Review of
Crafts To Make And Sell

The subtitle of this book sums up the theme of this publication: “For Crafters Who Want to Make More Money with Their Handmade Items.” This is not your typical craft book. Instead, it a closer look at that world of crafts, specifically why some crafts sell better than others.  
 
The author’s intention is to look at crafts from a money-making proposition. Possibly every reader of this popular book entered the world of crafting as a purely fun thing to do. From there they went on to arts and crafts at school and camp. Crafts to Make and Sell helps the adult (or teen) crafter look at this enjoyable activity as a business.  
 
A unique benefit of this book is that it addresses all types of crafts, not just woodworking, sewing, painting, ceramics, or any particular crafting niche. Craft mediums and styles are examined and compared to those that are on the market already.  
 
What’s more, crafts are matched with the crafter’s location. This book points out the different types of buyers within the scope of the crafter’s market. The author discusses ways of expanding your market far beyond the reader’s locale while still meeting the needs of buyers in remote areas of the country - and even the world.  
 
Another purpose of this book is to stimulate the reader’s imagination. Examples of crafts are given with a myriad of variations. The reader is to follow suit with his or her own craft project, exploring the variations and imagining whether a similar tweak to their own creations would make that craft item more marketable.

The book is written from the point of view of a teacher to a student. It is very readable and easy to follow. Logical steps lead the reader to develop a creation that suits both the crafter and his customers. It’s likely that the reader will never look at craft items again with the same eye. Crafts to Make and Sell takes the crafter far beyond the “cute” feature to examining each craft and craft medium with the view toward its marketability.  
 
It’s clear that the author has experience in selling crafts, possibly from years of trial and error. At any rate, the explanation proves that a crafter or craftsman can make good money in the crafting field.  
 
If there is a drawback to this book, it is that crafters are not always readers. They like working with their hands, building, painting, shaping. But the time it takes to read and explore this book’s information is time well spent if in the end the crafter understands why some crafts sell while others don’t. This knowledge will save the crafter time and money making a craft item that this book would point out will not sell.  
 
The author does not tell the crafter what to make, although it’s okay to make the creations described in the book. Crafts to Make and Sell is a very encouraging and uplifting read. The intention is to lead the crafter to love their craft, not just because it’s enjoyable to make but because so many more people will want to buy it. As the author points out, “It’s fun to make crafts and it’s also fun to make money.”

Crafts To Make And Sell