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How to Write Descriptions That Sell Your Craft Products

Write Descriptions to Sell Craft Products

When your sell craft products online, aside from your photos, your product descriptions are the single most important element of marketing your wares. The words you use to describe your handmade items absolutely have an impact on who buys, what you can charge and how much you sell.

As a craft business owner for more than four years, I have learned a lot of things about describing my products that have really aided me in selling my items. Here are some tried and true tips that I thought I’d share with you to help you sell more of your handmade products.

1. Learn to write well.

Well written descriptions are very important to selling your products. And you don’t have to be Shakespeare to write well. You simply need to learn the rules of grammar. Polish your writing skills so that your descriptions will be clean, correct and appealing. No one wants to read a description that’s riddled with errors.

If it’s been a while since you brushed up on your grammar skills, why not take a refresher English course at a local college? Alternatively, for free, you can use online games and quizzes to help you brush up on your writing skills.

Reading good books will also help you improve your writing skills. Fill your head with good writing and it will shine through in your own descriptions. Just remember not to plagiarise! Be inspired but don’t copy.

The important thing to remember is that poorly written descriptions will likely discourage a customer from buying, while well written descriptions will sell products.

2. Be precise in your descriptions.

Say exactly what you have for sale. Tell potential buyers what you are selling, what it’s used for and what size, shape and color it is. Aside from photos, the description is the only way people will know for sure what they are getting.

If the item is more than one color, specify this. If customers can choose other colors or patterns that are not in the photographs, make sure that you use your written description to tell them that these options are available. Don’t leave anything up for guess work. Customers don’t like to guess what they are buying.

3. Be poetic in your descriptions.

Use rich imagery in your words to capture the beauty of your products. Don’t fill the space with purple prose but do use creative language to paint a picture.

For instance, instead of saying your item is ‘red,’ think about what shade it is. Is it cardinal red or raspberry red? There are so many options for describing colors. You can look up color charts online to find tons of ways to describe every shade of the rainbow. .

Talk about the patterns and the textures of your items poetically. How does the item feel to the touch? If it’s a wearable item, is it comfortable? What kind of emotions does the item evoke? Be creative and think about all the different ways that you can describe your item and how it will make the buyer feel.

4. Describe your artistic process.

Tell potential buyers how you make your items. Obviously you don’t want to tell them exactly what you do, step by step, because other people might start copying your methods and producing the same products. But you can give a basic overview of how your products are made to encourage buyers to appreciate the work and thought that goes into each handmade item.

Talk about the materials you use for your handmade products. Where do they come from and how are they made? Are your materials recycled or eco friendly in any other way? Were they produced or purchased in your own country? Buyers often like to know these things when making decisions about what products to choose.

5. Make your products irresistible.

This is the fun part for me. I love talking about why I love my handmade items and why other people should love them too. To make your products irresistible to buyers, you need to be proud of them and not afraid to say so. Your self confidence will pay off.

If you make cute items, like miniatures or plush toys, play on the cute factor. Sometimes I do mock interviews with my amigurumi animals as this method seems to really tug at the heart strings. You could also talk about how your plush toy dog really needs a good home, or how a pair of mittens desperately wants to be paired with some friendly hands.

Be creative and have fun. If you’re having fun, it will shine through in your writing which can make your products even more irresistible.

6. Don’t say more than you need to.

While being creative and poetic in your descriptions is great, you also don’t want to be too wordy. If there are long paragraphs of heavy text to weed through, potential buyers may get bogged down and decide it’s not worth reading.

Be concise; say everything you need to in as few words as possible. Keep your paragraphs short because it makes them easier to read on the computer screen.

If you are afraid that you haven’t said enough, make sure to be clear that customers can contact you with any questions or concerns.

7. Edit and proofread your descriptions.

Always look over your descriptions at least once before you make them public. Twice is better. It’s so easy to make typos and grammatical errors, especially when you’ve been writing in a hurry. If you’re stressed and overworked, you’re more likely to make mistakes.

If you can, have a second person proofread your descriptions too. Sometimes a second pair of eyes can help you find errors you missed the first time.

In conclusion, remember that the more positive you sound about your own products, the more positive a customer will feel. Have fun, be creative and write well. Put in the work beforehand and your words will sell your products for you.

How to Make Crochet Products That Actually Sell

Make Money With Crochet

Crocheting has become immensely popular lately. While it has been around for a few hundred years, it seemed to go out of vogue for a while after it hit its peak in the 1960’s and 70’s. But now it’s back and everyone seems to be doing it.

If you’re a craft business owner and you want to sell your crochet products, you’re probably already aware that there’s a lot of competition out there. A lot of people are making similar products, even from the same patterns much of the time.  How do you make crochet products that actually sell?

There’s a definite need for crocheters to create unique products that no one else has. And yet, this can be hard to accomplish because these products also need to be desirable and attractive. Just because something is unique doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to sell.

As a seasoned crocheter and craft business owner, over the years I’ve discovered some tried and true ways to create crochet products that will actually sell. Here are some of my tips. I hope they help you increase your sales.

1. Use modern patterns.

Modern patterns are ideal if you want to create crochet products that will actually sell. Modern patterns are readily available and you don’t have to break the bank to buy a few good ones.

You have probably noticed a trend in crochet lately–there are a lot more books of patterns being published, as well as crochet magazines coming out, than there were 15 to 20 years ago. You can also find a lot of great patterns in PDF form for sale online. Ravelry is a great place to look. Or, for free patterns, try visiting your local library.

“What’s wrong with vintage patterns?” you might ask. After all, isn’t vintage in style right now? Well, some vintage patterns are great, yes. But others will produce a range of tacky, outdated products that no one really wants.

When considering a vintage pattern, ask yourself if you would personally use or buy the item you are thinking of making. Would you feel good about giving it as a gift? Do you think someone you know would actually use it or like it? If you can’t answer yes to any of these questions, ditch the vintage pattern and go modern for sure.

If you’re at all inclined, you can also learn to write your own patterns. This will naturally ensure that you have products that are completely unique.

2. Create desirable products.

Creating desirable products goes hand-in-hand with the use of modern patterns. Modern crochet books and magazines will give you ideas for things that people actually want.

There’s no point in trying to sell things that no one is interested in buying, like those dish soap cover ‘dolls’ that were everywhere in the 1970’s. I’ve seen a lot of those at craft fairs over the years but I’ve never actually seen one in use in someone’s home. That’s pretty telling.

So, what are desirable products? Some of the best selling items for crochet are wearable items, useful items and cute items.

Wearable items can be anything from hair accessories and jewelry to sweaters and hats and scarves. Choose modern patterns to create fashionable, trendy items that people will love to wear. You can even get ideas for your own patterns by browsing catalogs and fashion magazines.

Useful crochet items include things like purses, shopping bags, bathroom rugs, dish clothes and towels, baby blankets, sofa cushions and anything else that can be crocheted and that people will actually use and enjoy in daily life.

Cute things are very salable right now too. Blame the sub culture of Japanese Amigurumi dolls if you like but the time is definitely ripe for the sale of anything adorable. Search any handmade marketplace, such as Etsy or ArtFire, and you’ll find thousands upon thousands of cute crochet toys and dolls for sale.

Yes, there’s a lot of competition: but they do sell. And with crochet narwhals, zombie bunnies and Lovecraft’s cthulhu out there, it seems like the weirder the better. Make your cute items doubly salable by making them useful or wearable.

3. Create high quality, attractive products.

It may seem like a no-brainer that your products should be high quality. However, even if you’ve been crocheting for years, as I have, you may be surprised by how much you don’t know. When I first learned, for instance, Youtube didn’t exist, so if I didn’t know how to do something, sometimes I just fudged it.

If you want to sell your crochet products, you absolutely cannot fudge. Respect yourself and the handmade industry enough to dedicate the time and effort needed to each product to ensure that it’s of the highest quality you have to offer. Spend that extra bit of time to learn the right way of doing things.

Making your products attractive is also important. The difficulty here lies in the fact that everyone has different tastes and personalities, so the popularity of certain colors and patterns is not always something you can predict. However, there are a few rules of thumb to follow that should help.

Work with color schemes. Use colors that go well together and either match or contrast. If you don’t feel comfortable making color choices, ask some fellow crocheters to help you decide. You can also use a color wheel to determine contrasting colors, or look up color families and schemes in art books. You can also choose color themes based on existing products you have seen and liked. Nature is also a great inspiration for attractive color schemes that don’t clash.

4. Refuse the temptation to copy.

Everyone starts off their crochet business meaning well. We all have plans to sell great, unique products that will fly off the shelves. But what happens if you see an idea someone else has made that is selling really well? After all, you know you can make the exact same thing, so why not go for it?

There’s a fine line between inspiration and stealing someone’s idea. However, I can guarantee you that if you cross that line, you will get called out. If you want to maintain a good reputation in the handmade world, do yourself a favor and only sell your own, unique ideas or work from copyright free patterns. This way, no one can question your ethics and you can always be proud of your work.

These are some of the things you can do to ensure that you create crochet products that will actually sell. The main things to remember are that you want your products to be modern, desirable, high quality and unique.

How To Become A Walking Advertisement For Your Craft Business

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“I like your shirt. Where did you get it?”

We’ve all heard something like this before. It’s nice to have someone admire something we’re wearing that we made with our own hands. It makes us feel good about ourselves. But have you thought about how your answer to this question is an advertisement for that company?

Big brand names know that when a customer wears their products he is a walking advertisement wherever he goes. That’s one of the reasons why so many clothing brands like to display their logos so prominently; they don’t want there to be any question about where that item of clothing was purchased.

But why should the big brands be the only ones with walking advertisements for their products? It’s really easy to take this principle to heart when it comes to your craft business too. And you don’t have to emblazon really big brand names or logos across your products to make this work. All you need are unique, wearable products that will turn heads.

Here are some tips on becoming a walking advertisement for your craft business. Who says the little guys can’t do big business too?

1. Wear your wares proudly. 

If you make handmade jewelry, accessories, or clothing, you can very easily get a lot of attention for your business by wearing one or more of your finished products everywhere you go. Wear what you’re the most proud of and people will want to know more.

Wear your most colorful and creative designs. An unusual pair of earrings makes a great conversation starter. A hat or scarf with a unique pattern or color scheme will often make people ask where you shop.

Even if you don’t regularly make wearable products you can still take advantage of this. If you make miniatures, make a few of them into earrings you can wear to social engagements. If you crochet blankets, make a few headbands to wear when you go shopping. In this way, you’ll get people noticing your work and talking about it.

2. Become a sandwich board. 

If you don’t want to make any wearable products, you can get your business name and logo printed on a T-shirt. This way, everywhere you go you will still have the opportunity to talk to people about what you do for a living.

Make use of both sides of the shirt. You can put your Web site or E-mail address on the back, as well as information about what you make, so that even when you are standing in a line or waiting to be served at a restaurant, people will notice your business.

You can also have promotional pin back buttons made to wear on your jacket or bag. These are also great freebies to give to people you meet. (See more about freebies in tip 3.)

3. Be a marketing pro.

You should have business cards or fliers on you at all times. It’s perfectly natural for people to talk about what they do for work, so there should be no exception for those who are self employed.

You should put a card in the hand of almost everyone you meet. When you visit a boutique and you chat to the owner about a common interest, give her your card. When you visit the post office to mail your orders, tell the postmaster what you do and give him a card.

Learn to talk to strangers. Talk to people at bus stops, in lines at the grocery store, while in the doctor’s waiting room or when picking up your child from school. A lot of people are lonely and grateful to have someone to talk to. Even if you don’t end up talking about crafts or business, you can still give a card to anyone who will take one.

Giving out freebies is another great way to market like a pro. Discount coupons for your online shop and sample products are ideal. If someone shows particular interest in something you have made, offer them a freebie and encourage them to visit your Web site when you give them your card.

4. Give your products with love. 

Whenever you need a gift for someone, whatever the occasion, give your own products. If your items are well made, desirable products then people will be more than pleased to receive them for baby showers, birthdays, weddings and more.

Of course you should still put thought into your gifts, making them personal for each individual. Choose colors you know the recipient likes, ask them what their favorite animal is so that you can incorporate it in the gift, or ask them what kind of earrings they want so that you can custom make a pair to their taste.

When your gifts are finished and ready to wrap, consider making gift labels for them with your business name and information. A handmade gift should not have a price on it, just as you would not leave a price on a store bought gift, but there’s no harm in letting your recipient know that you do this kind of thing professionally and are open for orders.

5. Leave a footprint. 

Guerrilla marketing is very popular these days. A few of the many ways people have done this on a small scale include: leaving a branded sticker on a telephone pole, a business card left on a table in a restaurant, or even painted graffiti on a wall.

Or, why not get a little crazy and try yarn bombing? Leave a handmade scarf tied around a tree or a hat on a fire hydrant. You can also leave an envelope somewhere marked “for whoever finds this” and put a free pair of pretty earrings or a cute key ring inside. Put your business name on the product if you dare.

But you don’t have to use drastic guerrilla tactics like this to leave a footprint. For something a little less cloak-and-dagger, carry your business cards with you and tack them to bulletin boards in stores, doctor’s offices, or any other place where you are welcomed to do this. Many companies are happy to help promote small businesses.

I hope these tips have helped you to see new ways of marketing your craft business. The main thing to remember when you want to be a walking advertisement is that you should be excited about what you do. If you’re excited, you’ll get other people excited too.

10 Clever & Quirky Projects to Make This Week!

What a great week at the Inspiration Gallery!  I LOVED having Miss NellieBellie as a co-host!  She had some fun and picked out her favorite projects from this week–fun right?!  Are you ready for some Clever and Quirky Projects to make this week?!  I am!

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So…10 clever crafts to make this week!

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Origami Fish Art from Architecture of a Mom

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Repurposed Planter Succulent Centerpiece from Making Home Base

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Sheet Music Sailboats from Confessions of a Plate Addict

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Kid’s Mustache Cups from That’s What Che Said

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Toilet Paper Birdhouses from Sew-Crafty Kids

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DIY Cake Plate from Atop Serenity Hill

Not exactly a craft. But oh my gosh….

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Blueberry Mojito Popsicles from Twigg Studios

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DIY Straw Sparkler from Hubby Made Me

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Beach Inspired Mason Jar from A Pumpkin and a Princess

Wonderful and clever right?!  Now be sure to head over to  NellieBellie for some more AMAZING inspiration!!

Fabulous Furniture Makeovers!

Happy Weekend Sweet Friends!

I hope you are all having a wonderful one!  I am SO in love with all of your furniture makeovers from this weeks Inspiration Gallery Link Party!   You guys are SO talented!

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 Garage sale makeover by Dirt Stains and Paint

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 French Drum table makeover by Dirt Stains and Paint

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Wood plank chair makeover by Liz Marie

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Furniture rehab by Glamorous, Affordable Life

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Refinished dresser by Denise on a whim

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Dresser turned media center by Love, pomegranate house

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Mini kitchen rolling rolling cart by Now at Home Mom

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Nursery Printables

I love printables with sweet words.  And when it comes to sweet words and quotes, there have been a few that I have been really wanting to incorporate into my little gals nursery.  And so naturally I did what any crafty gal would do, I made a few printables.

I have to admit, my nursery progress is on hold right now because we are renovating our entire upstairs and kitchen.  In reality I may not have a nursery for some time, and most likely not before the little gal arrives.  But I have come to terms with that and I am on to doing small projects that I CAN do right now.  Printables are little, but at least I can say I am kind of sort of accomplishing something right?!

I am not sure if these are the final version, but I thought I would share them with you and see what you think!

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You are more than welcome to use these printables if you like them!  All you need to do is right-click the image and save to your computer.  Then you can print away!

 

They may even make cute cards if you printed them on smaller paper… hummm, I should really start making… can you believe that I bought 4 cards from Hallmark the other day and it costed over $20.00 ?!  The crafty gal in me is thinking that is printables for cards sound great!  BUT I do love Hallmark–have I ever admitted on here that I worked at a Hallmark in high school?  I loved it!  Any other ex-Hallmark employees out there?!

10 Inspiring DIY Projects!

Happy happy weekend sweet friends!  I hope you are enjoying sunshine where ever you are!  We are finally seeing sun here in Wisconsin, and I am going to be soaking it up!

There were so many amazing DIY projects linked up to the Inspiration Gallery link party this week! Here are a few of our favorites.

10 DIY Projects

 

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French Nesting Table Makeover by Dirt Stains and Paint

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Desk Makeover by Painted Therapy

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Upcycled Table Project by Vintage Mellie

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Bathroom Reveal by Citruz Design

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Twig Sunburst Wreath by Wood Grain Cottage

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DIY Garden Gate by Confessions of a DIYer

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Plaid Dresser Makeover by Sunflower Hugs

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Pottery Barn Knock Off Table by Wood Grain Cottage

 

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DIY Towel Rack by My Fabuless Life

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Wood Planked Headboard by Boxy Colonial

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Anthropologie Knock Off Bracelets by Made In A Daytaryn's

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Picture Frame Pin Cushion by Low Grows Wildjaime's

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Nursery Reveal by Lacquer and Linen

Inspiration Gallery

Happy Thursday aka Link Party day!  I can’t wait to see what each of you has been up to this week!

So, let’s get Inspiring!

As always, there are 3 hosts for this party, and when you link up at one of our blogs your post will be visible at each hosts blog!!!

But before we get to sharing your projects, lets see what the party hosts have been up to this week, starting here at Crafty Scrappy Happy!

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This week here at Crafty Scrappy Happy I shared my chair makeover--seriously I LOVE that paint color!   I am also hosting a giveaway that gives YOU a chance to WIN paint of your own this week, check it out here!  And finally I shared a super simple nautical inspired canvas!

Connect Me Via: Scrappy, Crafty, Happy, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Google

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This week Taryn shared her super sweet Easter Vignette, a cute Burlap Bouquet and she also shared more details on the Pink Train Party that she had for her little two year old!

Connect with Taryn Via: Design, Dining + Diapers, Facebook, Pinterest & Twitter

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Lucy shared a beautiful Pansies Watercolor which of course I am in love with and her Spring Wreathwhich is SO cute!

Connect with Lucy Via: Craftberry Bush, Facebook & Pintrest

I know I say this every week, but I am SO blessed to work with such talented girls. Seriously, could their weekly projects be more amazing??!!

And now that we have shared our blog adventures for the week, it is your turn!

 

Projects That Inspire

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Yes, these are just the kind of projects I LOVE to look at and drool over!  The inspiring kind from this weeks Inspiration Gallery!

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Grain sack room – Design Dreams by Anne

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 Newly upholstered sofa – The Chronicles of home

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Spoon & Pallet hook rack – The wood grain cottage

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New Dining Table – Wannabe domestic diva

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Painted flower pots -Making home base 

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Hutch makeover – Homework

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Faux trophy wall – eat.sleep.MAKE

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Stencilled curtains – Andrea + Kris + our chaos

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New Locker baskets turned vintage – it all started with paint

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Little girl nursery roundup -Shoes off please 

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Flowering branches tutorial – an Extraordinary day 

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DIY Nautical Watercolor Canvas

Watercolor painting… I love it, its fun, its imperfect and so nautical looking.  I had such a nice time sitting down and creating this simple DIY nautical watercolor canvas!

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DIY Nautical Canvas

I think it fits right in with my be achy decor.

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Now if only that lake in the background of this picture would turn back into water!  It is about 1/4 water and 3/4 ice right now, the spring and my lake are slowly coming!!  I think my spring and beach-y crafting is true proof that I am SO ready for this summer!

It was a simple DIY, but if you are wondering how, here are the details!

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I measured out my stripes with painters tape and then I used watercolor paint to make the stripes.  I then added the quote with letter stickers.

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What do you think, are you as ready for summer as I am?  I am SO excited for warm weather!  Maybe knowing it is coming is what helping me get through these final few 30 degree days we have left here in Wisconsin.

I am sharing my canvas at a few of my favorite parties, you can check them out here!

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Tips for starting your business

  • What Licenses Do Crafters Need to Sell at Craft Shows?
  • How to Start a Craft Business
  • How Much Money Can You Make with a Craft Business?
  • How To Market a Craft Business
  • Where To Sell Your Craft Products
  • What You Need to Know to Start a Craft Business
  • Starting a Craft Business: Partner Up Or Go It Alone?
  • How To Make Craft Products That Stand Out From The Crowd
  • How to Take High Quality Photos That Will Sell Your Crafts
  • Costs to Start a Craft Business
  • How to Write Descriptions That Sell Your Craft Products
  • How to Make Crochet Products That Actually Sell

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