How To Make Craftwork Really Pay

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INTRODUCTION

It isn't to such as embroidery thread and knitting needles we

might turn in order to make a really handsome living, or else

just a few extra pound a week from craftwork. Opportunities

exist by the hundred, not only for those blessed with actual

creative skills; there is much on offer too for those who can

provide a service to this growing band of craftwork

enthusiasts, as well as those whose business enterprises

depend entirely upon such skilled professionals to provide the

stocks they require.

KNITTING

The knitting enthusiast might for instance forsake the

traditional means of earning, whereby for a set sum per ball

of wool or per finished item, he or she will work entirely to

the customers' pattern or other specification. In turning

one's back on albeit an often ongoing source of income, the

individual might instead choose to produce only intricate,

perhaps one-off designs, for sale at local craft fairs, by

party plan , or else by mail order, to those of us keen to

adopt the air of individuality for which the likes of Noel

Edmunds, Giles Brandreth and Russell Grant - or rather their

jumpers - are so well known.

In this respect the person actually knitting the jumper or

whatever is required, might choose to personally design the

required garment, or else have it professionally designed by

some outside expert. Consider the fact that a great many

intricate designs can easily be produced with little more than

the assistance of graph paper or unused football pools coupon,

with each small square taken to represent one stitch in the

pattern, and it becomes clear that almost all of us can, if we

set out minds to it, produce highly original pictures and

motifs for ourselves. One method of doing this is to section

an actual picture or photograph into squares of equal size to

the grid of the graph paper or pools coupon used, thereafter

transferring the colour of the square on the original design

to the corresponding square of the pattern one is designing.

From then on it's a simple matter of knitting these colours

into the body of the garment itself.

Other openings for the experienced knitter might come in the

form of outwork from knitwear suppliers, or else from

providing other services on a self-employed basis. Consider

for instance the following:

* Producing dolls' clothes

* Creating seasonal Christmas motif-festooned

garments

* Informing parents that they may obtain school

woollies at a

lower cost than local shops are currently

asking. Note too that

they will more than likely receive superior

quality from you, with

perhaps a little personalisation of design

included. Maybe you

could incorporate, if permitted, a subtle

pattern; perhaps you

might include all children's names labels free

of charge.

* What about a highly original service, producing

Victorian-type

wedding dresses, with the bride's choice of

design

incorporated, and perhaps offering also to

include panels in

which are included designs of sentimental value?

* Producing heirloom christening gowns

* Designing and producing a range of clothing for

premature and

smaller than average newborn babies

SEWING

Those experienced at sewing similarly have much to offer

customers seeking something just a little bit different to

what is available in high street stores. How about a range of

frilly, frothy, ribbon-bedecked and generally very fussy

creations in which to show off our children? Such dresses

often come with a high street price tag of 50 and over; if

you can produce something slightly lower in price, then surely

an advertisement in local papers, freesheets, and shop windows

will bring an endless supply of orders your way? Local craft

shops and children's outfitters are particularly keen to take

such items on a sale or return basis.

Again, alternative openings are available to the experienced

needleperson, many of them basically similar to those for the

knitting enthusiast. Take for instance: a range of

christening outfits, premature and smaller baby clothes, fancy

dress outfits, wedding and bridesmaid outfits, and what of

that perennial favourite as December approaches - dolls'

clothes?

Hand and machine sewing professionals would no doubt benefit

from a little lateral thinking, taking their minds away from

the usual opportunities that spring to mind in the creation of

everyday garments and once-off celebratory designs. Have you

thought for instance of commencing a design service, one in

which you will measure up clients' windows, take their

individual design and colour scheme requirements into account,

and produce curtains entirely personal to them? Those with a

flair for design, whether inherent or acquired by appropriate

training, will find themselves occupying status much akin to

that of interior designer than curtain-maker, with fees and

profits suitably inflated as a result.

Amongst the many other areas desperate for your work are local

ballet and dance schools, nearby amateur dramatics and

pantomime companies, local jazz bands, and many other

organisations heavily reliant on costume for their promotions.

Securing a contract with any of these establishments, or else

offering your services to parents and participants alike,

might well find a steady stream of work coming your way.

WOODWORKING

Knitting, sewing, crochet and embroidery, though they might be

those crafts with which many of us are familiar, are most

certainly not the only areas in which outwork or opportunities

for self-employment lie. Think for instance of the skilled

woodworker who is able to turn out toys, ranging perhaps from

simple building blocks to those intricate rocking horses we

would all love to acquire for our children, but often can't

afford the hefty prices for. Someone who can undercut those

prices asked by larger and specialist toy firms will almost

certainly find a great deal of business coming his way. That

person may also find his niche in the making of dolls' houses,

garden furniture, perhaps even bird boxes, rabbit hutches and

so on.

ENGRAVING

Another prospective kitchen table enterprise, here one can

offer various options to those seeking engraved items whether

for decorative, celebratory, or commemorative reasons, or else

simply seeking to have their personal possessions engraved and

consequently made less likely prospects for the opportunist

thief.

Consult such as 'Exchange and Mart' and craft magazines for

essential equipment.

Engraving can take many varied forms from etching onto glass,

to simply printing names and addresses onto key rings, making

commemorative plaques and so on.

Your customers will come from all sections of the community,

from private individuals, jewellers shops, clubs and

societies, sports centres and so on.

MAKING JEWELLERY

Jewellery making is another craft product that can take on

many varied forms, from inexpensive and sometimes gimmick

ornamentation, to expensive and just as elaborate and highly

personalised creations.

It's another craft for which a wealth of appropriate 'how to'

publications, craftwork periodicals, local authority and

correspondence courses exist. In the pages of such as the

many craftworkers' publications on the newsagents shelves, as

well as in the perennial advertising favourite 'Exchange and

Mart', there are hoards of complete business packages awaiting

those interested in making money from jewellery.

Selling can take place by means of personal sales, from sales

on commission to local craft and jewellery shops, car boot and

craft fairs, to party plan, fleamarkets, trade fairs, and so

on.

For many, the answer to any potential reluctance to sell on a

personal level, is one of selling wholesale packages of

finished items to traders selling the end product at any of

the venues mentioned here.

PICTURE FRAMING

Here the demand is for high quality craftwork, which if it can

also come at a realistic price will command a ready stream of

eager customers.

As for so many other craft and art services, a wealth of 'How

to' books are available to guide even the novice through to

professional status as a picture framer. Equipment need not

eat too heavily into your capital, and can be located in most

of the major craftwork and model making magazines on the

newsagents shelves, as well as in advertising publications

including 'Exchange and Mart'.

Customers might come from the general public via

advertisements placed in the press or in shop windows. You

might instead provide a service to local artists and art

shops, photographers, antique shops selling early prints,

print and poster shops and so on.

You might instead find yourself able to start in a really

lucrative field of selling antique prints, posters and early

advertising material at local antiques and collectors fairs.

The services of someone to colour your material before you

frame it will again find a great many customers flocking to

your stall. Many individuals known personally to the author

operate such services via mail order, from their homes, or

from traditional retail premises.

TOY MAKING

Toy making can range from very basic soft toys intended for

heavy and frequent handling, to a range of specialised items

intended more for decoration or celebratory reasons than for

purposes of play. Into the latter case comes such as the now

highly successful Teddy Bear gift service which, operating on

a national scale produces customised teddy bears, sometimes

with the name of the recipient hand embroidered on their

clothing, and sometimes dressed in a manner which would

indicate the profession or employment of the recipient. And

so we have teacher teddies, traffic warden teddies, building

site teddies and so on. And the same firm will also do a

range of 'teddies to hate' and use for dubious purposes as

effigies, again the poor old traffic warden featuring

prominently in this section. But perhaps the greatest part of

this particular business is not only the highly personalised

service involved, as much as the fact that each teddy comes

complete with its own name, adoption certificate and usually

is delivered by carrier instead of less personal postal

services.

Have you noticed when cult figures creep onto our screens,

that a similar variety finds its way almost instantly into the

craft shops, this time in soft toy version? Here we find

Mickey Mouse and Minnie, Turtles, Marios, Care Bears and so

on. At local fetes, rallies, seaside resorts and anywhere

potentially thousands of people will congregate, the soft toy

makers or their representatives are there to provide for

seemingly insatiable visitors' needs.

Soft toys can be sold privately, by mail order, by party plan,

or on commission to agents selling on the creator's behalf.

Car boot fairs, fleamarkets, craft fairs and trade fairs also

lend themselves more than adequately to the selling of such

items. Additionally most craft and toy shops are more than

happy to carry your goods on a sale or return basis, with

commission earned for every sale made on your behalf.

Also into this section come the masses of wooden toys that

prove so popular with younger and older children alike:

building blocks, dolls houses, forts, rocking horses and so

on.

SPECIALIST KITS

Tapestry is one of today's more popular crafts, perhaps

explaining the existence of several highly skilled individuals

who will either transform your photos of pets and family into

tapestries, or who might instead create a pattern from which

you might personally create your very own heirloom. Look into

the many publications available for craftworkers today, and

you'll find amongst the many original services available, such

as patterns for dolls' clothing, toy making kits and pattern

books, model making kits, quilting packs and templates,

embroidery kits and so on. You'll also find specialist

services such as those which offer the design, perhaps also

the completion of a unique nursery sampler, ready to present

to proud new parents.

WRITING

Writing is in itself a very easy task; one simply lists all of

those points which are of relevance and will, when combined,

give the reader a working knowledge of the craft concerned,

following which the writer produces the document in much the

same manner as would be concerned when writing the very same

information in a letter to a friend. Then he types up the

document or has it typed up for him. A study of suitable

places in which to advertise your book is now all that is

required. Books can be photocopied and collated quite

inexpensively and efficiently in most local print shops.

Place your advertisement, studying and perhaps emulating the

style of other publishers whose advertisements appear

alongside your own, and then telephone or write to place your

own advertisement. When the orders come in, you simply pack

your books securely, post them off, and that's that!

SELF-EMPLOYMENT

Have you instead thought of selling your work yourself,

perhaps offering a range of toys at car boot fairs, craft

fairs, or from small rented stalls in already established

craft centres and retail outlets?

The possibilities are virtually endless for those seeking

self-employment on their own account. Those preferring to

work instead as outworkers for established firms will find a

selection of well-established firms provided within the

directory towards the end of this manual.

Amongst other skills by which to make money from home, whether

on a self-employed or outworker basis are such as model

making, for which a variety of options exist ranging from toy

soldiers, to chess sets, model cottages and so on. One highly

enterprising individual turned his love of old buildings into

an extremely profitable enterprise of designing and crafting

designs of buildings of local historical interest, which were

then transformed into moulds for the making, painting and

selling of miniature copies. Selling takes place at car boot

fairs, local fleamarkets and collectors' fairs, through the

post from press advertisements, and in many shops and crafts

stalls operating in the locality. The business is set to

expand into creating models of famous locals - living or dead

- but nevertheless preserved for posterity via this talented

model maker's skills.

Sewing, knitting, dressmaking, quilting and embroidery - all

are skills that lend themselves equally to profitable business

ventures, as a glance through any of the magazines dedicated

to craftworking enthusiasts will testify.

TEACHING

But it needn't all stop there. You might for instance offer

your services as a teacher or instructor of your craft - try

the local papers, freesheets, shop windows, even local

colleges and adult training centres. Troubleshooting, whereby

you travel to the craftworker's home to iron out any problems

he or she might be experiencing, is also a possibility for the

competent craftworker.

DIRECTORY OF USEFUL ADDRESSES

CRAFTWORK

KALLIMERA CRAFTS, 10 Chedburgh Close, Lincoln, LN6 OSU

This firm advertises regularly for homeworkers and prospective

business entrepreneurs to make miniature cottages and

buildings. Self-employment and buy-back facility.

SANSYSTEM CRAFTS, Bromans Farm, Bromans Lane, East Mersea,

Essex, CO5 8UE

This firm advertises regularly for homeworkers to make chess

sets and model cottages. S.A.E for details.

CUDDLYCRAFT SUPPLIES, Bridestowe, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 4EN

Homeworkers required for soft toy assembly.

ARTS CRAFTS MOULD MANUFACTURERS, 109 Johnstone Street,

Blackburn, Lancs, BB2 1HY

Supplies catalogue of moulds of use to those starting in

business making chess sets, candles, figurines, etc.

JAMES AND JESSI SEATON, Goetre Farmhouse, Llanfynydd,

Carmarthen, Dyfed, SA32 7TT

Offers various home knitting and sewing projects.

JANE WHEELER, Corner House, Briston Road, Saxthorpe, Norwich,

NR11 7BS

Hand knitters regularly required.