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The Complete Idiot’s Guide “Selling Your Crafts” Giveaway

by

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Selling Your Crafts walks readers through the process of preparing goods for sale, pricing and bookkeeping, finding venues, marketing and promoting products, and working with customers both online and off, all without quitting their day job. Clear, concise instructions explain everything readers need to know to sell crafts effectively in their spare time, and help them decide whether to take selling to the next level. This guide shows how to:

•             Find out whether the crafters, and their craft, are ready to start

selling

•             Set prices to cover costs and make a profit

•             Establish a bookkeeping system

•             Manage dual inventories of parts and finished goods

•             Discover the best places to sell crafts in person or on the Internet

•             Identify the right people to market to

•             Accept credit cards and process other forms of payment

•             Start selling wholesale

•             Stay out of tax and legal trouble

About the Author:

Chris Franchetti Michaels (Davis, Calif.) is the author of Teach Yourself Visually Jewelry Making & Beading, Beading Quick Tips, Wire Work Quick Tips, and Teach Yourself Visually Beadwork. She has sold her handmade jewelry as well as commercial beading supplies online for nearly a decade, and she maintains a blog at www.beadjewelry.net. Contact her through this book’s companion site, www.craftychannels.com.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Selling Your Crafts

ISBN: 9781592579914, July 2010, $14.95

Author: Chris Franchetti Michaels (Davis, Calif.)

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Competition Open – Worldwide

Competition Closes – August 15th

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Comments

  7. I have been trying to market my items. So far I have been ripped off to the point of pulling my hair out. Two stores that I have had items in have taken everything from me…I need help in major way…Thank you for this chance to win and help myself out.

Have you read?

Recycled Paper Cylinder Face Art – A Colorful Win for All Ages

I recently stumbled across this super creative project on Instructables – “Face With Recycled Paper Cylinders” – and I had to share it with you all because it’s just the kind of craft that checks all my favorite boxes: recycled materials, hands-on creativity, and fun for literally any age.

The idea is simple but genius—roll strips of recycled paper (think junk mail, old magazines, leftover printer paper) into cylinders, then arrange and glue them to form a unique abstract face. You can make it funky, realistic, Picasso-inspired—whatever your mood or style dictates!

What I really love is the blend of eco-conscious crafting with true artistic expression. This isn’t just another kids’ project—it’s something you could easily do with a group of little ones, a classroom full of teens, or even as an adult art therapy or weekend wind-down activity. It’s super relaxing and surprisingly satisfying seeing all those paper rolls come together to form something new and expressive.

The tutorial itself is easy to follow, with plenty of visuals to guide you along the way. You don’t need any fancy materials—just glue, paper, scissors, and a board or piece of cardboard to serve as your canvas.

I also appreciate how this project leaves so much room for personalization. Want to make it into a full face? Go for it. Prefer to focus on a single eye or mouth? Totally works. You can even play with color schemes by choosing papers with a certain palette, or painting over them once they’re rolled.

In short: this is a total keeper for anyone who loves crafting with purpose. It’s the kind of project that sparks creativity while gently reinforcing the idea that beautiful things can come from what we usually throw away.

Highly recommend giving it a go—solo or with a group. And if you try it, tag me or drop a pic—I’d love to see your recycled masterpiece!