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According to market research firms, souvenir business ideas will lead you to success.

The reports suggest that the worldwide gifts/souvenirs market will grow by $13.04 Bn from 2021 to 2026. That is an impressive CAGR of 3.4%.

So, until now if you have been on the fence about starting a handmade business. Then, picking up the niche of novelty gifts and souvenirs is worth a try.

Why Souvenir Business Ideas Matter

Memories lead to connecting and collecting items that become souvenirs. Tangible collectibles, keepsakes, or tokens fall under the board category of souvenirs. Their purpose is to refresh memories and reminisce about the good times spent.

In popular culture, the travel industry has brought a huge boost to the market of souvenirs. So, as the travel industry grows, so does the market for unique curios depicting the culture of a place grows too.

Moreover, the charm of souvenirs is not bound to physical geography or location. Collectible tokens can be of an event as well. So, consider music shows, roadshows, charity events, and marathons on the list.

So, if there is an iota of nostalgia attached, consider starting a souvenir gifts business.

How To Open A Gift Shop

If it is the brick-and-mortar route, the answer is simple. Pick up a space where you can stock and display your products. But anyone who has done business knows it is much more than that.

Your store should be in a prominent space where you expect an influx of customers. Since the purpose of a souvenir shop is to facilitate remembering past events. Therefore, the display of souvenirs, relics, and mementos should happen on busy streets. A gift/ souvenir shop could also pop up around a popular tourist monument.

In an ideal scenario, busy tourist spots are perfect for souvenir business ideas. 

Real estate prices are high all over the globe. Thus, owning even a small kiosk in a prominent place would charge a high premium. Opening an online store could be the next viable option to deal with that situation.

Top Selling Gift Items Worldwide

1. Fridge Magnets

These are the most popular form of souvenir business ideas across the world. They are easy to create, plus, they are fast selling. You can create these or outsource the bulk production. A successful souvenir-selling business started with fridge magnets as its only product.

2. Wall Art

There are numerous art forms that can come under this term. They could be handmade paper-based wall hangings like quilled art or digital art. Art depicting local traditions and culture would make the souvenir business ideas relatable. Thus, increasing the sale value of the product.

3. Stationery 

These also form a broad category of products. Stationery items are helpful and generic. Hence, they offer scope to sell premium upsell products as well. For instance, you can make a stationery kit of notebooks, journals, and pens to sell a product curation. The list of items under stationery could be –

• Diary
• Pens
• Pencils
• Coloring books
• Art Prints
• Bookmarks
• Post Cards
• Greeting Cards
• Planners

4. Mugs

Mugs, glasses, and tumblers offer an opportunity to showcase your sojourns. They have a practical application. So, they make one of the best souvenir business ideas as well.

5. Trays, trivets, and coasters

These would go complimentary to mugs and glasses. I end up buying these during travels since they serve multiple purposes. Apart from serving food, they also hold good as jewelry and trinket catch-alls.

6. Furnishings and Linens

Turning your rooms into memoirs of vacation travels makes a wonderful idea. Hence, cushions, bed sheets, throws, and curtains could be top-selling gift shop items. You can screen print handmade designs. Or you can even hand paint or do digital prints.

7. Keychains

Without a doubt, this is the most popular souvenir item all over the world. It would be rare to not find a keychain at a popular tourist spot. 

They are inexpensive. That is why you can increase their value by adding local motifs to them. 

Also, adding a bottle opener function to a keychain enhances its utility.

8. Wine stoppers

They are a popular gifting accessory when you are unsure about what to gift someone. As the name suggests, they serve the purpose of preserving the wines after the removal of the cork. Hence, they can be a befitting addition to a souvenir gift shop.

9. Apparel/accessories  

Apparel and accessories find daily use. So, customizing them as per the respective tourist attractions makes sense. 

Therefore, it is common to find T-shirts, caps, hats, and slippers as souvenir business ideas. There are tons of crazy artistic ideas you can try with them to make unique fast selling products.

10. Wallets, Bags, and Passport Holders

Although they can fit in as accessories. Since wallets, bags, and passports are a necessity for travel. Thus, they deserve a separate category.

There are different bags for travel ranging from backpacks to duffles and rucksacks. Likewise, wallets and passport holders have different classifications. 

As a souvenir gift shop owner, you can add such travel essentials to your product range.

11. Chocolates and Candies

Who does not like to munch on some sweet snacks? They are popular as thoughtful gifts as well. 

That is why they are my go-to products to give back to my dear ones after travels.

You can research some native flavors to create unique chocolates and candies. That will give the travel gift shop a distinctive flair.

12. Personalized Souvenirs 

Personalized and customized gifts have a separate fan following. Moreover, they are great as an upsell since they have an emotional connection. 

A few ideas to personalize souvenirs are embossing names, dates, and even pictures.

Personalization does take some time and effort. But it is worth the revenue it brings. The best part is that each gift item can have personalization.

13. Candles

Candles bring in light and positivity with their appearance and aroma. Hence, a definite must-have in a curio gift shop. You can make melt and pour handmade candles. Also, you can get them from a creative solopreneur creating and selling from their home.

14. Soaps

Much like candles, there is tremendous scope in making artisan soaps. You can utilize the trend and offer native aromas from local ingredients. That will make your soaps unique to your geography of operation. From there, you can even expand to a wide range of toiletries.

15. Mats

Mats and rugs have utility along with the aesthetic value. Thus, they serve as beautiful souvenir business ideas.

Persian and Kashmiri rugs/mats are popular as gifts worth buying.

16. Trending viral products

Viral trends contribute to the influx of sales in huge numbers. If you catch them early. Then, you can improve your bottom line. Some past viral products are fidget spinners, unicorn-themed products, and slime.

17. Local cultural sentiments

It goes without a mention that products that embody local sentiments fascinate travelers. Therefore, every gift shop item must convey the feelings of the local culture. You can add local flair to almost every product in the souvenir gift shop.

Conclusion

Travels and vacations are at an all-time high owing to revenge tourism. Since the lifting of the lockdown, people all over the globe have started traveling wide and far.

It brings in an opportunity to offer gifts and tokens pertaining to local places. That is why opening a gift shop selling souvenirs seems a great idea. 

There are opportunities for handmade products that offer a glimpse of local culture. A local stand-alone store is the best option. Though, you can also provide an online extension to the physical store. 

A high-quality inkjet printer would help to print handmade designs and figures. Else, you can outsource the job to reduce the cost of starting a gift shop.

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Have you been wondering how to make money selling soap? Then, you are not alone. Many creative people think about quitting their corporate jobs to sell handmade soaps.

The impressive financials of some soap makers would compel you to take the plunge.

Soap-making is a great way to connect with people and earn a livelihood.

If you have been skeptical about the question – is soap making profitable? Then, read further to understand how to make money selling soap.

How To Make Money Selling Soap

1. Sell to friends, family, craft fairs, and organic/handmade- markets

Consider this as the first stage of how to make money selling soap. It is essential to start with this stage to test your soap-making skills.

Since this is the beginning stage of creation, you can afford to commit mistakes. Also, the customers can give honest and direct feedback.

Thus, you can try as many recipes, and distribute your products to your acquaintances. You can give away the soaps free of cost. Or, you can charge a minimum amount that is enough to cover your expenses. Either way, you should focus more on getting feedback than the earnings.

From there, you get to open a kiosk at a craft fair or an organic handmade market. It is an automatic progression from giving away soaps for free. 

Selling at fairs helps you understand the competition and the audience. That leads you to know both your soap crafting and business skills. 

2. Sell at online marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon Handmade

Selling online is a natural progression from selling soaps to people in person.

Every creative person considers the Etsy platform. But there are several others that you can ponder.

Gumroad is a beautiful platform. Its alternatives are great as well.

3. Sell your creations to other soap businesses

Suppose you are looking forward to having an entire year-round of business.  Then, selling to other soap businesses is the key.  This setup lets you stay worry-free about scouting for business if you have a few tie-ups in place.  

This is the B2B or business-to-business model. It works through agreements with other businesses to become their outsourcing partner.

That way you can create soaps in bulk and fulfill them as per the order requirements. For sure, this is a steady source of making money through making soaps. But it would be best if you consider that this model will have the lowest margins per bar/unit of soap.

4. Sell to hotels and chains of hotels

The hospitality industry requires soaps and toiletries on a regular basis. Hence, they are a target customer for selling handmade soaps. 

Most boutique hotels prefer to introduce their guests to hand-crafted products. That is why it makes good business sense to identify them and work out a long-term business deal.

The good part of having a tie-up with a hospitality chain is that you get recurring business. Predictability in the business helps you manage the costs of bath soap ingredients.

5. Sell through your store

It is one of the best ways to have a successful soap-making business on your terms. 

Through a self-hosted online shop, you can sell soaps and toiletries. Also, you can sell related digital products as well.

When you open an online store, you have several options to serve your customer base. The best one is to identify a soap business niche and then scale up from there. For instance, you can sell soaps with fan-based themes like Lego and Game of Thrones.

Along with soaps, you can try innovative products that will help you boost your earnings.

2 such unique ideas are as below:

Soap-making kits

You can consider this as a soap business in a box. Meaning, you package the ingredients to make soap and sell it to customers. This makes a great product for DIY enthusiasts. You can try various permutations and combinations with this product model.

Also, people appreciate the process of making soap without lye.  

Digital downloads

This is my favorite way to run a business. If you have been following my journey. Then, you must have come across my best-selling digital product – a soap business planner.

6. Sell your expertise in making soaps to others

For obvious reasons, this works when you have considerable experience in selling soaps.

With your years of experience, you can teach others to start their handmade business.

Teaching has no barriers. Therefore, there are many ways you can use to impart your knowledge to others.

The best part about the transaction of knowledge is that it is two-way. Thus, interaction with novices will improve your knowledge of the soap business. But of course, the monetary gain will always be a part of the deal.

Workshops

Watching someone how to make soap from scratch can be a big help to a novice to know how to make money selling soap.

Once you attain proficiency in soap-making skills, you can move on to giving workshops. The workshops can be both online as well as offline.

You can even offer a how to make soap step by step experience through Airbnb. 

Online courses

Creating and selling an online course is one of the best ways to spread knowledge. The best part is that it also becomes one of the best ways to make money through soaps.

You can create helpful videos to show the various nuances of soap making. The work required to create videos is once, but it keeps reaping benefits for a long time.

7. Get into a complete bath and body business selling everything related to toiletries.

This segment is akin to reaching a soap business’s top of the pyramid. 

This stage of earning can come after grasping the know-how of every aspect of a soap business. From there, the progress is up the ladder by getting full throttle into the bath and body business.

A complete bath and body business could include many products apart from soaps. Following is the list of products that you can consider:

• Bath bombs
• Body wash
• Shampoo and Conditioner
• Body Lotion
• Sanitizers
• Soap Dish
• Loofah
• Bath mittens
• Body scrubs
• Body Oil
• Body mist
• Scented candles (soap and candle business go hand in hand)

Looking at the list above, you can get an idea of how vast the soap business can get. If you understand that, then it is easy to know how to make money selling soaps.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page. 

Conclusion

There are several soap and toiletries brands in the market. But the charm of organic handmade soaps never seems to die down.

That is the reason one Lush brand is not enough. You will always end up purchasing a few handmade soaps during your travels. Or it gets difficult to say no to buying the beautiful smelling exotic soaps in a local handmade market.

There is more to the soap-making business than creating soaps and selling them. This article enlists them all. So, do share it with friends who wish to turn their hobby into a thriving business.

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As a handmade seller on Etsy, you must have experienced phases of low sales. The pandemic was one of the key factors in stopping the physical delivery of artwork.

Therefore, it has become crucial for every handmade business to sell digital products.

Etsy is the first choice for everyone. But if you look beyond Etsy, there is Gumroad. Gumroad is different from Etsy. But it is an alternative worth considering.

Both platforms require marketing for handmade products due to saturation and competition. So, it makes sense to consider the Gumroad vs Etsy differences. 

Gumroad Vs Etsy: 5 Key Differences

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page. 

1. Pricing

Pricing is an important deciding factor when you are starting a handmade business. That is why it tops the list of Gumroad vs Etsy differences.

It is a pleasure to realize that Gumroad costs nothing to showcase products. Yes, it costs zilch to start listing your products on Gumroad. 

Though, they do charge a fee when you make a sale. It costs a percentage of your earnings plus a flat 30 cents per transaction. 

The percentage deduction differs on your lifetime earnings. The best part is that Gumroad deducts less with each milestone you achieve. That means you earn more when you start selling more with Gumroad.

They also have a pay-as-you-feel-like feature. That means the buyers can pay as much as they deem fit for the product. 

Such pricing helps beginner crafters as they get to test the market for their creations.

On the other hand, Etsy costs have a multiverse of complications. The platform has three components of pricing as below:

1.1 Listing Fees

This first set of fees is 0.020$ per listing. Though, this small listing fee becomes zero when someone refers you to Etsy or if you refer someone.

There are a few more levels of complications with this fee. They are auto-renew sold, multi-quantity, and private listing fees.

1.2 Transaction Fees

How much I wish that this fee was a mere percentage of sales. But Etsy complicates it further by adding shipping and gift wrapping charges. That means the more services you offer to your customers, the more Etsy rips you apart. 

By the way, the transaction fee is a whopping 6.5%. 

1.3 Payment Processing Fees

Over and above the humongous transaction fee, they also impose a fee for easing sales. This fee has a set component plus a percentage of the sale price. 

Etsy considers the sale price as wholesome. That means shipping and government taxes are also a part of the sales price.

This fee differs from country to country, thus adding to the complications. 

If you are in the mood for some more adventure. Then, you can enjoy Etsy’s extra features like Ads and Shipping labels. 

If you are not yet overwhelmed with the various charges of Etsy. Then, you should have a look at their Pattern offering. It seems like their desperate attempt to prevent sellers from starting their websites. 

So, as you can guess, it is a website builder service to charge sellers an additional subscription fee.

In short, you lose more when you sell more with Etsy.

2. Format

Both platforms facilitate solopreneurship. But both their interfaces are different from each other.

Both Gumroad and Etsy let users sell and buy. But there is a vast difference in their approach. 

Etsy works on a marketplace platform. Though, Gumroad leans on a portfolio-based approach.

That means Etsy exposes a potential buyer to several search query options. That brings in huge competition as the buyer gets to see a lot of products.

The chances of a buyer arriving at any Gumroad shop are through prior lead generation. In all probability, it would be through the seller or the various affiliates of the seller.

If one takes numbers into account, then the differences make sense. 

Etsy has over 120 M items for sale making $13.49 B in annual gross merchandise sales in 2021.

Unlike Etsy, Gumroad is not public yet. That is why there is no constant pool of data. According to one of their blog post, about 46,000 creators earned $142 million in 2020.

3. Tiered Selling

This aspect makes a marked difference between both platforms.

Gumroad offers layers for the sellers to showcase their products to its buyers. For instance, as a seller, you can give variations to a product with its Versions feature.

Tiered selling from Gumroad lets sellers offer multiple formats for a single product. For example, as a soap seller, you can give different colors/ aromas of the primary offering. You need not offer individual listings/products for variations of a base product.

The above tiers apply to all 7 product types. They are as follows:

• Digital Files
• Course/ Tutorial
• E-book
• Newsletter
• Membership
• Podcast
• Audio Book
• Physical Products

In comparison, Etsy does not offer variations as a feature. But as a seller on their platform, you can make some on your own.

For instance, you can offer a discount on shipping if you club two or more products or their variations.

Moreover, the Etsy platform focuses on physical products. But you can also sell digital products with ease.  

The Etsy platform cannot sell recurring digital products. These include products like memberships, newsletters, and podcasts.

Also, the platform is not the first choice for selling courses and tutorials. As of the time of writing this article, all such products are beyond Etsy.

4. Marketing

Whoever tried selling knows how important marketing is. Selling handmade crafts online is no different. You have to get your message out to attract the buyers who end up paying.

Whether it is Gumroad or Etsy, marketing is necessary. The inbuilt marketing framework of each differs.

Etsy has an advertising function that you can avail to get a feature on the first row. Plus, Etsy also functions as per SEO principles. 

That means there is plenty of opportunity to use tags and descriptions to move closer to a sale. If you subscribe to Pattern by Etsy, then you can blog to market your shop.

With Gumroad, apart from the SEO features and blog, there is a Discover feature. It is like the platform itself suggesting products from its curated list to the audience. Discover platform sorts products under various heads. The range varies from audio to books, gaming, software, and a lot more.

However, Gumroad lacks paid advertising, the way Etsy provides. 

5. Control on Reviews

If as a handmade seller you got a 1-star review on Etsy. Then, you know for sure how much that hurts.

Most of the time it is not about your failure as a seller. But it could be a glitch in the shipping service, or the buyer did not or misread your listing.

Those are the times when you lose your enthusiasm to make your small business a success.

It is unfortunate that on Etsy’s platform the seller cannot contest the review that a buyer gives. The platform has a bias toward the buyers.

But with Gumroad, there is an option to not display the reviews on your shop. That means if you receive some bad reviews, you can decide if you wish to conceal them from the future audience.

That gives you leeway to earn back the positive reviews that you can display later.

6. Control on Piracy

Etsy as a platform has evolved over the years. These days it is common to find buyers listing fake handmade products. Many sellers sell from Chinese websites claiming to be their handmade work.

That is why the platform has become strict and vigilant with the sellers. Thus, in recent times, Etsy has shut down shops that break their rules.

With Gumroad, there is control over selling fake digital products. They stamp digital products with a unique license. That way, every download gets a verification. It works well with a software product. However, you can use it on PDF files as well. 

It cannot prevent a fake sale, but it lets you know the source from where the piracy started.

7. Newsletter Services

A direct line of contact with an audience increases the chances of recurring sales.

If a business has the consent from its audience to receive mails. Then, it is a powerful asset for the respective business unit to possess.

Etsy does not let you have the email details of your customers. Because of that, you cannot have direct contact with them.

That means you are at the mercy of the platform to get you sales. Some sellers do use QR codes in their images to get customers’ data. But that could bring in issues if someday Etsy decides to change its rules.

But with Gumroad, you get to own a sale. That means you can contact the customer through their mail ids. You can use their inbuilt newsletter broadcasting service. Or you can even import the contacts outside the platform to use as per your email marketing strategy. 

Gumroad Alternatives

1. Sellfy

It is a considerable alternative to Gumroad for selling digital/physical products. It has a free plan for beginners with an inventory of up to 10 products.

Gumroad integrates with print-on-demand apps like Printful. But Sellfy has its print-on-demand features. That means you can create and sell customized merchandise without owning any inventory.

Like Gumroad, they stamp digital products to prevent piracy.

2. Bigcartel

I love Bigcartel. I own a shop there for a decade. It is decent for a beginner crafter. 

Their starter pricing plan lets you put 5 products without paying them a penny. They have a lot of options to customize the shop.

Like Gumroad, they let you run promotions and discounts.

Bigcartel promotes itself as an easy online store maker for artists and makers.

3. Ecwid

Like Gumroad, opening a storefront with Ecwid is free. But unlike Gumroad, the free store has a limit of 10 products.

Though the good part is that they do not charge a transaction fee. So, whatever you earn from your products goes straight to your bank account.

4. Payhip

Payhip seems like a close contender to Gumroad. They let you showcase digital downloads, courses, memberships, and even physical products. 

What makes them different from Gumroad is the transaction fee tiers. Their free plan has the highest transaction fees of 5%. While their most expensive plan has 0 transaction fees. Although each of their plans lets you showcase unlimited products.

5. Paypal

Paypal is and will remain the pioneer in making online transactions seamless. Before I started using Gumroad and Thrivecart, I used Paypal to sell my creations. The Paypal buttons help to ease selling.

Since Paypal is a payment processor, I still use it to route my earnings. My earnings from Gumroad and Thrivecart reach my bank account through PayPal.

6. Stripe

Stripe is the recent favorite for receiving and paying money online. You can consider it the direct competitor to Paypal. 

I was a little late in experiencing Stripe because it took years to come to my country. You can consider it as an alternative to Etsy. But you must consider its transaction fee that differs from country to country. 

Also, they require proof of the establishment of the business. That could be a roadblock

 if you have not turned your hobby into a business yet.

7. Zopping

This one is interesting because it works on pushing creators to make more sales. Yes, that is the reason they do not charge a single penny till you make a certain amount in sales revenue.

The amount will differ in your country. But it is about no charge up to $1000 sales. From there it starts at $20 and goes up to $100 for about $100,000 in sales revenue.

Extra costs would be of transferring earnings to your bank account via a third-party app.

8. Thinkific

This platform is famous for selling online courses. 

At 0 cost and 0 transaction fees, you can sell 1 digital product with Thinkific. So, you can use it to start testing your digital art business.

9. Teachable

Teachable is a popular name for online courses. Much like Thinkific, it also has a 0-cost monthly plan to sell 1 digital course/product. 

But it charges $1 + 10% transaction fees for every sale.

Conclusion

If you are looking for Etsy alternatives for digital downloads. Then, you can look forward to selling on Gumroad. 

Gumroad works for myriad products like art prints, courses, and memberships. But you can also sell physical artwork. Though the best part is that there are no listing fees to sell. That means you get to sell unlimited products without spending a single penny.

So, if you know someone who gets confused regarding Gumroad vs Etsy. Then, this is the article you need to share with them.

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As an owner of a handmade business do you struggle with craft blog post ideas?

What do you write in a craft blog is a question that most of the crafters who make and sell products at home ponder. 

There is never a shortage of topics to write on. But, the vast amount of choices available can perplex someone.

If being a handmade artist, you maintain a craft blog. Then, you must read further to know about various subjects to write on.

105 Craft Blog Post Ideas

1. ABCs Of Your Craft

What could be better than taking your audience to every term related to your craft? You can dedicate an entire post to tackling each word, its definition, and its use case.

For instance, I wrote this article explaining the terms of Inbound marketing.

2. Added Accessories And Enhancements

There are so many products/items that enhance the beauty of a craft. For example, a wooden frame can improve the aesthetics of a painting. Or, a jewelry holder would be a great option to showcase a collection of chokers. 

You can also suggest binders/files for storing printed versions of digital planners. 

3. Affiliates In The Craft Field

Affiliates exist in every field of craft. You can dedicate an entire blog post to introducing the affiliates to your readers. Such content will help your readers with earning opportunities through marketing art affiliates.  

4. Answer Popular Queries

Frequently asked questions aka FAQs are a great way to dispel doubts and concerns. 

So, helping out with the issues that most of the crafters in your field face makes a good helpful blog topic.

Facebook groups and Quora help in getting to know the most popular questions on crafting.

5. Awards And Contests 

Felicitations, awards, and contests happen in almost every craft field. You can gather all the important ones from all over the world and present them in a blog post for your readers. It will be a great post to keep bringing your readers back to your site to not miss the upcoming ones.

6. Basic Number Crunching 

Most creative people do not think like entrepreneurs. They lack the financial knowledge essential for boosting sales and reducing dead stock.

Thus, you can blog about the calculations and formulas for improving the business. My article on improving profits in the soap business is one such post that you can take a cue from.

7. Best Apps and Websites

Who does not like an app that makes their life easy? So, you can write about the best apps to help the craft. That will make up the list of great craft blog post ideas.

8. Best Experience With A Customer

This one is a no-brainer. Many of us have had experiences with those great customers who make our day.

Then, why not write about them and make them famous? A post about good customers can spread positivity, and it may create more such great customers.

9. Best Experience With A Vendor

Much like good customers, some good vendors do exist. You can dedicate an appreciative post to them.

Who does not like to hear about the best people to do business with? That is why the idea of introducing your readers to your set of best vendors is a wonderful post. 

No business can survive without a good set of vendors who keep you stocked with supplies. So, a blog post highlighting good business suppliers will spread the positive word.

You can write about the vendors who are conducive for beginners in the craft. I bet that will turn into a piece of content with high shareability.

10. Best Quotes On Craft

Talking about those days when I have no motivation to deal with my business gives me shivers. I find myself blessed to survive through the downs and thrive to bare it all with you.

Many quotes on positivity related to crafting have helped me go through troubled times. You can also find peace, inspiration, and lots of ideas to post about through quotes. 

You can also make products from some encouragement quotes the way I did. My shop enlists a few encouragement products in a digital sticker format.

11. Best Social Media Handles To Follow

It is empowering to have a tribe of crafters with whom you resonate. You can enlist them with the details of their social media handles on a post. 

It will make a one-stop resource for all your readers to refer to for advice in their crafting careers.

12. Best Tweets On Your Craft

Consider tweets as the social media version of quotes from famous people. At times, tweets can be great for soaking in life-saving advice or some element of a cautionary signal. 

That is why you can make an assortment of the best tweets that might appeal to your readers.

13. Books On The Craft

Who does not love a good book on a topic they need help with? So, it is obvious to enlist all the books that have helped you get better in your crafting career. 

Such a post will help your readers receive information and advice. Thus, it will propel their business to success.

14. Cautions Related To The Craft

There are a lot of Dos and Don’ts related to any process. The same applies to the process of creating a craft. 

My friends from the photography business give preference to lighting. As per them, it is crucial to understand how lighting works before investing in a high-end camera. 

Likewise, you can write a long-form post highlighting what one should do or/not do in a particular craft.

15. Challenge-Based Posts

These kinds of posts have a high probability of becoming viral. It is because they create a sense of curiosity and suspense. 

There are several topics for creating challenge-based content. You can start with a series in a particular sub-category of your craft. 

But if you cannot think of a theme for a challenge-based post. Then, the best is to post about one craft piece every day. The blog post can enlist all the details involved in making it.

16. Charities

Most of us have a preference for a set of causes or initiatives that are close to our hearts. You can talk about them in one of your posts.

There could be some charities that focus on helping crafters from your fraternity. So, why not tell your audience about them? That could make them use it to their advantage.

17. Checklist

These are my favorite form of creating lead magnets for posts. They are also great for creating engaging blog posts. 

A checklist could have important to-dos for a respective craft. You can customize the items in the list for your readers.

18. Classes/Courses Related To Craft

Someone involved with the craft for a long time would know about good courses. Thus, being a craft blogger, you can inform your audience about the best learning medium.

The course could be by the teachers from whom you studied. That would help your tribe update and hone themselves.

19. Common Mistakes 

I am in complete favor of learning from mistakes. That is because the errs done teach how not to approach the respective task.

So, why not create a post on the common faults committed by you or others you know? That will help the rookies be more mindful in their crafting journeys.

20. Competitors

Most of the creative makers sulk about the saturation of the market. Some even procrastinate their decision to start their Etsy shop due to competition.

Though, I am someone who would never think of starting a business until I find at least 2-3 competitors. 

It is because competition means the category of business is worth to strive. 

Most of the time, competition teaches us what to do better to create a first mover advantage. So, be generous and refer your audience to other players in the handmade business. That could lead to earning some affiliate commission as well.

21. Crafts Experienced During Travel

Now that everyone is learning to adjust to the virus outbreak, travel is once again gaining momentum. If you are a traveling person, you can document your art and craft experiences.

Such posts will widen your authority on the knowledge. It will also depict your keen appreciation of creative endeavors.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page. 

22. Craft Shows/ Exhibitions

Craft shows, exhibitions, and farmers’ markets were the holy grail for handmade creatives. These activities experienced a lull due to the pandemic. But now they are happening all over again.

You can talk about them in your post so that people become aware of their happenings.

23. Creatives Uses and Purposes

Most of us do not consider artistic products over and beyond a showpiece. That makes an excellent reason to write about purposeful uses of your craft. For instance, a magnet souvenir business creates travel memorabilia. Along with this, it also has the functional use of sticking bills on a refrigerator.

Along similar lines, you can create wonderful craft blog post ideas.

24. Current Affairs

There is ample scope to find out what is happening in the world of creative arts. You can compile the news related to craft and present it to your audience in a blog post.

They would appreciate you being aware of the current affairs in the world of crafting.

25. Dealing With A Personal Crisis

Every one of us is fighting battles and there will be more to look forward to till we breathe. Though the way to deal with suffering differs. 

So, why not talk about them with your readers? I have done it and thinking about the love and empathy that I have received from my readers still brings me tears. People will laud your strength and feel connected after reading such posts.

26. Debunk Popular Myths

You would know by now that every craft profession has a lot of fads. Some of it could be true, but the rest of it could be plain myths. So, you can help your readers by sifting out the myths from the facts. That way they will know what advice they should ignore.

27. Digital Products Related To Craft

The entire world is transitioning to the digital medium. Then, why should the crafting world not follow the trend? 

Most crafters shy away from creating digital products. They remain stuck in the rut to create more and more physical products. 

As a veteran, you can introduce them to various ways they can ride the digital products wave. Without a doubt, that will increase their profit and create more stability.

28. Expectation Vs. Reality (Truth Bombs)

As a handmade business owner, you must have been there and done it several times. Most people think that creative entrepreneurship involves immersion in art and craft 24×7. But with time they realize that creativity also involves selling handmade items. 

So, a post highlighting such shattering truths will serve as an early eye-opener. It will also weed out wannabes who cannot put in the effort.

29. Explain Your Blog Writing Process

I have written more than 1000 blog posts till now. So, have learned a thing or two about writing them well. 

Likewise, you too must have developed a writing process while maintaining your blog. Sharing that process will add to the kitty of craft blog post ideas.

30. Facts/ Data Related To Your Craft

Knowing facts and data related to a topic of interest is interesting. As a veteran in your field of craft, you can share interesting trivia on your blog.

31. Famous Persons Invovled

You must have heard about Jennifer Maker’s income reports. She deserves the credit for inspiring crafters to start a craft blog business. 

You can also mention famous people in your posts to inspire and broaden the vision of your readers.

32. Gifts Received/Given Related To The Craft

Without a doubt, handmade items serve as one of the best thoughtful gifts to near and dear ones.

As a crafting junkie, you must be gifting your creations to your friends and family. You can enlist all the gifts received/ given in a blog post.

For instance, you can create gift guides for mountain-loving people or hippy souls.

33. Giveaways

Giveaways are great to make your content go viral. You can make it meaningful for your audience by giving away products related to your craft.

Rafflecopter and KingSumo are popular apps to facilitate giveaways.

34. Guide For Complete Beginners In The Craft

Newbies in a field of craft come up with the best of questions. That is why most of my blog posts address their concerns. 

I know with experience that you will never be out of craft blog post ideas if you concentrate on beginners.

35. Hacks

A hack from a veteran can save time and effort for an amateur crafter. Hence, you must write a post featuring the best hacks you know about.

36. History And Origin Of The Craft

Every craft tells a story. It is beautiful to hear about its origin and present-day status. In a blog post, you can share with your readers how the craft has evolved over the years.

For instance, you can write about the influence of various tribes on your craft.

37. How The Craft Helps You And Everyone Else

My survival is due to art and craft. I started this blog when I was struggling in my personal and professional life. Over the years, this blog helped me overcome my fears and anxiety. 

Also, the content of this blog helps crafters reduce the overwhelm in their business. That way my creativity ends up helping me and others.

Likewise, you can blog about the positive aspects of your craft.

38. How To Budget The Crafting Expenses

Let us admit that making crafts requires a significant amount of expenses. Every crafter has their way to deal with the purchases involved.

You can write about the method you follow for craft budgets. 

39. How To Clean Up And Tidy

The job does not end with making the crafts alone. The piled-up mess makes up the significant aftermath of creative pursuits. 

Hence, dealing with the cleaning after creation will make up a great post worth writing about. It will help cut the chaos and confusion.

40. How To Identify Quality Craft

Today I got to know how to identify the stonefruit or the Rudraksha. All my life I had no idea how could prayer beads be so different from each other.

On a similar note, you would know how to know which crafts are of the best quality. You can teach your customers and readers what to look for when making buying decisions.

41. How To Price The Craft

Pricing is an important factor to sell crafts and run a creative business. Most newbie craft enthusiasts struggle to get the pricing formula.

It is not easy to put a price on the time and skills involved in creating crafts. That is why as a rule of thumb, you can charge 3 times your material cost.

But having experience, you can come up with a different pricing logic. You can explain your pricing theory in a post.

42. How To Reuse Waste

Achieving zero wastage is a dream. It is unfortunate that many crafting activities also involve wastage.

The fashion industry adds a lot of scraps and unused fabrics that end up in landfills. A good way to use them could be stylish handmade fabric jewelry or bags and purses.

You could also share with your readers the creative ways to utilize wastage.

43. How To Sabotage

This would seem like an act of destruction. But you get it when you are an artist dealing with hazardous elements. Plastic, glass, or some metal parts require a demolition plan.

It is vital to update beginners in the craft about the safe handling of dangerous materials.

44. Interesting Anecdotes And Trivia

I love to know little tidbits related to crafts. Over the years I have gathered some interesting ones. 

One of them is about the popular silhouette art. It has evolved from the shadow theatre art form of Indonesia and France. 

I am sure you will have a lot of interesting information to share with your audience.

45. Interview A Crafter From Your Audience

You can pick up a random person from your audience and interview them. If they are a buyer, you can ask for their opinions on the craft. If they are fellow crafters, you can discuss their unique crafting styles.

The script/video/audio of the interview can further produce 3 different forms of content. You can then recycle and cross-post on various social media channels.

46. Interview A Successful Crafter

It is always inspiring to hear someone successful in your craft field. Listening to that person’s story opens up new avenues. It can teach your crafting audience how to propel their career in the right direction. 

47. Latest Purchases For The Craft

The list of raw materials is never-ending. Then, why not talk about your latest purchases in a blog post? 

It will let your readers know what goes into your process of crafting. That way they will know how authentic you are.

48. Latest Social Media Controversy

The entire world has become super sensitive to incidents that happen in any part of the world. There are a lot of controversies happening in the craft world too. 

The luxury handmade brand Hermes attracts controversy for harming animals. You can offer your views and opinions on the trending controversy in a blog post.

49. Latest Trends In The Craft

Trends are what make the world unite and agree on a single topic. That offers a wonderful opportunity to incorporate into your crafting life.

Anything Geodes was a trend sometime back. Many crafters made use of it by making handmade products like soaps, wind chimes, and lamps.

50. Listicles

This article is proof that Listicles are my favorite. I love them because they make it clear to my readers what to expect by reading the headline. 

Moreover, they stretch my creativity to deliver. Try them for the craft blog post ideas that you ponder upon. You will get amazed at how smooth the content generation process becomes. 

51. Lookbook

A lookbook helps users visualize how to use and stylize a particular craft item. A lot of crafters on Instagram share ideas on how to place their craft in their homes/offices. That way you provide useful design ideas for your audience.

52. Memes

Memes are my absolute favorite. Most of the digital content that I consume daily consists of memes.

Memes mean different to everyone. I create and use them as humorous satires for everyday crafting situations.

Below you can see one of my memes that a crafter can relate to.

53. Milestones Achieved

Sharing a crafting journey is one of the greatest craft blog post ideas. I keep sharing my milestones with my audience. That way they get to know my journey and challenges. 

Such a post gives readers hope and challenges them to keep going.

54. Movies/Series That Relate To Craft

Who can forget that sizzling pottery scene from the popular movie Ghost? The movie with its stellar cast and story made pottery a conversation starter.

In the movie Big Eyes, it is important to learn how to not let legal issues affect handmade businesses.

You can also share documentaries/series/movies related to your craft via a blog post.

55. Must-Haves Related To Craft

I keep sharing the tools/resources/courses that help my handmade business. Posts enlisting the mandatory items for running a successful craft business work well. They let your readers know what is essential for the crafting business.

Must haves could also be intangible items like the strength to part away with your craft pieces.

56. Philanthropy Ideas

Giving away is the best way to attract what you seek. It took me years to understand it. But when I got it, I did not shy away from giving away whatever I had to have more of what I wanted.

The analogy sounds complex and needs some time and experience to understand. 

In practical terms, donate your craft and mention it in a blog post. I am not comfortable disclosing the donations I make. But if you are fine telling everyone about it, then do it.

The amount of positivity coming your way via a post sharing a philanthropic deed will amaze you.

You can make use of various crowdfunding apps to fuel your philanthropy projects.

57. Pictures Of The Latest Work

Why should you not share your latest work with your audience? This should rather be a norm to share the latest work in posts.

Frequent sharing of work lets your audience gauge your involvement with your craft.

58. Places Associated With The Craft

There are so many beautiful places in the world that inspire creativity. You can write a post about those places to let people know about them.

Desa Mas in Ubud, Bali is famous for wood carving. Chiang Mai is famous for its craft markets. While Turkiye has lots of fiber crafts.

59. Planners Related To Craft

My handmade business niche is planners for handmade business owners. You can also introduce planners so that your readers can streamline their business. 

Then, why not share all your favorite planners in a post?

60. Folk Arts Related To Craft

Popular traditions lead to folk art. It is different from fine art. At times folk art bears its impression on popular art forms. 

For instance, the tribal artwork lends its impression to designer apparel. You can contribute your knowledge to a blog post by sharing similar folk stories of your craft.

61. Post About Comparisons

I love comparison posts because they make the decision process easy. I am regular in doing posts that compare two products/services.

You can also post about two different entities highlighting their pros and cons. 

62. Prediction For The Craft

Imagine how great it would be if there was someone who told you what would life would be like a few years from now. 

You can also be a craft trends prediction genie for your followers. Such a post will help readers make decisions about their crafting journeys.

63. Prerequisites To Follow The Craft

Every craft may not be for everyone to pursue. Some of them have long production cycles, though some may be high on capital investments.

Thus, you can post how to brace yourself before investing in a respective craft.

64. Processes Involved

Every craft involves processes. So, it makes a great craft blog post idea when you include a few crafting processes.

For instance, writing about the quilling process can work for paper craft blogs. 

65. Quizzes Related To Craft

Quizzes enhance curiosity. Thus, they work to bring and retain traffic. 

I use quizzes on my lead magnets and social media as well. Typeform is a great software for generating interactive quizzes.

66. Reasons To Buy The Craft

You must be obsessed with your craft. So, you would not think of reasons to buy it. But someone new to your realm could find no purpose to pay for it.

For such an audience, a post on possible reasons to own the craft would make sense.

Such posts would help you to know the best possible uses of the craft.

67. Recount A Major Business Catastrophe

You will get surprised by the empathy of your readers when you talk about a major event gone wrong. Only a few enterprises are fortunate to live and tell the tale of their disasters.

I keep sharing my shift in business strategy post my handmade marketplace went kaput. I am glad that my learnings let others not repeat my mistake.

68. Recreate Popular Product

There is nothing wrong with finding inspiration in famous products. There are several recreations of the Starry Nights and artwork of Frieda Kahlo.

You can also share your version of popular and classic artwork in a post. But make sure that you comply with copyright laws.

69. Review New/Popular Tool/Resource

The dynamic environment that we live in keeps bringing new resources to our lives.

So, you can write about the new tools/apps you are using that make your crafting journey easier. 

70. Roundup Posts

Consider these as the listicles on what you have already posted before. They are not repetitive posts but goal-based compilations from the earlier ones.

You can include content from other bloggers as well in roundup posts. 

For example, you can include the best Christmas projects in a roundup post. That post could have content from your competitors and your earlier posts too.

71. Sales Pitch Of The Latest Product

Even the best products need a sales pitch. Most creatives suffer from the idea that if their artwork is beautiful, it will sell all by itself.

That is a fallacy because every art is worth appreciation, but that does not mean someone will buy it.

That is why you should share the techniques that help you sell to your audience. You can start with your latest or best-selling product.

72. Set Up A Contest

This is a super cool technique to create viral posts.

You can make it mandatory to share the contest post. That way everyone taking part will end up getting you more traffic and subscribers. Make sure to make the rules clear in the post to avoid chaos and confusion post the contest.

73. Sharing Publicity/ In The News

It may seem like an unnecessary show-off to mention your write-up in a magazine/newspaper. 

But if you are not comfortable talking about your achievements. Then, think of the reasons why others would do.

So, become your cheerleader and spread your publicity again in a post.

74. Successful Crafters 

I love doing this activity. That is why I do it often. All of us need inspiration, and who could be better than successful ones from your crafting niche?

Such posts will strengthen the bonds with your contemporaries in the craft field.

75. Sustainable Option For The Craft

The entire globe is moving towards substitutes for pollution-creating processes. That is how the sustainable movement has begun.

You could look for ways to make your craft processes sustainable. That way, you become closer to achieving zero wastage and damage to the environment.

76. Talk About Those You Admire In The Craft

You can write this post to share your idols with your readers. All of us aspire to be like someone. 

So, you can share about the ones you admire in a post.  

77. Talk About Your Inspirations And Ideas

As a creative, there must be tons of ideas that trigger your creative mind. Then, why not write about them in a blog post?

That might also inspire your readers to recreate your rendition in their way.

78. Tattoos Related To Your Craft

Tattoos are handmade works of art. Getting inked is synonymous with displaying one’s values and passion.

Therefore, you can share the tattoos that relate to your crafting passion.

79. Teach How To Start A Craft Blog

Since you are reading this post, I am sure that you have a craft blog. But many crafters struggle to start one.

You can be a helping hand to such handmade creators who wish to start a self-hosted craft blog.

80. Teaching The Craft

There is nothing better than creating students out of your eager audience. By teaching the craft you add to the community of artists. 

Plus, the joy of seeing someone succeed with your guidance is beyond exemplary.

81. Things To Never Do

Even after making a checklist of cautions, there is always stuff that you must never do. For instance, while making handmade soaps, you can never add water to the lye. Rather, it is the other way round else you could end up in an accident.

82. Useful Tools

No crafter can survive without a good set of tools. Even paper crafts that are low on a budget need specialized tools. Activities like quilling or paper-making have a respective set of equipment.

Hence, a post describing your choice of tools and the reasons for selecting them is a good blog post topic.

83. Various Sub-Niches In The Craft

Many newbie crafters get confused with niches. But a seasoned one with a stable business understands them well.

You can use a blog post as an opportunity to introduce your audience to various niches in your craft.

84. Video Content On Blog Posts

Who can deny the power of videos in this digital age? Videos are the latest mode of communication and are going to stay.

You must be sharing video content in the form of reels on your social media and YouTube. So, you can share the same/similar videos on your blog posts too.

85. Ways To Sell Your Craft

If you thrive as an artist. Then, you can share with your readers how to bring in sales. Most creative people struggle to sell their artwork. That is why the craft blog post ideas that help artists bring in sales work well.

86. What Is Your Craft Called In Other Languages

This one could be a fun topic to write a post on your craft blog. It could bring in contribution from your readers as well. 

Such a post could be a great way to know the diverse crowd that reads your content.

87. What Went Wrong

I am a big fan of learning from others’ mistakes. That is the reason I love to read content that deals with mishaps from the past. 

You can also move from your comfort zone and blog about some embarrassing mistakes. The readers will respect you for being candid.

88. Why You Discontinued ——-

I started this website with the intent to create a handmade marketplace. The idea was to build a platform as an alternative to Etsy. But today it is a digital business on handmade products. 

My business is also an affiliate for Amazon handmade. Writing about the transitions and discontinuations helps your readers know about epitome shifts. Thus, it makes a good topic for a craft blog post.

89. Work Routine

Your audience must be fond of you. 

Then, they would want to know what you do as a crafter daily.

So, you can share with them your typical daily routine in a post. It could help with planning and scheduling life for a fulfilling work-life balance.

90. Worst Experience With A Customer

Everyone in business gets to experience customers who end up giving nightmares. Some of them even make us rethink our choices in business. Those not-so-good customers teach about what not to do in the future. That is why you must share such bad experiences with your readers.

91. Worst Experience With A Vendor

Like the customers, some vendors can also give us a hard time. So, you must write about them and beware your readers to be careful in dealing with them.

92. Your Aha Moment

All of us have those moments of epiphany that alter our paths forever. I had such a revelation when I realized that I could sell planners to handmade business owners. 

That was the aha moment that propelled my handmade business to success. I am sure your eureka moments will make great craft blog post ideas.

93. Your Earnings

The posts listing how much you earn with your crafts are the real deal breaker. The craft blogs that make money are an instant hit with their readers.

Such posts inspire other crafters to stick to their careers despite the struggles. Also, knowing about the monetary success of an artist pushes sales.

Do not worry if your earnings are not satisfactory. With your efforts and dedication, you can share the upward graph that will engage the readers.

94. Your Family 

Readers connect with the artists and would want to know more about them. That is why an introduction to your family around you makes for great craft blog post ideas.

95. Your First Product

I keep creating content about my firsts to give hope to my audience. That is the reason they work well. 

For obvious reasons, my first product is dear to me as it laid the foundation for my business. 

Likewise, sharing a post about your first product will let people know about your journey.

96. Your Friends

In my life, a few friends have done much more than my family ever thought of doing for me.

So, I mention them in my content to let my readers know about those angels.

97. Your Learnings From The Craft

Art as a medium is one of the best teachers. It not only helps channel our energies towards positivity. But it also gives us an identity and a fulfilling profession to look forward to.

Your learnings would be unique, and your readers must know about them.

98. Your Pets

In case you have been following me for a while. Then, you would know that I am obsessed with animals.

Animals own a big chunk of my content. You can also share posts about your dear pets with your readers.

99. Your Products In A Timeline

Two years back, I did not have a single product. Now I offer more than ten products to my audience. The leap in product creation has been phenomenal. 

Every new product launch makes me think that that would be my last offering. But I always end up surprising my product portfolio. 

In a similar way, you can share the evolution of products in a post.

100. Your Rules And Beliefs

Everyone has a set of theories to run life and work. You can talk about your guiding principles in life with your readers. 

That will lead to building an authentic relationship with your readers. 

For example, if you have ever canceled/postponed a commissioned work due to a customer’s loss. Then, you can discuss that event in a blog post. That will let people know that your empathy is more than your zeal to earn profits.

101. Your Story About Getting Into The Craft

I keep telling my readers how I stumbled upon starting a digital planner business. It was a freebie I designed for the blog that took off and led to what my business is today.

On a similar note, you can share how you stumbled upon your crafting journey.

102. Your Studio

No matter what art you practice, the workplace has a major impact on its journey. I have never belonged to one place since I keep traveling. That is why I make use of coworking spaces. I mention them in my content to update my readers about my whereabouts.

103. Your Team

It takes a team to take a plunge from solopreneurship to a full-fledged business. That is the reason you cannot miss them from your content. 

You can introduce your coworkers and subordinates in a post. The post can have details highlighting their roles and responsibilities.

104. Your Website In The Past

This is one of my favorite craft blog post ideas. It lets your audience relate to your struggles. Thus, it leads to meaningful conversations.

Such a topic for a post instills hope in its readers.

105. Your Sales Page In The Past

Much like the website, a sales page also shows the transitions and learning. Much like every newbie, I too started with free sales page templates. Though today I use sophisticated sales page software. 

Such a post will compel readers to concentrate on improving sales from their website.

Conclusion

Artists running blogs on art and craft find it challenging to find ideas to develop content.

This article will ease their lives since it has more than 100 topics to brainstorm.

Do share it with someone who is struggling with a craft blog.

This article will give hope and ideas to work on their content.

Handmade vs machine-made is a popular topic. Humankind is in the era of advanced technological advancements. Still, the charm of handmade exists and continues to grow. 

Handmade Persian rugs with creative knots tend to outshine the industry-made woven carpets. Or, the elegance of a handmade Rolls Royce dulls the charm of any high-tech SUV. Comparisons like these imply why handmade is important today.

The difference between handmade and machine manufactured goods are many. But if you wish to compare the value of handmade products vis-a-vis the industrial ones. Then, you need to read further below:

8 Key Differences Between Handmade VS Machine Made

1. Handmade Products Are Unique

The attribute that sets handmade items apart from machine ones is their uniqueness.

No two handmade items can ever look the same. It is the distinctness of products made by hand that makes them special.

Owners of handmade products cherish the fact that no one in the world has the same product as theirs. The uniqueness of the art made with hands sets it apart from those made with a cookie-cutter approach.

Being made in small numbers, the handmade products are distinct. You know from a distance that a particular product is a handmade creation.

2. Handmade Products Can Be Custome-made

You can get handmade products made as per your wish. Since the artist who creates the work is a real person, they can do adjustments the way you want.

Such luxury is not possible with mass-made products in a factory. The handmade items have a scope of edits which cannot happen with the ones made with machines.  

That is the reason you can have the choice of colors and fitting as per your preferences. 

For instance, if you are allergic to a particular fabric, you can opt-out. Or if you have a liking for a particular color, then, you can have a custom-made order in your favorite color palette.

3. Products Made By Hand Have A Personal Touch

This is the biggest difference between handmade products and industrial ones.

You can add a name/initials or whatever you wish to on a handmade product. That is why handmade items work well as gifts of remembrance. A handmade artist can create an anniversary/ graduation/ birthday or any memorable gift.

With a machine-made production, there is no scope for adding personal details. A mass-produced production line can not afford to make changes even if they are small ones. That is why the personalized benefits make handmade gifts lovelier than machine-made ones. The gifts made in industrial zones can never have a personal appeal.

4. They Are Natural And Sustainable

Since they are handmade, the production of handmade items takes time. At times, even a simple-looking product takes about a year to make. 

For instance, making khadi fabric from raw cotton takes months to create. That is when several weavers are spinning the loom wheel to create the yarn. 

This sounds disappointing because of the long production cycle. But on the flip side, the slow production leads to slow fashion which in turn leads to less pollution.

Also, most handmade products use natural fabrics. Thus, with the absence of synthetic products, handmade crafts are sustainable. This is a positive side of creating/using handmade products.

5. Handmade Products Create Less Waste

The growing and sourcing of natural materials is a long-term process. Thus, with the use of natural fibers, the production cycle stretches. Plus, converting the natural materials to fibers adds to the processing time. 

Most natural materials tend to be more stable as compared to synthetic counterparts. Moreover, handmade items have an aura of sentiments attached to them. Thus, that makes the users tend to them with care and concern. 

All these reasons combined tend to less wastage created from handmade items. 

Though not all handmade items need to be from natural sources. Some could be from waste as well. That leads to the topic of ——->

6. Handmade products Use Recycled Materials

Bulk manufacturing by machines is a big contributor to pollution. The rejected goods end up as waste dumps in soil and water bodies. 

Some handmade products are even made from waste and rejected synthetic machine-made products. That means not all handmade items are from natural materials. 

The materials could be plastic, foam, or any kind of item that finds no use. There are a few handmade brands that even make use of products from the garbage and dumpster yards.  

The creation of such handmade items prevents soil and water contamination.  Thus, it makes sense to use handmade items that prevent the garbage from ending up in landfills.   

In the long run, this can reduce the effects of climate change.

7. Time-consuming

Although handmade products have plenty of merits. But there are a few issues as well.

As discussed earlier, handmade items take a long time to create. For obvious reasons, human labor can never replace industrial machinery. That makes the production cycle long. At times it can take months and years as well. 

For instance, the ikat fabric-making process involves dyeing and tying the threads. Then, there is the use of a loom to create patterns adorning fabrics. After that, the ikat fabric turns into apparel, bags, and other accessories. The cycle of coloring the threads to create a finished handmade product takes long.  

That is why the long processing time is one big drawback of handmade products.

8. Expensive

Often handmade products are more expensive in comparison to machine-made ones. It may not always be the case, but obscure art is bound to cost more than its industrial counterparts.

These high production costs coupled with inconsistent sales cause a high retail price. Many times the high retail price further leads to low or no sales. That then initiates the vicious cycle of shutting down handmade creative businesses. 

Hence, many creative makers refrain from starting or expanding their handmade businesses. It is worse when the crafters refrain their kids to join the family’s legacy business. This leads to a complete wipe-out of a particular craft. 

For instance, the famous Rogan art from Kutch, India is on the verge of decline. The art form involves creating stunning artwork from dehydrated castor oil. The addition of vegetable-derived pigments to the castor oil results in vibrant art. But for a few years, only one family is keeping this art form alive. Though erstwhile it was a thriving art in the region, but then it faded with time due to lack of demand.

Conclusion

Centuries ago, almost every piece of furniture, gadget, or tool was handcrafted. With time, the bombardment of technological advancements resulted in fewer handmade products.

But with the liking for vintage and creativity, handmade skills are back in demand. Including handmade goods in our daily lives brings positivity. So, it makes sense to have more handmade every day.

This article points out a few handmade vs machine made differences. It could be interesting to know how creative skills compete with machines.
Do you know what products are still made by hand? Then, why not share them here.

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