thoughtful gesture. On your part, doing it can be a relaxing and even therapeutic as you enjoy seeing photos that were taken decades ago. Since scrapbooking old photos allows you to have a glimpse of your parents’ or grandparents’ past, you get to appreciate your roots as well as your family’s past. If your parents were able to keep mementos and keepsakes of your childhood, then those will make great additions to your scrapbook.

The two methods used in creating scrapbooks are the traditional and digital scrapbooking. The traditional method involves cutting and sticking a variety of materials. On the other hand, the newer method, digital scrapbooking, simply involves making scrapbook pages using a computer program.

Making a scrapbook is not just a way to show your artistic and creative skills, but also to capture the present and the past to make them interesting and unforgettable memories in the future. Try it and see how enjoyable of a hobby it is.

1. Wedding Flowers
The flowers that you are going to use as centerpiece and accent pieces for the tables in the reception can be very costly. If you are creative enough, you can choose and arrange flowers on your own without the help of a professional florist. A quick way to decorate the tables is to use silk flower arrangements. You can also use silver platters as containers for the flowers.

2. Wedding Cakes
Why buy an expensive ready-made wedding cake from a store when you can opt for a relatively inexpensive handmade cake? The advantage of creating a wedding cake on your own is that you can design it according to your liking. You can choose your favorite color and have the say whether it will have a traditional or modern and simple or complicated design. Even the decorations and icings can be created by hand.

3. Wedding Scrapbook
If you are into scrapbooking, then you can turn your precious wedding moments into a lasting memory. You can take advantage of technology to create digital scrapbooking layouts so that making an amazing scrapbooking will become a breeze for you. It is also a great idea to make a wedding scrapbook for a close friend or a family member and give it as a gift on his or her wedding day.

4. Wedding Favors
Among the most exciting and easiest wedding crafts to make are wedding favors or giveaways. Your choices are limitless—from champagne truffles to sweetened almonds and just about any confectionery or pastries can turn into great wedding favors. The packaging of the favors, of course, needs also your handcrafting skills. You can place your wedding favors in nice little bags or boxes that are topped with bows, laces, or ribbons. Creating your own wedding favors is your special way of thanking your guests for celebrating with you the most important occasion of your life.

5. Wedding Stitching
How about making the dresses of the bridesmaids yourself? That’s possible if you have your sewing skills at your disposal. Small wedding items such as church decorative pieces, lucky garter, ring pillow, and headbands for flower girls can be crafted by hand.

6. Wedding Stationery
It is very easy to make handcrafted wedding stationery for your invitations and programme. All you need are a few simple steps such as buying the card and adding the decorations. The fun part of making such handcrafted wedding items is embellishing the card with fancy items such as laces, beads, ribbon trim, and others.

1. Textile-weaving is the Turkish handcrafter’s gift to the world of art. It is an ancient handicraft and emerged very early in all regions of Turkey where nomadic Turkish groups lived. The oldest known Turkish carpet is the Pazyrik carpet which dates to the 4th century B.C… It was discovered in a tomb in the Altai Mountains. Weaving can be every kind of cloth, carpet, rug, plait, and felt. Handcrafters use tolls like crochet needle, hairpin, needle, and shuttle to connect the fibers or spin thread. Turkish arts of textile-making flourished in places like Konya, Usak, and Bergama. These places are popular for their production of world’s finest carpets.

2. Tiles and ceramics – The art of Turkish tiles and ceramics contributes a lot in the history of Islamic art. The strong development of tile art was fostered by the Anatolian Seljuks. In the 13th century Seljuk mosques, medreses, tombs, and palaces were lavishly decorated with tiles. Today, you can see the Seljuks tiles and ceramics handicrafts in Konya, Sivas, Alanya, Malatya, Erzurum, Kayseri, Beysehir, and Tokat. Anatolian Seljuks employed the use of glazed brick, mosaic tile, minai tiles and luster tiles. Anatolian Seljuk handcrafters used colors like cobalt blue, black, and eggplant violet for the glazed bricks. Mosaic tile on the other hand was formed by pieces of tile cut to shapes to fit the pattern intended. Handcrafters used the colors turquoise, cobalt blue, black and eggplant violet for the tiles. The minai tile-making technique was developed in the 12th century in ceramics. Minai tiles designs are lively and used themes taken from palace and court life.

3. Metalworking – Turkish metal working started during the Seljuk period. According to records, Turkish metalworking developed in the Konya and Artuklu regions. Today, these artworks can be viewed at Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Topkapi Sarayi Museum, and Konya Mevlana Museum. Turkish metalworking involves techniques using chasing, filigree, niello, cutting, openwork, inlaying, relief, and intaglio. The same technique was continued during the Ottoman period.

4. Wood carving – Anatolia has a rich soil that was able to grow plants like walnut, ebony, pear, boxwood, and hornbeam. These plants are durable and can withstand effects of temperature and vermin. This may be the reason why ancient handcrafters in Anatolia were expert in the techniques of wood carving.

5. Calligraphy and book-related arts – Calligraphy originated from Arabic countries, yet, it became advanced in Turkey. Turkish handcrafters popular in calligraphy are: Sinan Bey, Levni, Kalender, Hakkas Hasan Pasa, Nakkas Osman, and Nigari. Calligraphy had provided Muslim artists a leeway to express themselves in two dimensions. The art of calligraphy is a struggling art in the modern world yet, in the last century handcrafters like Tugrakes Hakki still made a great impact in this kind of art.

Even if you are not a master of crochet art, you can quite easily learn how to crochet. Just browse the Internet for instructions on how to crochet items, and you can easily grasp them. Better yet, you can ask for help from your grandmother or anyone you know who is skilled at crochet. For sure, they can guide you through knitting a crochet baby blanket.

So, how do you go about creating a crochet baby blanket? First, decide the color of the blanket that you want. Most people choose colors according to the gender of the baby. If it’s a girl, the color of choice would be pink or any shade of red. On the other hand, blue and yellow are the traditional colors for baby boys. If you do not know what the gender of the bay will be, you can go for gender-neutral colors such as white, cream, and green.

Once you have chosen the best color, your next step is to choose a pattern that you are going to use for knitting the crochet baby blanket. Crochet patterns are widely available on the Internet, so you won’t have a hard time looking for one that matches your taste. Another great source of crochet blanket patterns is your local bookstore or library—plenty of books on crochet can give you an idea of what pattern will look good on a baby blanket. You just need to devote ample time and effort to be able to find a distinct and intricate blanket pattern.

In addition to color and pattern of the baby blanket, your imagination and creativity are also important in coming up with an excellent baby shower gift. The quality of the knitting materials that you are going to use also counts a lot in the overall package, so before you head over to the arts and crafts store in your area, be sure you have a clear idea of what you want to buy. In doing so, you won’t waste your time, money, and effort.

Making crochet baby blankets can be a great way to spend your idle time as a handcrafter while producing something that expectant parents will find extremely useful.

Handcrafters like you can create cameo jewelry by using self-portraits, vintage photos, or scrapbook paper patterns in place of the traditional carved mount. It is very easy to make a cameo jewelry. A lot of ideas abound the Internet; you can also get some inspiration from arts and supplies store in your area or from classic films.

You do not have to worry about where to find the materials needed for making cameo jewelry because they are readily available in any local or online craft shop. The following are the materials you have to gather for your cameo jewelry project:

* Sharp puncher tool or a pair of scissors
* Cameo frames in various sizes and designs
* Items for decorating the piece (e.g. a rhinestone or gem, a vintage photo, little trinkets, polymer rose, etc.)
* Diamond glaze adhesive
* Jeweler’s glue to secure the mount in place on the base
* Light brush

If you are going to use photographs to decorate your cameo jewelry, make sure it is not water soluble. Otherwise, the print will be damaged when you apply the diamond glaze for the finishing.

When you have all the materials ready, you can start making your own cameo jewelry! Here are the four simple steps to follow:

1. Cut out your photo or artwork of choice using the puncher tool or scissors. Follow the shape of the frame’s base onto which it is going to be mounted. See to it that the photo or artwork fits the flat base just right.

2. Wipe a little jeweler’s glue onto the base. Be careful not to put too much glue because the excess glue might overflow when you place the image onto the base. Then place the image directly onto the base using the tip of tweezers or scissors. Put a little pressure on it so that it remains firmly in place. Let the jeweler’s glue dry for around 30 to 50 minutes.

3. Decorate your cameo jewelry with gems, trinkets, or anything you want to add to it. Use gluey tacks to secure them in place.

4. Put the diamond glaze adhesive directly onto the image, and fill in the whole shape of the frame until the image is totally covered. When the adhesive completely dried up, it will create a see-through glass effect for an attractive and neat finish. If bubbles appear, you can get rid of them by popping them with light brush bristles.
Creating cameo jewelry is a simple yet fun and worthwhile activity if you are into handcrafting as a hobby. Now, are you ready to do it?

Handprint Lamb

This Easter craft can be a precious keepsake of the growing hand of your child. Creating a handprint lamb is so easy even 2-year-old kids can do it in a breeze. All you need to complete this project are simple materials such as pencil, scissors, construction paper, glue, crayons, markers, and popped popcorn.

Start by tracing the hand of your child, with his fingers spread wide apart, on the paper. Then cut out the drawing and turn it on the other side. Draw the face of the lamb on the area of the thumb. Let your child put additional details such as ears, tail, and hoofs. On the palm of the hand, glue the popcorns to form the fluff of the lamb. Allow the glue to dry before you move the handprint lamb. Your child will surely be delighted to create this craft while munching on the leftover popcorns.

Giant Foil Egg

This handcrafting project is ideal for children beyond three years of age, as it gives them the creative freedom when it comes to designs. The materials needed for creating a giant foil egg include pipe cleaners, light cardboard, scissors, aluminum foil, markers, ribbon, glue, and tape.

Cut out a large egg (around 30 cm in diameter) from the cardboard. Help your child with using the pipe cleaners to create a design on the egg. The designs could consist of lines, circles, or zigzags. When the glue has already dried, cover the egg carefully with aluminum foil. To make the designs more visible, push the foil down over the pipe cleaners. On the back of the egg, tape the foil in place. Outline the designs on the foil using the markers so that the designs will look more noticeable. Use a glue to stick the ribbon in a loop at the top portion of the egg. Allow it to dry before hanging the giant foil egg.

Fluffy Pinecone Chick

Your kid can make this cute little chick in just a few simple steps. With the help of an adult, kids three and up can complete one of the easiest Easter handcrafting projects. The materials include the following: pencil, large pinecone, Easter grass, green construction paper, yellow paint, paintbrush, scissors, and glue.

Paint the pinecone and allow it to dry. When the pinecone is already dry, wrap it in a thin layer of fiberfill. Cut out a beak, eyes, and wings from the felt scraps and stick them onto the body of the chick. Place the Easter grass on top of the circular construction paper. Lastly, put the chick onto the middle of the Easter grass.

However, before deciding to start a business and invest capital on your hobby, there are several things to consider.   Handcrafts are among the most popular hobbies turned into business, which means tougher competition.  It would require hard work, patience and good promotion plans.

The biggest question to answer is if your work is good enough to sell. Friends and families may say praise your handcrafted materials, but that is not enough reason to sell. Honestly evaluate your crafted items if they are professional enough and if they can be commercially sold.  It would not hurt to ask for an honest evaluation from closest friends and family members.

When you have finally determined that your handicrafts can match other handcrafters products, then you could start doing a little market research.  Market research would include competitors or those who are selling products similar to yours and the usual price of the merchandise.  Also do some research about business requirements, permits, and taxes that you would have to pay or accomplish before fully opening your store.

Here are also some useful tips in starting a business venture from being a hobbyist.

• Niche or a secured position in a local market is important in whatever kind of business.  Market research is important to determine if the location you are targeting is crowded with stores selling similar handcraft items.

Marketing strategies and giving consumers reasons to love your items would help in securing a niche in the market.   If you think your items are memorable because they are different, then make sure that consumers would be able to see that important characteristic by taking nice photos of the items and other creative ideas.  However, don’t be too overcreative that the descriptions are no longer true.

• Nowadays, on-ground stores are not the only places to buy.  Online shopping is getting so much attention because of convenience and sometimes because of lower prices and sales.   If you are planning to set up an online store, make sure that the website is easy to navigate and use.  Use quality photographs, since this is the only way for customers to see your products.  Make sure to take photos of the whole item and its details.

• As mentioned when talking about product and item pricing, it would be better to know how much other shops are selling similar items.  Pricing is important, since if you would be setting the price  very low, potential buyers may actually think that you are selling substandard products. Pricing it too much can also drive off buyers. The price is something you can change as you get to know the buyers.

• You could also contact other stores to sell your products on their business like craft stores, antique stores, book stores, etc.  It would be a great way to popularize your products.  They may ask for a commission but that’s okay since this is a way to promote your product.

Handcrafters and hobbyists usually have problems in the business aspect.  It is not enough to have knowledge on making the crafts, running a business is different.  Before turning your hobby into a business venture, you could make a business plan first.  There are different useful sites where you could learn how to make an effective and efficient business plan.

Here are some creative ideas where handcrafters could engage children during their spare time.  Parents could even introduce it to their kids, avoiding too much time in front of the computer or television.

• Picture frames.  One of the most interesting and easiest things for children. Provide a wood photo frame, paints, numeric and alphabet stickers, and other materials which can be used for designing the boarder. Instead of wooden frames you could use craft sticks and boards.  Let them decorate the frame and display it with their photograph in their bedroom.

• Necklaces and bracelets. Girls love making accessories.  Introduce them in making their own accessories and jewelries. There are accessory making sets which kids can use.  If sets are not that appealing for you and the little girl, then you could buy beads, elastic strings, clasps, and a needle.  They could make their own designs and use colors that they like.

• Headbands. Another girl favourite. You could get a plain headband, beads, ribbons, buttons and other stones which could be used to decorate the band.  Use some glue to stick and design the headband.

• Signs.  It could be nameplate for their bikes or a “No Disturb” or any signs in their bedroom doors.  For both activities, you just need a wooden board or cardboard shaped in any size they like, paints and some creativity.

• Toys.  Children love playing with toys, imagine their pride if they would be playing with something they made.  There are different toys which could be made out of boxes, cardboard, colourful papers, glue and a pair of scissors like a toy robot, cars,  etc.

Children are not the only ones who could get interested in craft making.  As mentioned, there are some handcrafters who were able to establish a business out of a simple hobby.  For adults, here are some suggestions for your handcraft sessions.

• Centrepieces.  Table centrepieces can be according to theme, like the season or special occasion.  It does not have to be ornate, you can play with the common colors and elements seen during the season.

• Kitchen needs.  Quilts are not the only things that can be sewn.  You could start sewing potholders from scrap fabrics.  You can design your own aprons.  An example would be successful businesswoman who started making her own aprons and designing them with different outfits of different jobs.  One apron, for instance, would have a design resembling a coat and a tie suitable for office wear.  What started to be a family apron, became a successful business.

• Green craft making.  Not only are you unleashing your creativity, you are also helping the environment.  There are different recyclable items which can be used to make paper bags, greeting cards out of recycled paper, and other decorative and functional items.

It’s normal for handcrafters to run out of craft ideas, once in a while.  All you need is a new perspective, maybe a walk could energize the creative juices. Making handicrafts will not only develop yourself, but could also build better relationships with your children, spouse, family and friends.