Posts Tagged ‘Crafts’
Places To Sell Handmade Crafts
October 8, 2011 | 
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When selling handmade crafts online, most people instantly think of etsy.com or artfire.com. Both are absolutely great places to set up an online handmade craft shop. But simply creating a shop won’t get your handmade crafts noticed by shoppers or the sales you want.
You must use effective marketing techniques that will drive targeted traffic to your shop. Sounds easy right! Well online marketing isn’t as easy as it may sounds. There are a variety of techniques, search engine optimization, link building, pay-per-click campaigns, social networking, email campaigns and the list goes on and on.
Some handmade artists believe that simply having a blog where they blog about their handmade crafts will get them noticed. And unfortunately blogging doesn’t always get you noticed either.
I actually takes a combination of all of the online marketing techniques above to get your online handmade craft shop noticed. These techniques also require a lot of time and some require a good deal of money. I know this because I manage the online marketing campaign for HandmadeCraftShow.com, an online virtual craft show that markets handmade artists and their online shops.
Using a variety of online marketing techniques we have been able to launch a very aggressive marketing campaign that has taken us to 0 to 17,000 unique visitors per month. As the popularity of our site grows we are expecting that number to soon double and then triple.
HandmadeCraftShow.com has one main focus and that is to market handmade crafts. Our unique setup is different from other virtual craft shows and handmade artists and buyers have taken noticed. New handmade artists are always adding their online shops because they understand that this is the easiest and most affordable way to market their online shops.
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | 
Tags: Aggressive Marketing, Campaigns, Craft Shop, Craft Shows, Crafts, Crafts Online, Day Job, Effective Marketing, Handmade, Handmade Artists, Handmade Craft, Handmade Crafts, Marketing Campaign, Marketing Techniques, Pay Per Click, Places, Search Engine Optimization, Sell, Sell Crafts, Selling Crafts, Shoppers, Social Networking, Unique Visitors, Virtual Craft Show | 
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Shopping For Handmade Crafts Online Made Easy
It is not always easy to find exquisitely made handmade crafts online. HandmadeCraftShow.com, an online virtual craft show, makes it very easy to find some of the most amazing handmade crafts you will ever see online.
HandmadeCraftShow.com hand picks handmade artists and their crafts to display in the online craft show. It has a very easy layout so that one click on a handmade craft takes you directly to the handmade artist online shop, where you can then purchase the handmade crafts of your choosing.
This is the newest way to shop for handmade crafts online and both handmade buyers and handmade artists love it. HandmadeCraftshow.com is always adding new and trendy handmade crafts. They range from handmade jewelry to handmade home décor to handmade clothes to handmade bath and body products and more. We even have handmade toys! Talk about variety. We offer just about everything you can think of, including handmade treats for man’s best friend. That’s right we even have tasty homemade doggie treats.
The talented handmade artists, listed in our online handmade craft catalog, have priced their handmade items to sale. Handmade buyers always get the absolute best price when they purchase a handmade craft item from one of the artists listed on HandmadeCraftShow.com
If you love shopping handmade crafts online then I encourage you to visit the online handmade virtual craft show, HandmadeCraftShow.com. Every time you visit I am sure that you will find a few handmade craft items that you will enjoy. So come shop. We are always open!
Welcome to the Witching Hour. Starring Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, Rachel True, and Fairuza Balk.
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | Tags: Bath And Body, Bath And Body Products, Best Friend, Craft Catalog, Craft Items, Crafts, Crafts Online, Doggie, Easy, Fairuza Balk, Handmade, Handmade Artist, Handmade Artists, Handmade Bath And Body, Handmade Clothes, Handmade Craft, Handmade Crafts, Handmade Jewelry, Handmade Toys, Made, Neve Campbell, Online, Robin Tunney, Shopping, Virtual Craft Show, Witching Hour | No Comments »
Marketing Crafts Online 2 Easy Ways
There are several ways that you can market your crafts online. So it may be hard to decide which one will be the right one for marketing crafts online. But here are 3 easy ways for marketing your crafts and it will cost you just a little time or just a few cents a day.
Twitter.com
By now you should have heard about Twitter unless you have been living under a rock. Twitter.com is a site that allows people to post what they are up to any time they have inkling. Many handmade artists have started to use Twitter.com as a way for marketing crafts online. Twitter is 100% free, but it does take up a bit of time. You see the key to getting the word out about your craft is to get followers. And even then you have to target the right followers. Many handmade artists find that it takes a considerable amount of time getting enough followers to make a difference in the amount of traffic they get to their online shop. Yet there have been some handmade artists to get over 2,000 plus followers and as a result have seen a rise in the amount of traffic to their sites.
HandmadeCraftShow.com
HandmadeCraftShow.com is an online virtual craft show that showcases the crafts of handmade artists using virtual craft show booths. Handmade artists are able to display up to 5 pictures of their crafts. Each virtual craft show booth also allows for a shop name, url, description, specialty items, price range, and twitter link. Each booth links directly to the handmade artist online shop. Shoppers love this because it allows them to buy handmade crafts directly from the artists. Handmade artists can keep their prices down and pass the savings on to their buyers.
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | Tags: Amount Of Time, Buy Crafts, Craft Articles, Craft Show Booths, Crafts, Crafts Online, Easy, Easy Crafts, Followers, Handmade Artist, Handmade Artists, Handmade Crafts, Inkling, Little Time, Marketing, Marketing Online, Online, Online Love, Several Ways, Shoppers, Showcases, Specialty Items, Twitter, Virtual Craft Show, Ways | No Comments »
Internet Marketing Strategy: Turn Your Arts, Crafts & Hobbies Passion Into Profits!
Do you have a collection of picture post cards that you’d like to trade and sell? How about needlework designs and supplies that you can offer to people? Do you make craft goods that you sell on the side? Are you an expert at ice fishing? You can turn all of these pursuits into online businesses that not only pay for your hobby’s expenses, but also can actually replace a full time income from a regular job. There’s no guarantee you can do so, but if you never try, there’s a 100% guarantee you’ll never know!
One of the fastest growing home business opportunities on the Internet is taking a hobby and turning it into a business. With the low cost of making and hosting a Web site, just about any hobbyist, craftsperson or collector can enter a marketplace that reaches around the world! Best of all, if you target the right niche, you’ll attract buyers ready to spend money on your goods without a great deal of “hard selling”.
Take the time to search around online and find other people doing what you want to do. Use your common sense and figure out if these folks are just sharing information, or making a profit from their pursuit. You’ll want to base your business on those who are selling successfully. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel and NEVER try to sell something that isn’t already selling. You may have a great product, but if people aren’t already buying something like it, you may never make a sale yourself!
Making the switch from hobby to business takes some planning and advice from professionals, but it can be done very inexpensively and quickly. You’ll need to check your local regulations regarding home businesses, collecting sales tax, opening a business bank account, etc. Have no fear – these steps are relatively easy and don’t require a degree in business administration.
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | Tags: Arts, Arts Crafts, business bank account, Common Sense, Craft Goods, Crafts, Crafts Hobbies, creating a business plan, Degree In Business Administration, Full Time, Hobbies, home business opportunities, Home Businesses, Hosting A Web Site, Internet, Internet Marketing Strategy, into, Marketing, needlework designs, Niche, Opening A Business, opening a business bank account, Passion, Post Cards, Profits, Sales Tax, Strategy, Time Income, Turn | No Comments »
Turn Your Arts & Crafts Hobby Into A Money Making Business!
Many folks all over America, both men and women, who make things by hand, such as clothing, cards and scrapbooks, jewelry, art work, handbags, and so much more, are selling their “works of art” online, via the internet! Some of these folks have their own website of art and crafts. Some of the people used to sell their art at local venues, such as a bazaar at their church or club, or even in a neighborhood art show, and through word-of-mouth advertising, they gained quite a reputation. Word of mouth is such a powerful thing; when a friend tells a friend, who turns around and tells another friend, and so forth! So, because of their popularity, and probably the quality of their goods, they decided to try selling online.
Now some folks don’t want the expense of their own website, but they would like to somehow sell their items online, and there are ways to do this at a very low cost. You don’t have to have your own website if you don’t want to; you can actually sell your crafts through some other bigger site, where many people gather, to buy and sell anything that is handmade! There is this wonderful website called Etsy, and you can actually enter through my listing:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7721158 where you will see my profile, and if you decide to join, please tell them I sent you! By the way, my name is Father Time, and although I do have my own website, I know the importance of selling through other venues as well.
I am a writer and one of the things that I write is greeting card verses, and I have compiled an e-book of verses that hobbyists can use inside their own handmade cards. My e-book is listed for sale on that site, listed above, and they have thousands of other great items made by people everywhere!
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | Tags: art and crafts, Art Crafts, Art Show, Art Work, Arts, Arts Crafts, Bazaar, business, Crafts, E Book, father time, greeting card verses, Handbags, handmade cards, hobby, Hobbyists, into, jewelry art, Making, Money, neighborhood art, Own Website, Powerful Thing, Thirty Years, Turn, Word Of Mouth, Word Of Mouth Advertising, Works Of Art | No Comments »
How To Enjoy Arts And Crafts Hobbies Safely
We turn to our hobbies to relax and to escape life’s many stresses. Thus, it’s ironic to learn that our source of comfort can also be a source of danger. Like many activities that are relaxing and therapeutic on the surface, arts and crafts carry their own dangers.
Too often, toxic materials are included in art supplies. For instance, a Canadian art student fell down a stairway after he accidentally inhaled vapors from a freshly opened bottle of turpentine.
Before You Start
* Read the label. Be sure it states conformity to ASTM D-4236, the labeling standard of ASTM International.
* If the label does not satisfy you, or if you intend to use a product in ways other than normal uses, contact the manufacturer for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).
* For information on specific products, contact Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety (ACTS) at (212) 777-0062, or their website.
* Do not use products past their expiration date.
* Use all protective equipment specified on the label. Use a mask or gloves that are impermeable to whatever product you are using. Protect cuts or open wounds from exposure.
* Install a ventilation system that removes old air and brings in new air. To test, blow soap bubbles. If they fall to the ground, the system isn’t working.
* Be sure you have good lighting and comfortable seating. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
The Creative Process
* Do not eat, drink, smoke or apply cosmetics in your work area.
* Take breaks and stretches often.
* Never use products for skin painting or food preparation unless they are labeled for that use.
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | Tags: Art Materials, Art Student, Arts, arts and crafts, Arts Crafts, Canadian Art, Crafts, Enjoy, Face Mask, Fire Extinguisher, Good Lighting, Hobbies, Impermeable, material safety data, material safety data sheets, Open Wounds, Safely, safety data sheets, soap bubbles, Specific Products, theater safety, Toxic Materials, Turpentine, Vapors, Ventilation System | No Comments »
Selling Crafts Online
If you are not selling your crafts online then you are missing out on sales. Now before I go any further let me dispel the myth “If I open up an online shop they will come”. Nope, this is absolutely not the case. Opening up an online shop on Etsy.com or Artfire.com is just the first step. The next step is marketing your online shop and attracting shoppers.
If you are new to selling crafts online let alone marketing crafts online then you might find yourself in over your head. Well opening up an online shop on Etsy.com and Artfire.com is very easy and each site has tons and tons of helpful blogs and articles about how add your handmade creations to your store. So to learn more about selling on Etsy.com or selling Artfire.com visit each site.
After you have opened up your shop and all of your craft photos are nice and pretty your craft descriptions are accurate and compelling, it is time to get started with an online marketing campaign. I strongly recommend starting with the basics of online marketing i.e. blogging, banner advertising on project wonderful, article writing, social networking etc.
Now if you are feeling overwhelmed with online marketing there is a solution, virtual craft shows, like HandmadeCraftShow.com. Virtual craft shows are very similar to regular craft shows with a few differences, one being the fee to participate. HandmadeCraftShow.com offers handmade artists a chance to display their crafts without breaking their online marketing budget.
HandmadeCraftShow.com’s team of online marketing experts promotes handmade artists all around the web i.e. facebook.com, twitter.com, classified ads, google.com and more. If you need traffic to your online craft shop then I recommend you give them a try.
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | Tags: Banner Advertising, Blogs, Craft Photos, Craft Shop, Crafts, Crafts Online, Few Differences, Google, Handmade Artists, Handmade Creations, Marketing Budget, Marketing Campaign, Marketing Online, Myth, Online, Online Marketing, Selling, Selling Crafts, Selling Your Crafts, Shoppers, Social Networking, Twitter, Virtual Craft | No Comments »
Custom Closets for Organizing Crafts, Hobbies, and Projects!
Anyone who enjoys crafts or hobbies knows the frustration of having to dig through everything to find what you need only to have to fight for a spot to work after the search. Many people stuff all of their items into a traditional closet and find it hard to use because they can’t see what they have. Custom closets designed specifically for your craft is exactly what you need. Everything is kept neat and tidy while still allowing you to see exactly what you have so there is more time to be creative and less time spent hunting.
Divided Shelving
Laminate sheets, paper, bristol board, wood, and many other items are difficult to store because of their size and shape. You want to be able to see the types and colors you have, but they need to be protected so they don’t get bent or ruined. Divided cupboards in custom closes are the perfect solution. Vertical is best for larger sheets. A sliding door works to hide these cabinets when you aren’t using them.
Horizontal shelving is ideal for scrapbooking papers, stickers, and other small items. If you are concerned about having them fall out, consider having them installed at a thirty-degree angle and use shallow wire baskets. These are also great for yarns and other oddly shaped items.
Drawers
Smaller items such as pens, pencils, paints, and paintbrushes as well as supplies often pose a challenge for organizational systems. Having a series of small drawers is helpful for these kinds of items. You can fill them with spools, wooden shapes, die cuts and other items and keep everything separated. When you are ready to use them, you can pull the entire drawer out. For larger drawers, be sure to have moveable dividers.
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | Tags: bristol board, Closets, Containers, Countertop, Crafts, Crafts Hobbies, Cupboards, Custom, custom closets, Degree Angle, Drawers, Frustration, Hobbies, Laminate Sheets, Many Other Items, Organizing, Paintbrushes, Paints, pens pencils, Perfect Solution, Projects, Scrapbooking Papers, Sliding Door, wire baskets, wooden shapes, Yarns | No Comments »
Keeping Your Arts and Crafts Hobby Alive In These Tough Economic Times
Painting, sewing, knitting, creating… the creative impulse has its definite rewards! The act of making something new and original is both stimulating for the mind and nourishing for the spirit, even when times are bad. Especially when times are bad! The current economic climate has millions of American making sacrifices, and the temptation for many is to abstain from their arts and crafts diversion as a way of saving money. In truth, art supplies and materials are some of the most cost-effective entertainment options available.
A price comparison shows arts and crafts’ true value.
Consider the time spent going to dinner and a movie, one night a week. The dinner can cost anywhere from ten to thirty dollars, the movie ten to fifteen – combined with the cost of gas driving around placed on top! That’s as much as forty-five dollars for a single evening’s entertainment, not counting gasoline. Think of the supplies that forty-five dollars would buy, how much paint, brushes, or other supplies. They’ll last much longer than the three or fours of the dinner and a movie, and can be used again and again in the future.
How to save money on arts and crafts supplies
Actually, saving money on arts and crafts supplies isn’t that much different from saving money at grocery and department stores. Many of the larger arts and crafts chains, such as Michael’s and A.C. Moore, hold sweeping end of season and clearance sales several times a year. Several of these chains also feature online coupons sent to your email each week. These coupons can easily add up in savings, especially if you can make one trip per week to the store itself. For example, one recent coupon offered forty percent off any single item in the store. Such a coupon can go a long way in buying a new airbrush kit, paint rack, or collection of paints. You can also save money by buying brushes, paints and similar supplies by buying them in bulk. Many stores offer beginner’s kits of such supplies that are the same product bundled together. Beadworking and knitting enthusiasts can often similarly find many such deals, especially during clearance specials.
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | Tags: Airbrush, Alive, Art Supplies, Arts, arts and crafts, Arts And Crafts Supplies, C Moore, Clearance Sales, Crafts, creative impulse, Department Stores, Economic, economic climate, Economic Times, Entertainment Options, Five Dollars, Gasoline, hobby, How To Save Money, Keeping, paint brushes, Paints, s entertainment, Sacrifices, Saving Money, These, Times, Tough, True Value | No Comments »
Beads Arts And Crafts Hobby – 10 Good Tips And Guidelines
Are you into beads arts and crafts? If so, you have chosen to read the perfect article! Because we will be giving you a good stock of tips and guidelines that will help you enjoy bead-making even more. In short, we will introduce you to a fun and easy way of getting into beads arts and crafts. We will also give you reasons to keep your stress in check, especially concerning this favorable activity!
Tip #1: Spilling beads is a common problem for the fans of this crafts. To avoid that kind of disturbance, make sure that you have a special work surface set up. One with low tips so you prevent the beads from spilling onto the floor is a good choice.
Tip #2: If you are after quality, always make use of jeweler’s glues. Super glues or any other kind besides those just don’t do the work.
Tip #3: Invest on your tools. To be able to have a wonderful time with your beads arts and crafts, you need to have the right materials. Metal nail files for snapping sharp wire ends, a bead spinner that will make stringing seed beads an easier task, durable needles for your sewing, and high quality threads are good items to start.
Tip #4: Always have allowances in your thread to avoid tangles. A four-feet thread to be used on a bead necklace should do the trick.
Tip #5: Always buy a few extra beads more than you think you need for a specific project. It is so much hassle to lack one and need to wait for a period of time for your order when you are already almost at the finish line.
Tip #6: To make your threads even stronger, dip it in beeswax. That should give it extra strength.
Posted in Crafts Hobbies | Tags: Arts, arts and crafts, Bead Necklace, bead spinner, Beads, Beeswax, Color Thread, Crafts, Extra Strength, Finish Line, Four Feet, Good, Good Stock, Guidelines, hobby, Line Tip, Nail Files, permanent marker, quality threads, seed beads, Specific Project, stringing beads, Super Glues, Tip 8, Tips, Trick Tip, Work Surface | No Comments »