I don't make crafts to sell anymore, just for my enjoyment. I always ask my nieces and nephew if they want a store bought gift or something I make and, believe it or not, they choose the hand made gift. They range in age from 11-19 years. Makes me feel good that they appreciate the time and thought that I put into a gift for them.

You are right that now it is often cheaper to just buy ready made items, but crafting has always been my creative outlet. If I don't "create" something every once in awhile, I feel like something is missing in my life.

Besides, it is so good for our mental health. ;o) Luvs

I love crafting way too much to give it up for some cheap thing made overseas. I disagree that you can buy nicer things in the Dollar Store. Homemade gifts and crafts are special and mean so much more to yourself or someone you give them too. Don't give up crafting, you'll miss it for sure.

I found a new genre who despies Wal-mart and anything cheaply made.. The whole Indie Crowd... They are sarcastic, young & hip w/disposable income.. but for some reason LOVE to craft... They may take a different approach to it than say you or I.. but enjoy it.

I've been to several "Indie" fairs... usually held at nightclubs etc... and those young 20 - somethings... spend a ton of cash on crafts... everyone was leaving w/a bag - go figure....

try www.etsy.com or www.craftster.org

BTW - I am a reg on the HGTV Crafting & T2T board... as well as a few others. I just joined here recently.....

Welcome njtomboy. Always nice to meet a new forum member. That is good if young people are learning and enjoying crafts. Must say they might be missing out on some good prices on craft supplies by avoiding Walmart. LOL Now, could you enlighten me as to what "Indie" means please. I know--I am older and "out of it". ;o) Luvs

Welcome Njtomboy - I've read your posts on HGTV and must say you've come up with some fantastic stuff. So glad you joined in on this forum also. You might also like the Garden Web Garden Junk forum, lots of nice folks and lots of great garden art made from bits and scrapes or whatever. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/junk/

Luvs - "Made in India"

hey njtomboy....nj here to....Ive seen your posts over at hgtv...I have no problem selling my crafts...but i deal mainly in art and furniture...stuff people throw away I make it new again ....I wouldnt be surprised if the people that threw it away buy it again from me lol...

Seems like crafting goes in and out of style like our clothes, something new will come along and everyone wants it.
I craft for my own enjoyment, cant put a price on that!
Oddie

I craft only for my enjoyment and have been doing the same thing for the last 8 years that I've been a SAHM. I make items for others sometimes but I don't just make things to make them. Like at Christmas, I only make handmade items for those who I know appreciate them. I won't make something for every family member just because!

I don't really truly believe that there are nicer things at the stores! The imports are cheaper but are not better quality by any means! I will sometimes pick items up at Dollar General on the clearance rack and repaint them so that I can stand to look at them, though if I want something cheap to paint! I usually look at the price and the structure of the pieces before I buy that crap. If I think I can make it look nicer at home, I do it.

Honestly, there seems to be a trend today where people are "too busy" to do anything! I know way too many people that just go to work and that's about all they care to do. The ones that have kids come home and take care of the house a bit and the children and that's all they feel they have time for...they put their time in. Do you honestly know many people that do things together as a family now? Do people still visit? Or go on rides or walks together? Do you know grandparents that actually take the grankids because they want to spend time with them or because they're forced to baby sit all the time? The simple things are long gone and replaced by time wasted by doing nothing....Sorry, you hit a sore spot with me. I became a Mom when I was 19 and I seem to be more about the simple things and living life more like past generations did. Others my age are too busy partying or trying to keep up with others by spending like crazy. I just don't get it and I don't relate to a lot of people!

Hi all - thanks for the warm welcome!

Thanks for the compliments from the other boards.. I need to craft more lol

Luvs - I am sorry... Independant = Indie - They are crafters, musicians and artists alike... all-in-all a real interesting group....

Oops, didn't realize NJ was talking about Independent crafters. I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone.

I guess I'll never quit crafting, but it's getting harder and harder to sell handcrafted goodies to get the investment in supplies and time to make it worthwhile. Who wants to sell something for $5-20 that it took 3-4 hours to construct? That calculates to slave wages and I will keep it myself before I sell it cheaply. There are many artist and crafters who have ruined the market, not just the dollar stores and Wal-Mart.
Ebay is a prime example. I met a elderly lady recently at a flea market and she made the cutiest crochet dolls that took her six hours to make. She sold them for $8, what a shame and I felt so bad for her, knowing the time she spent plus supplies. I just don't see the point at all.

If crafters and artist refused to give their goods away, then hand crafted items might once again have a chance of surviving the crap that's sold in the big package stores.

Sorry for the rant, but it makes me angry to see good crafters and artist give their designs away.

How is ebay to blame totally? I belong to two Prim boards that are FILLED with women that sell on ebay and have their own webpages. They seem to be doing quite well with their businesses. I know there are items on there that are junk but you can usually tell which are handmade items and which aren't. (I know I've seen a few things from the dollar store on there for much more and just chuckled!)

Maybe it's the type of crafting in some cases? I know if I go to a craft show, I am only looking at the booths with certain types of crafts. I can tell just by looking quickly at a booth if it's worth my time because I know what I want. Maybe it's a geography thing? Maybe in just some areas crafts aren't selling? I don't know....

I do know that one woman that works at Wal-Mart told me last year that she noticed more and more younger women buying things to make gifts so she feels that the trend is coming back to handmade items :)

Sweets98, ebay is not the blame totally, but a prime example that good crafters/artists sell too cheaply. I wonder about your Prim board ladies that sell on ebay. While they may sell a lot, are they actually getting 'paid' a fair price for the goods plus all the time they put in for auctions and fees?

I hear what your saying, as I design jewelry and when it comes to hand created wire jewelry, there are way too many who sell theirs and it looks good on feedback, and makes one believe they are doing really well...until I started 'doing the math' Turns out many don't break even.

I tried ebay a while, but why do all the work...with no pay.

But, silly me will continue to craft, give it away, keep it, or perhaps sell it. I guess once you love making things, it just doesn't go away, huh?

I truly hope the younger generation carries on crafting, and don't get lazy and buy things already made by someone in China. Even the toothpaste is poison..yikes!

LOL - No offense to me Crafty! ;)

I guess the ladies are doing pretty well on ebay because they keep right on making stuff and raving away. I know I have seen a few of their auctions and others that they have pointed out that I think were way higher than the item was worth but someone obviously was willing to pay the price! LOL Only a few of the ladies have stopped and they all said it was because they didn't have the time....not that they weren't getting enough money for the items.

Crafts are my life. I don't really know what to do if i'm not crafting. I use to sell them. But I would get stressed out because I would take too many orders and then it would feel like a job. So I try to keep it as gift giving or for me. Out of all the thousands of different crafs I do I never made one for myself. So for the past couple of years I try to think of what I would like to have and make it and find a place for it. Besides I wouldn't know what to do with the many shelfs full of clear shoe boxes full of stuff. LOL (OK!!!! some are in the boxes, The rest are WELLLLLL!!!!, trying to make it in the boxes) LOL.I'll send a pic.But this might sound strange but I almost feel giddy thinking of my next project. So I guess crafting is my sanity. And I've been doing crafts for 40 years.LOL (hubby over my shoulder, wants to know when I'm gonna get crafty with him. Told him I'll put him on list. Groannnnnnnnn!!!. Sorry I'm going on so, but crafting makes me happy and I'm glad I found this message board to share and talk to. Thanks for having me
Kathy

Three things I have to say: First, I see so many people watching somebody else do stuff on TV, rather than doing it themselves. It's so easy to watch the craft shows, the home organization shows, the redecorating and remodeling shows, while you stop doing it in your own life!

The second thing is that many of us don't see crafting as a sales outlet, but as a means of fun, self expression and sort of a sanity saver. Who cares if crafting is "In" or "Out"? We'll always do it. If we get a little tired, we can always put it away until we need it again.

Third - a lot of these craft things are not really very interesting because they are pretty awful - of course not stuff created by anybody on this forum! But I do see a lot of stuff done that is just purely a waste of time and when folks are trying to clean up and declutter their homes, they don't want "objets d'art" made from somebody's old Christmas cards, etc.

Scarlett, I have to agree with you a lot! I especially agree with #3. Not the clutter aspect but I often see crafts that are just not really all that impressive. The same old things being done over and over and then the person makes enough to fill the whole booth and charges a high price. I think they need to research a bit more.

For example (and this just popped into my head a second ago), the dishtowels with the crocheted top to them. It's not that they aren't something someone may want to buy but I often see weird colors and combos. The person sometimes doesn't pick the best accent color to go with the towel and picks a towel that isn't necessarily a popular kitchen decorating trend at the moment. A little research and that same person may find that they can sell a bit more.

I decorate in Prim country and I can't tell you how annoying it can be to go shoppint sometimes. Some of the simplest items can't be found in a style I like so I often end up having to make my own or do something to make the item work in my home. Who wants to buy something to only have to go home and "fix" it?

This is so true. It's amazing how many crafts are done by strict patterns so others can just copy what you've done. Not long ago I had a lady ask me for a step-by-step instruction and, more or less stencil, of a fairly elaborate woodburning project I'd done, so others could make precisely the project I'd developed and made.

I understand where people might like to craft but maybe their strength is not in, say, drawing. But I admit I wasn't exactly excited about the idea of my original project idea being directly copied and mass-produced by folks just wanting to craft. Not that I planned to sell the piece or anything, it had just been for my own entertainment. But I do believe in crafting it's nice to put your own twist on things if possible.

I think there's just a lot of pressure right now to follow the trends of what some authority figure tells us is good. Sort of like Oprah tells us we all should read a particular book or Martha decided everybody should collect Jadeite (I do have Jadeite, by the way but not because Martha said it was lovely)... Crafting seems to take that same sort of bent sometimes.

It gets a bit frustrating.

Hope everyone has happy crafting ahead of them!
--Jenn

Here is a link that might be useful: My crafting/thrifting/decorating blog