If you are a crafty person like me, why not use your crafty talent to help you make extra money. Make money by doing something you truly love. Making something by using your own 2 hands.Â
I have listed below some of the top DIY projects that people make and sell. Making your own and selling it is so rewarding. You aren't only fueling your passion, you are building our own business and legacy.đ
Here are some popular DIY projects to make and sell:
1. Handmade Jewelry
There are so many jewelry making materials you can use to create beautiful designs. You can make anything from earrings, bracelets, and chokers to necklaces using materials like wooden beads, acrylic beads, crystals, wire, resin, and polymer clay. You can literally make any design and string it and make it your own. There's no right or wrong way. Just remember, when making fun, you can use cheaper materials, but when selling them, make sure you are using good quality. Customers trust that you are selling them a nice quality product and will remember that every time they wear it. And who knows... you may gain a repeat customer.
2. Customized T-shirts and Tote Bags
The simplest way to create and sell t-shirt and tote designs is by using a print-on-demand service like Printify or Printful. These services allow you to upload your designs on a mockup where you place and tailor your design, choose the colors you want to sell it in, and the printer you want to use. You can use Etsy or Shopify to sell your items without even having to hold inventory.
If you are the crafty type, you can use a Cricut or Cameo along with the designing software that comes with them to create your designs. There are options like basic cut, where you can cut your design using heat transfer vinyl. You weed and place your design on your t-shirt or totebag and use an iron or a heatpress to apply the design. The other option is to print and then cut. You design, print it using an inkjet printer, and cut it out using your cutting machine.
There are so many printing options for custom-made apparel. There is sublimation, print transfers, and screen printing... I can't even begin to talk about them all in one blog. I will make a mental note on blog post ideas...lol. Also, if there are any questions or things you want to learn about, please feel free to leave me a note in the comments.
3. Homemade Candles
Candles are a love of mine...lol. I love the sweet scents when they burn. Making handmade candles involves melting wax, adding fragrance and color, pouring the mixture into a mold or container, and allowing it to cool and harden. Different types of wax and wicks can be used to achieve different effects. You can also make wax melts. Those are also big hits. It's a fun and creative activity that can be done at home with a few basic supplies.
4. Handmade SoapsÂ
I love the smell of bar soaps. I myself haven't made any, because that's not in my wheelhouse. But I enjoy it all the same. There are a lot to consider when making soaps. Making handmade soaps involves mixing oils, lye, and water to create a chemical reaction called saponification. The mixture is then poured into molds and left to cure for several weeks. Handmade soaps can be customized with different scents, colors, and ingredients, making them a popular choice for those looking for natural and unique products. Most importantly, it's important to follow safety guidelines and use proper equipment when making soap at home.
5. Home Decor
People love home decor. Whether if it's for decorating the outside of the home or for inside. Home decor can be anything from candles, florals, wreaths, center pieces, lamps, welcome signs, and rugs for the porch.
Making your own home decor can be a fun and creative way to add a personal touch to your space and to your customers' space. You can start by deciding on a theme or color scheme and then choose materials such as fabric, paint, or wood to create. Home decor projects can range from simple wall art to more complex furniture pieces, depending on your level of experience and skill. There are many online resources and tutorials available to help you get started, and the possibilities for customization are endless!
In summary, I have told you about some popular DIY projects that you can make and sell. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many things you can do and so many ways you can do them. Decide on what you love to do and get started!
If you like my blog content, please like and follow my blog. If you have questions or want to learn about something specific in crafting, please leave me a comment! đ
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]]>I have a nugget of knowledge for those looking to start a business or who are already in business and feel like they are hitting a brick wall. That nugget is, Donât Give Up!
You may look at my website and at all of my social media and say, âWow! She is doing it big!â To tell you the truth, some weeks I may have some big sells, others I may not have anything. Thatâs just the way business is. While it has its ebbs and flows, it doesnât stop me from doing what I love. Honestly, it took years to build it to where it is now. Some people Iâve seen, give up on the first try, or they try some âquick and easyâ way to make money. Been there, done that. đđžââď¸đ¤Śđžââď¸ Iâm sure we all have, but you canât do that because itâs a short lived thing. And youâre going to find yourself continuing to run and chase the next quick idea. If you have done this, use it as a lesson.
Listen, you have to give your business time to do something, then you make small tweaks and adjustments if something isnât working. I re-branded myself twice. The first time I did it on my own. I redesigned my website, changed my logo, started using all of these different apps to help me post on all of my social media several times a dayâŚwhile working a full-time career with a family. Iâm tired boss! đŤ I didnât like it so much so I went back to my original logo and started doing some vendor fairs. That was exciting for a while, but then it turned into focusing on making stuff for the different events, chasing the next event, and making my booth fee back. Last month, I hired a freelancer to help me to rebrand myself. I think it was the best choice I made so far. It speaks to who I am and what my business is about and helps me stay true to myself. I still have work to do as far as marketing, but that part is going to come. How do I know? I know because Iâm not going to give up.
Some people are lucky and hit the jackpot with that perfect niche and the perfect following. Congratulations to them! đđđ I love seeing people win! But, we are not in competition with themâŚI repeat, We are not in competition with them. We compete with ourselves. We have our own visions and our own whyâs and our own way of doing what we love. The only thing that should be the same across the board is staying true to ourselves and having the donât quit mentality. Donât quit and stay consistent.
I used to look at the number of followers people had and at all of the Tiktok videosâŚThat stuff doesnât matter to me anymore. I tried the followers thing. Please donât do it. If you do or did, chalk it up as a lesson. You end up with so many followers that arenât even real, or not even in your country, or definitely not in the market you are trying to reach and sell to. Or they have no interest in whatever you are trying to say or do. You end up talking to either yourself or other people that are doing the same thing and have no interest. Donât do it, please. The clean up is a beast!
It's been about 2 years since I've done one of these, so I'm going to dust off my old one (a lot has happened in 2 years) and see what I achieved or where I fell off and need to get back on. It's okay to fall as long as you don't stay there too long.
They are easy to make. It's cheap, fun, and an eye opener. Vision Boarding is also a craft. Think of it as you creating your plans, goals, and dreams!
First, lets talk about the types of things you can put on your vision board. You can put just about anything. Here are some ideas:
1. Travel
Maybe you want to travel more or you are planning a vacation. You can put pictures or phrases that represent those goals and plans. Maybe you want to take a cruise and want to plan excursions. Pictures of those items will keep you focused and excited.
2. Money
Everyone would love to win the lottery and to be rich. Let's face it, you have to be really lucky to do that. What were the odds of hitting the Powerball and Mega Millions? Like 1 in a google trillion. Okay, okay, I made up that number, but you get my drift? I want to be debt-free so my family and I can live more comfortably and not have to always feel stretched when it comes down to the budget.
A sure way of getting there is by planning and creating a vision board. You can put up pictures of items you are saving towards, like a new car, or a new home. It doesn't have to be a big ticket item. Maybe you want to save more at the grocery store...so put up pictures of your favorite store with coupons as a reminder to use them.
3. Health
With the health craze that gets big attention at the start of the new year, there are new health clubs that open up, there are new fad diets, new ways to cook, and eat. It's so easy to start a new regimen...but, can you keep it up and stay focused for the entire length of time? A vision board can help you with that.
You can pin up pictures of the healthy foods you want to eat. You can put up your workout schedule, encouraging words and inspirational phrases. Pin up the weight goal you want to achieve. Include things that help you stay focused and make you say, "it's tough, but I got this."
4. Career/School
Want a promotion at work? Are you wanting to learn a new skill. You want to lay out you plan with a vision board. Ask yourself questions? What do I need in order to move up to the next level? Maybe you need to learn new software, or need to polish up on your Excel skills. A vision board helps to lay it out and helps hold you accountable to yourself.
5. Crafting Ideas
Hey...this is right down my alley. Crafters, have you ever ran across projects that you want to try only to lose the website you were on, or it came across your Facebook feed to never see it again? Or how about this one, you took a screenshot of it but you have so many screenshots of stuff, that you never hardly go back to them? Oh I feel your pain.
A vision board will work for that too. You can pick 2 to 3 projects you really want to do and plan them out. Pin up inspirational quotes and pictures of finished projects. Go for it!
So I have given you some ideas for your vision board. It is now up to you to plan and create. What's that you say? What do you need to get started? Oh yeah, that was a big purpose of this post.
First of all, don't over think this. It's simple and cheap. Here are some things you can use. You might even have all of this already at your disposal.
It's not hard to do. Invite friends and make it a party. Like minded people makes it fun. I will be doing mine this weekend and I can't wait. Happy Vision Boarding!
Note: Images are not mine. These are just visuals from the web to help you with some ideas.
#visionboardgoals #visionboardswork #visionboard2019 #visionboardparty #visionboards #visionboardsdowork #visionboard #visionboarding #LoMosWorld]]>Writing isnât the only thing I love to do.  I also love to craft.  Every since that first time in elementary school when we created a miniature woven rug on a handmade loom. And the time we did cross-stitching on a vinyl canvas as a holiday craft. Oh donât let me forget my very first latch-hook craft of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet.  Home Economics really set it off when we got to sew on the sewing machine.  I got my first sewing machine when I was 18 years old.  I found any excuse to sewâŚlol.
I then got into making jewelry in my 20s.  My mother-in-law would always tell me that I need to sell them.  I did not even know how to get started with that.  So fast forward to 3 years ago, me  40 years old. I wanted a wreath for my door for the Christmas Holidays.  I didnât want to buy one so I came up with the idea of crafting one.  I was so amazed how it turned out so I made 4 more and gave them to family members as gifts for their doors.  Again I was told, âYou have a gift for making things.  You need to sell themâ.
October 2015, I wanted to make a wreath for Halloween. Â So I went to my favorite store Hobby Lobby and bought this 20âł wreath form. Â I picked out some Halloween deco mesh. Â I went to The Dollar Tree and bought some party favors to connect to the wreath. Â At the time I was Membership Chairperson for the local American Business Women Association. Â My President told me, after seeing my wreath, âIf you donât start you a business, Iâm going to kick youâ. Â So then LoMoâs World was born.
I had been in a couple of direct marketing sales ventures, so I had some knowledge of starting a business. Â By me being in the ABWA, I also had been exposed to different trainings and workshops dealing with things like branding, marketing, trademarks, and other things. Â It also allowed me to connect with different people who helped by exposing me to events and connections.
I want to use this blog to journal my continued journey, to share my creations, and to get opinions from you, my peers. Â I am so excited and I am looking forward to getting to know you. Â Welcome to my world!
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