Start a Paper Craft Business

(73) Start a Paper Craft Business

People who truly enjoy creating craft projects have probably never thought about how their hobby could lead to an income. You might be surprised to find out that there are a number of people who have successfully turned a favorite hobby into a profitable home business. Sites that allow you to sell your homemade crafts- such as etsy.com- are one of the fastest growing sales opportunities on the web. And even if you don't want to sell your projects online, you can also make money selling your creations at local shops and craft fairs or by teaching others your craft.

People have created successful home crafts businesses selling origami, hand made cards, gift baskets, scrapbook pages, homemade jewelry, pottery, and nearly anything else you can think of. Paper Mache crafters have begun taking notice of the demand for unique decorative items and gifts, and many have successfully transformed their hobby into a paying career. Since paper Mache is inexpensive to work with, lightweight, and offers an endlessly versatile number of crafting opportunities, it is one of the best ways to create crafts that you can later sell. A brief search on etsy.com turns up hundreds of artists offering paper Mache products, and the prices they command may surprise you.
Starting a home craft business is a popular choice for many people because it can be done for just a few hundred dollars investment. The one reason that people often become frustrated with their new business is that they do not spend enough time determining how much they should charge for each piece- under pricing your works can significantly reduce your income potential, while over pricing them will result in a loss of sales. Spend some time researching what similar projects cost, and think about how much time you spend on each project. Start with a base rate of $12 per hour, and consider not only the time you spend creating your projects, but also the time you spend listing them online or taking them to sales. You will want to frequently adjust the price of your products to reflect the time and effort you put into them while still maximizing your sales.
The income potential from your home craft business will depend on many factors. Like any business, you will get back what you put into it- the more time you spend working on your business and creating product to sell, the more money you will make. Consider ways to create several projects at once, in an "assembly line" style if possible. When you create a batch of paper mache, make the most of it by using all of it to create the greatest number of projects. The average paper Mache artist who creates two or three medium sized projects each week can expect to earn about 2000 per week. As you create a larger customer base and become well known, you will see your income rise. For those who simply want to sell a few items here and there, a home craft business can be a nice way to earn a little extra money for shopping, vacations, or anything else. No matter how you craft it, a home business selling your paper Mache products is the most fun job you will ever have