Question - how many cuties make their sellable items from scratch? I make everything myself but in order to make a profit (and with the cost of fabric skyrocketing) am thinking about buying blanks or already made items and doing the embroidery. I tell myself it is the embroidery that I want to sell or showcase but am not sure about buying a onsie for example, embroidering a design and then selling. Guidance and your opinions greatly appreciated.

for me 99% of my items are purchased blanks.
Only my special gifts for friends and family tend to be made from scratch. I have in the past been asked for prices of these items and they are to expensive for me to sell due to the time and costs involved.
Big hugs - Maria xx

Thank you cuties for your suggestions and comments. I will start looking into purchasing blanks and already
made items, although this is a hobby for me at the moment, I am preparing for my retirement and at that time the extra cash will come in handy. I have many ideas for future products, so I guess this is a good place to start. Let the hunt begin LOL, Thanks again,
hugs
Michelle

well onsies are really expensive here & I didn't realize that you made yours from scratch! Wow you give talent a whole new name! Your onsies are fantastic & I had no idea that you made it from scratch! If you can buy them at a reasonable price then I think it is definately a better option! The pillowcase dresses that I have made, well the first batch most of them were actual pillow cases but the ones that sold first were the vintage ones! & those were recycled from sheets that I was given!

1 comment

by pldc 11 Jun 2012

sew I guess the ladies are all correct when they say check out what can be recycled & buy what can't be!

I do both. I actually like to find good material in items from the thrift shop. I made a light weight denum jacket from a jumper with lots of material in the bottom, then added black cotton lace along the bottom & it was the jacket to go over my 10 yr old grand's Easter dress! She though it was great & it didn't cost much. so look for clothing, old table linens, etc.

I haven't done any shows (yet - I have someone working on me), but locally, I've seen some embroidery and she buys hers and resells! I had stopped and commented and asked her a couple questions and that's what she said. I see nothing wrong with doing on blanks as you are still creating. You are making it much nicer! Unique! I use what I've got. I always have blue jean pieces and whatever. Lately, I have found some awesome deals at garage sales for fabric and my hubby encouraged me to buy more than what I would have if I had been by myself. The fabrics were mostly cotton and none were less than a yard ( they did the measurements in imperial) - she had them priced at a $1/yd. A few pieces were 4 and 5 yds! She didn't write down all of them and then I got a deal because I had so much and it was only an hour or so before they were done!
I also just got a bunch of blanks in the last couple weeks as we have a store closing here, so I had a look and got some little hoodies (reg $10 for $4, $3 and now $2 - as each week they have gotten cheaper), I got onsies - packages of 2 or 3 for $2.50.
Because of the low prices, if I make a mistake it's not so bad (and hopefully I can fix it).

2 comments

by blueeyedblonde 11 Jun 2012

Oh, and this past weekend at a garage sale I saw some awesome looking sheet/pillowcase and thought it would be good fabric for something (it's flannelette and would also make a pretty backing for a bib.

by pldc 11 Jun 2012

wow you were definately in the right place at the right time! way to go, Hugs Loralye

I have over 30 bins of material I am trying to use up so most everything I make is from scratch. ( I received 25 boxes from a friend whos' wife died and after a year of trying to donate it called me. Only stipulation was I could not toss it. 90% of the material was a yard or more. I donated 12 boxes to a church group that makes sundresses for a country in Africa, another 5 to another group and put the rest in my stash.) I just made about 2 dozen things for my daughters baby shower, all from my scraps and material I have, and much to by surprise those items where the hit of the game prizes. Watch at garage/yard sales, thrift shops etc for material. You might be pleasantly surprised in what you find for next to nothing. Its hit and miss, and it depends on your tastes, but one persons trash can be anothers treasure. I also recycle sheets, jeans, and clothes that are gently used shape or like new. There are 2 thrift stores in my area that have "bag sales" at the end of each month to make room for the new donations coming in. Everything you can get into a plastic grocery bag for $3, a paper grocery bag for $5 and a kitchen garbage bag for $10. I love shopping then. I buy old blankets, and mattress pads to use as batting in my quilts. Recently they received 50 airline blankets as a donation. I made my youngest daughter those insulator curtains for her windows to help keep the cold out in the winter and help keep it cooler in the summer. She loves them and she has them behind her regular curtains out of sight.
Good luck finding ways to keep your costs down!
Diane

1 comment

by pldc 11 Jun 2012

wow Diane thats super I wish we had an end of the month deal like yours! Good way to stock up! Hugs Loralye

I am doing from scratch - even with the cost of the fabric (because the items I am making are smaller to make smaller cost so can offer at a smaller price). I am going do to a few bibs that are "blanks" but I still consider them handcrafted because I add embroidery, applique, etc. to them "by hand". I also plan to do some towels - which are "blanks" - but I still say handmade - they are not "reselling" - they are "upcrafted". I have not been juried for the show I am going to do in the fall yet - they may not like the bibs or the towels.... time will tell.

Depends on where you are selling them.

If you are selling them at a craft show that is for totally handcrafted items only, then no blanks.

The crafts shows I do, you can use blanks. I am in the same boat as you. What I make is in the $100 range and that has become a tough sell this past year. So now I am doing both. Using some blanks and some handmade. On the blanks, I can do more elaborate embroidery which brings the price up to the handmades. Or I can do simple embroidery which gives a less expensive product for customers.

Some craft shows allow resale items. I did not know this until I started looking more closely at other booths. Sometimes it is not always that clear on the vendor application.

Some craft shows are "juried." You have to send in photos of what you make and they judge whether or not what you make is of the quality they want. No blanks here, but usually the quality of the show is higher and you can sell at a higher price range.

While it is nice to be a "purist" it is not always practical. If you really need the income from craft shows and it is not merely a hobby for you, then I'd encourage you to use blanks.

1 comment

by janetedna 11 Jun 2012

Very interesting reply. Your last paragraph is what I find hardest to do, but I know it makes sense. Jan

When I do bibs for sale I buy the bound terry ones at Target. They work just fine and will take a large 4x4 design.
When I do pillows, I make the entire pillow cover myself. My pillows are all lined under the embroidery, all raw edges are serged, with a deep fold over in the back that allows the pillow to fit snuggly without gapping. Material is alway pre srunk so washing is ok.....That's why I have to charge more and no one wants to pay the price! :)
T-shirts are purchased. Button up shirts are purchased.
MJDG

1 comment

by pldc 11 Jun 2012

they have no idea of the difference in the quality but they sure find out the hard way when they have to wash something!I to go out of my way to make sure there are no unfinshed seams in what I do!Hugs Loralye

That's always been my downfall - having to make everything from scratch- even when I had a small bakery and also a hand and machine knitting shop I had to do it the hard way. The wholesalers are all abroad and duty and postage put the prices of blanks up to the U.K. so I would also like to know the best way of making some money, please. Jan