cheap crafts to sell

[Malibustyle23]

I like everyone need cash so I figured start making something nifty that I could sell at all these upcoming holiday bazaars. But what?

I researched uses for all of my leftover baby food jars and found mini snowglobes and single serve cocoa mix gift ideas. I can definitely do those.

Any other ideas? I have no supplies already and am not all that handy so easy and cheap would be great. What would/do you buy at craft fairs,etc?

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I spy bags
http://rosie-baby-crafty.blogspot.com/2007/08/i-spy-bags.html
I bought 2 yards of cheap fleece and got 5 sacks out of it. A 10 pound bag of rice was 8 dollars and I got a ton of erasers at dollar tree and had left over after my 5 were done. Oh and the vinyl I used was $3 a yard at walmart and I got 1 yard and made 5 with leftover.

 

[Malibustyle23]

I spy bags
http://rosie-baby-crafty.blogspot.com/2007/08/i-spy-bags.html
I bought 2 yards of cheap fleece and got 5 sacks out of it. A 10 pound bag of rice was 8 dollars and I got a ton of erasers at dollar tree and had left over after my 5 were done. Oh and the vinyl I used was $3 a yard at walmart and I got 1 yard and made 5 with leftover.

That is cute. I think I may pull my sewing machine back out for that one. Have you sold these? How much would or did you ask for them?

 

[WildGrits]

I spy bags
http://rosie-baby-crafty.blogspot.com/2007/08/i-spy-bags.html
I bought 2 yards of cheap fleece and got 5 sacks out of it. A 10 pound bag of rice was 8 dollars and I got a ton of erasers at dollar tree and had left over after my 5 were done. Oh and the vinyl I used was $3 a yard at walmart and I got 1 yard and made 5 with leftover.

What a great idea. I too needed something for the Church craft fair. These are so cute. I could whip off tons of these.

 

[barkley]

a co-worker made these for a crafts fair at work and they sold out.

take 3 of the larger style candy canes (kind you can get a box of for like 12 for a dollar at the dollar store). hot glue them around (rounded side down and facing outward) a red or white inexpensive dripless taper candle (again the kind you can get multiples of cheap at dollar store). this forms a base that holds the candle up. then hot glue a few silk poisettia blossoms and leaves at the bottom (she would buy bunches at dollar store). this makes disposable holiday candles in their own holder. people would buy several and use them down the center of a dining table, or in sets of 2 for a mantle.

cost her less than 75 cents each to make, she sold them $3 each or 2 for $5. they take maybe 5 minutes to make them the first time, but once you get a handle on it you can whip them out in a few minutes each.

 

[pampam]

a co-worker made these for a crafts fair at work and they sold out.

take 3 of the larger style candy canes (kind you can get a box of for like 12 for a dollar at the dollar store). hot glue them around (rounded side down and facing outward) a red or white inexpensive dripless taper candle (again the kind you can get multiples of cheap at dollar store). this forms a base that holds the candle up. then hot glue a few silk poisettia blossoms and leaves at the bottom (she would buy bunches at dollar store). this makes disposable holiday candles in their own holder. people would buy several and use them down the center of a dining table, or in sets of 2 for a mantle.

cost her less than 75 cents each to make, she sold them $3 each or 2 for $5. they take maybe 5 minutes to make them the first time, but once you get a handle on it you can whip them out in a few minutes each.

Do the candy canes have celophane on them? Do they get sticky?

 

[Malibustyle23]

a co-worker made these for a crafts fair at work and they sold out.

take 3 of the larger style candy canes (kind you can get a box of for like 12 for a dollar at the dollar store). hot glue them around (rounded side down and facing outward) a red or white inexpensive dripless taper candle (again the kind you can get multiples of cheap at dollar store). this forms a base that holds the candle up. then hot glue a few silk poisettia blossoms and leaves at the bottom (she would buy bunches at dollar store). this makes disposable holiday candles in their own holder. people would buy several and use them down the center of a dining table, or in sets of 2 for a mantle.

cost her less than 75 cents each to make, she sold them $3 each or 2 for $5. they take maybe 5 minutes to make them the first time, but once you get a handle on it you can whip them out in a few minutes each.

Any chance you have a pic? This seems very doable I just can't visualize it in my head.

 

[B&Bforever]

Love the candle ideas

 

[virginiamama]

Try posting this question on the Creative board. I bet they'd have some great ideas too.

Here are a couple:
A friend described to me an ornament that was a hot seller at the craft show she went to last week - personalized glass ball ornaments. The crafter had painted polka dots on solid colored glass balls. Then while you wait, she would paint a name, date, etc. on with a paint pen. Even if you're not that confident with your penmanship, you could print the name and put a dot at the end of each line, of each letter. I'm not sure how to describe this... (How about o------o for each of the lines in an E for example)

There should be lots of glass ball crafts ideas if you google. I've seen snowmen (heads) made out of a white ball ornament with a paint pen to paint on the carrot and coal pieces and a scrap of fabric for a scarf. Or, a clear ball filled with fake snow with the same painted on face.

A cute gift that was given to our family was a gingerbread house kit. It included an empty milk carton for the base (you could hang out at the lunch room at your child's school to collect these), graham crackers (two cut diagonally for the triangles under the roof on the front and back and 6 or more squares), a ziplock bag filled with frosting (I believe the frosting had some extra powdered sugar mixed in to make it a bit thicker), and various candies. Included was a set of instructions (to make it look really polished you could include some clipart). My boys loved this!

 

[Deb & Bill]

a co-worker made these for a crafts fair at work and they sold out.

take 3 of the larger style candy canes (kind you can get a box of for like 12 for a dollar at the dollar store). hot glue them around (rounded side down and facing outward) a red or white inexpensive dripless taper candle (again the kind you can get multiples of cheap at dollar store). this forms a base that holds the candle up. then hot glue a few silk poisettia blossoms and leaves at the bottom (she would buy bunches at dollar store). this makes disposable holiday candles in their own holder. people would buy several and use them down the center of a dining table, or in sets of 2 for a mantle.

cost her less than 75 cents each to make, she sold them $3 each or 2 for $5. they take maybe 5 minutes to make them the first time, but once you get a handle on it you can whip them out in a few minutes each.

Kind of a fire hazard, aren't they??

 

[dizneechic]

I just did this craft yesterday with a bunch of kids and it went over huge with the parents. Could be a very in expensive item to make, could do in mass and sell them for 2.50 ish each (i'm guessing?)...

Acorn Fairies:
http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/autumn-craft-collection
I used various flowers for the craft store so some had short skirts and some longer ones (the boy fairies had green skirts from the leaves, also skipped hair on the boys). I had collected loads of acorn parts from my yard and from walks on the trails near me. I used the parts to hot glue back together the acorns so the hats stayed on (ones with hair the hair was glued on under the hat), and we used a paint pen or colored sharpies to draw on the faces. You could easily glue a loop to the top of the hat to make them into holiday ornaments, even personalize them by adding a name to the bottom acorn under the skirt. It cost me about $3 for the flowers and we made about 30 of them with that, the rest of the supplies I had on hand or were free. Cheap, easy, and would look adorable on a tree hung as a family.

 

[pamluvsdisney]

Keep the ideas coming. I need some easy ideas too.

Thanks,
Pam

 

[Mom2Ben02]

Just a bit of warning - craft sales are not always an easy place to make money. I have done many craft shows in the past, some with entry fees of $1000 or more, and worked very hard for months to prepare. A lot of what is being posted sounds adorable, but if not done well it will not sell. Many of the people who shop at craft sales are crafters themselves, so would not pay for something they could easily make.

I just wanted to give the other side of it, before you invest at least a few hundred dollars in a show. And yes, you will - between booth fees, supplies, table decorations, lighting, etc.

 

[tar heel]

OP -- I don't mean to be a downer, but I think you also need to hear from people who would not under any circumstances buy any of these things unless they were from a child. To me, this stuff would look like junk unless one of my kids made it -- in that case, I would proudly display it. These things require money on materials and a good deal of time, and there's no guarantee you would even get your money back. The personalized ornaments are the only thing in this group that I think would even have a chance. Would you buy a snow globe made out of a babyfood jar? I can't imagine . . .

 

[AlternateEgo]

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I have found a ton of crafts here.

I would take a look on etsy and see what others are buying/selling.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I sold my last batch for $15 but thats cause I was working at smaller craft fair. If im in the "big" city I tend to charge more (cause I know I can get it).