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Card Making:
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You enjoy making cards so why not do it on a larger scale and earn a bit of extra money selling them!
- to friends and family
- local shops
- hairdressers, beauty salons - handmade cards can be a talking point
- places where a card compliments a sale, such as a florists, chocolate/gift shop
- garages and places you least expect a card to be (especially if men go there) for the impulse buy: 'oh great I need a card!
You will be surprised how effective 'word of mouth' is once you get going. Always put your details, tastefully, on the back of the card to promote yourself - if you make an engagement card for a friend, the bride-to-be may like your card so much that she contacts you to make her wedding invites...you never know!
Don't Stop at Handmade Cards...
1. Sell Blank Note Cards, Gift Packs
Make up some general cards, but leave off any greetings so that they can be used as notelets or any occassion cards.
Create beautifully packaged gift sets, sets of Thank You cards or blanks.
Party invitations, 'We Have Moved' sets...
Computer software will make the job of creating gift sets easier, as they can be produced in bulk and then embellished if need be.
There's no reason why you cannot scan one of your designs and keep printing on cards - and if you can draw or paint, even better as you can print off co-ordinated envelopes, letterhead etc! Of course, if you are not artistic, you could use royalty free clip art or public domain works on your cards.
2. Sell Card Bits and Kits
You don't have to stick to just making cards, you can also make money from:
- ready made toppers
- embellishments
- die cuts
- card kits that you put together and ship off
- decoupage sheets, tracing sheets, patterns etc that you have designed and printed off
- digital goods (papers, your clip art, patterns, printable card kits etc)
This way, you have a few markets to sell to:
- newbie card makers who want an easy introduction
- experienced card makers/scrapbookers who might need quick solutions
- mums looking for cheap and easy crafts for their kids, especially at holiday times and Christmas
One of the best places to sell crafty bits is eBay, as you have an eager market actively searching for good deals on craft supplies.
...Always try to think 'beyond' the obvious. Look at what everyone else is doing and go one step further!
