Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

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.)

WIN WIN WIN

We are giving you the chance to win 1 of 3 copies of this book. For your chance to win, please click here.

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?

Book Review: Better Homes and Gardens Flea Market Decorating

Let me just start by saying—this book is an absolute dream for anyone who gets a little thrill from dusty corners, vintage finds, and the stories old objects tell. Better Homes and Gardens Flea Market Decorating is like walking through the best parts of a weekend market, but with someone stylish and savvy whispering decorating secrets in your ear.

If you’re like me and can’t walk past a chipped enamel jug or a stack of mismatched teacups without imagining them repurposed into something fabulous, then you’re going to feel right at home with this book. It’s filled with page after page of design inspiration, styling tips, and clever ideas for giving new life to old treasures. Think: a weathered bench turned entryway showstopper, or a collection of vintage cameras displayed as functional art.

What I really loved is how the book doesn’t take itself too seriously. It celebrates personality, imperfection, and the charm of the unexpected. You don’t need a designer budget or a house full of pristine antiques—just a good eye, a bit of imagination, and maybe a love of digging through secondhand stalls.

There are also practical tips woven in, like how to spot a quality piece, clean up a flea market find, or figure out how to mix styles without ending up with a room that feels like grandma’s attic (unless, of course, that’s the vibe you’re going for—and no judgment here!).

As someone who regularly repurposes and upcycles, I appreciated how much the book encourages sustainability. It’s a gentle nudge toward mindful decorating—choosing pieces with history and heart, rather than filling your space with fast decor.

Whether you’re a seasoned thrifter or just dipping your toes into the vintage pool, this one is definitely worth flipping through with a cup of tea and a notebook full of ideas. It left me itching to hit my local flea market and find my next project. If your idea of a perfect weekend involves rummaging for forgotten treasures, you’ll absolutely love it.