Many people start their sewing businesses after making a few items for personal use and being told by friends and family that they should sell them. Then they go to work making dozens more of an item, signing up for a craft fair, and selling their items to consumers. But sewing for commercial use is much different than sewing for personal use, and there are laws and regulations that apply to businesses, regardless of size. Starting a sewing business is exciting, and it’s tempting to jump right in. But it’s important to dot your i’s and cross your t’s before…
-
Continue ReadingIf you’re sewing to sell, it’s important to become as efficient as possible and find cost savings anywhere you can. It can be hard to make a handmade, one-person business profitable. Your prices can’t be too high, or consumers will just go to mass-produced options. But if you price them…
-
Continue ReadingZipper pouches are so handy, which is why they make a great product to sew and sell. Once you get the hang of them, it’s easy to adjust the size, based on what you want to fit inside. I’ve created 3 sizes of flat-bottom zipper pouches: Small (approx. 3″ tall…
-
Continue ReadingIf you’re thinking about sewing to sell, bags and purses might be a good category to explore. There are so many patterns and designs, making bags a good category for most skill levels. This collection of products could work into an existing product line, if you’re already selling bags. Or,…
-
Continue ReadingThis pleated zipper pouch matches my: Pleated Clutch Pleated Triangle Pouch Pleated Sunglasses Case It will fit inside the clutch bag to organize smaller items. Zipper pouches are a quick and easy sewing project. This one does have the extra steps of adding the pleats and sewing the top and…
-
Continue ReadingI designed this pleated sunglasses pouch to match my: Pleated Clutch Pleated Triangle Pouch Pleated Zipper Pouch It was created to fit sunglasses, but this case could be used for other items, such as smaller toiletries, makeup, makeup brushes, pencils, etc. If you’re not comfortable sewing in zippers, you could…
-
Continue ReadingI designed this triangle pouch to match my pleated clutch and to offer a design that’s a little different from the other triangle pouch patterns out there. Triangle pouches are a popular style of bag because they’re perfect for organizing, packing, or storing smaller items such as toiletries or makeup.…
-
Continue ReadingQuilted items, such as quilted tote bags, quilted boxy bags, quilted book sleeves, etc., are currently popular. So this may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think most handmade businesses should sell quilted products. (My opinion on patchwork design is the same, which is often used in quilting and…
-
Continue ReadingIf you want to sew products to sell at craft shows or online, it’s important to choose the right products to ensure you’ll be profitable and can build a sustainable business. Here are the 5 questions I considered when deciding what type of sewing business to start. 1 –…
-
Continue ReadingAs a sewist, there are many products I can make to sell. However, after years of sewing, running a handmade business, and selling at craft shows, these are the top items I stay away from. This article isn’t to say you can’t sell these items. It’s simply my personal preference…