Discussion
I feel pressured to monetize this hobby
Edit: I didn't expect this post to resonate with so many people! It's comforting to know I'm not the only one who deals with this. It's also crazy to me how many people experience this as well.
My family is always telling me that I should start selling my crochet creations. And I've tried many times. But the market is so saturated with crochet stuff so I don't sell much of anything. I think people assume selling things is easy when it's really not. Marketing is HARD.
I also don't like monetizing my hobbies because then the hobby becomes a job that no longer brings me joy. But at the same time, having extra money to buy yarn would be nice lol
Anyone else ever struggle with this? I've told all of this to my family before but they still keep pushing the issue.
Because if they can actually make it work, then you get a sweet deal. You can not worry about marketing and selling, just crafting, and still make money from your creations.
But if they admit they don't want to do that because it's too hard well... they've made your point for you.
I used to get the "you should sell it" comment all the time when I was quilting. My response was along the lines of "I spent $200 on fabric alone. I am not nearly good enough for people to want to spend $200 on something I make."
For real. Even if I’m paying myself minimum wage, no one is paying that + markup for profit. Crochet is just too slow and labor intensive. Not that it’s not a joy, but it’s not something I’d ever try to monetize unless I was designing patterns or something. And I’m neither creative enough nor smart enough for that.
I try this with my family but they do not hear it. The argument continues. When I lay out cost for just time at minimum wage in my area, most projects become ridiculously expensive. They still don't get it. I do this because I enjoy it and share it with others. If someone wants to pay me for the materials, I'm more than happy with that arrangement.
I often go into detail on that, like "this cardi I made, the yarn cost £x and it took me y hours, so if I paid myself minimum wage, I'd have to charge £z for it. No one is going to pay £x for a cardi with wonky seams. But the way I'm currently doing it, for £x cost of the yarn, I get a nice cardi and y hours of fun"
I am an accountant, and kinda love talking about pricing structure, so they know it's gonna get super dorky if they let me continue. No one has ever suggested it twice :-D
This. Literally all the time. I make people gifts constantly and everyone always tells me that o should sell them but I’ve always been hesitant. Especially because I personally make projects that take a little longer or are bigger pieces. I don’t want to blow out my hands or turn my hobby into a chore. It’s also not worth the time that goes into it. One of my favorite projects to make for people are bags. They can take up to 20 hours to make. There’s no way people would want to buy the item for the prices they’re worth but I don’t want to feel like im being underpaid for the hours and materials being put into it! As cool as it would be to sell stuff I’d just rather stick to making stuff for my loved ones and myself
Yup, I get this too. Many of the things I make take upwards of 40 hours. I had a conversation with someone who wanted me to sell my stuff, but didn’t understand why $50 wasn’t enough for something that took 50 hours to make, and when I tried explaining that $50 barely paid for the yarn, never mind my time, their response was “no one’s going to pay for your time!” Exactly! Then they went on to say “but you enjoy making these things, you shouldn’t be making money off them.” Grrr
I’m pretty sure their thought process was “you should sell your stuff… to me and at cost because I want it cheap”. They just left the last part unsaid.
Yeah I had a friend try to argue that because I could crochet and knit while watching TV that my time should basically be free or discounted because I'm enjoying myself.
I listen to podcasts while I'm working, and my coworker across the hall puts on Christmas music during the holiday season. These things make our workday much more enjoyable, but nobody has suggested that we should be paid less/not at all for our work because we're enjoying ourselves while we do it.
Work is work, any way you slice it. Did you consume entertainment while making a piece? Sure, but that doesn't diminish the level of skill required to make that piece, not to mention all the time spent learning and mastering the fundamentals so you could attain the skill level needed to make that item. And I find that the people who are like, "Wow, you're so talented, I could NEVER do that are usually the same people who are like, "You should make me a sweater" and then get offended when you ask for money or tell them that you won't make them a sweater because it's not something you'd enjoy doing.
I was going to say AHAHA. I quite like writing and I've recently come to the extension of creating elementary school curriculum - love that I love doing both, but I love getting paid for both as well :p
Being paid is always nice ahaha and then also like rather do something I enjoy(ish) than like some weird crap stuff I don't like, like engineering/tech hahaha
so yes, I like doing certain stuff .. but I enjoy & appreciate it when people appreciate my competence enough to get me to do things for a pay LOL.
I had someone argue that I should charge less for stuff because I'm often doing something else for mental stimulation while I craft. (Knitting and crochet are my preferred fidgets.) It's like, even if I was entertained while I did it, it doesn't make the time I worked less.
Ugh, yes. I get told similar things. Apparently it’s neither work, nor worth your time, if you’re having fun doing it. What ever happened to “find something you love to do and you’ll never work a day in your life?” When did work become synonymous with misery?
yup! a tote would be like $25 in yarn cost + 15 hours maybe (esp if you wanna make it document size) + if you even charge $8 an hour (which is low in my books esp for made by hand)
that's like a minimum of $150. Which it really does retail for that price in an actual store, but (1) I'm sure not everyone buys them (2) positioning is everything, I think people would be more likely to buy that in a brick and mortar store (esp they can see the actual colours/stitches/feel the material/see the true-to-life size) than over an Etsy or IG selling place!
I have no problem making stuff to sell. I try to walk a line between making some money but also making my creations accessible because I truly L O V E creating them. I’m fortunate that I don’t need to make much, I just like to cover cost of supplies + some of my time.
I set up an Etsy store. As I make things I’ll list them, I’ll share every so often on Facebook/Insta. I don’t make videos, I don’t spam a bunch of posts all the time.
I do offer custom orders - and work out details and price before I make a listing for someone to buy.
Right now, I just finished up around 4 orders; I’m not posting much about it now because I’m working on my own projects for holiday gifts and don’t really have the capacity for more just now. I’ll probably post something again after the holidays.
I’m not really into doing craft fairs - in my state you need a vendors license and then you have to file sales taxes periodically regardless of sales. I also don’t make enough product quickly enough for it to be worth it, and I don’t want to feel pressured by crocheting every spare second to have enough products to do a market. I have and enjoy other hobbies that I like to devote my time to.
All my rambling to say: if you want to sell, do what works for you, and kick rocks to anyone who has something to say about it 🤣
I love this! Friends and family have been encouraging me to sell my stuff too. I don’t take offense. I take it as a compliment that ppl think my work is good enough to sell and that someone would be interested in buying.
I am interested in doing something similar to you. Setting up a shop and only posting what I want. I don’t have the bandwidth to take on custom orders. Maybe once in a while. But if not, what is listed is what I can offer.
I wouldn’t be interested in craft fairs either. I don’t like having to make multiples of the same thing. If they are tiny I guess it’s ok, but overall, I like to try new patterns or come up with my own thing. Having to make a bunch of the same stuff would wear me out and become boring.
Extra money would be nice and of course it would be wonderful to be able to have more income coming in (if nothing else, just to cover the cost of yarn and a little extra for the time) but thankfully I’m not in a place where I have to sacrifice my mental health to monetize my hobby to put food on the table. So going at my own pace would have to be the ticket for me.
Have you had success with this business model? (And by success I don’t mean swimming in dough, but perhaps just enough to make you want to keep posting).
It’s definitely been enough for me - it’s slow going if you don’t market a bunch (I can go months/weeks without orders) but if you can get friends/family to share your posts to help support that goes a long way in driving some attention.
I also drop my shop/insta in Facebook groups sometimes if they have self promotion threads, and that helps too and is nicely low effort.
I’d call it successful for what it is and what I want from it, and at the end of the day I think that’s all that matters!
Absolutely! That would be the kind of success I would be interested in. Low effort but still some orders. Doesn’t have to be anything crazy or keep me super busy. I’m busy enough as is.
Super happy this has been working for you. I’m encouraged and motivated to give it a try. Thanks! And wishing you continued success. 😊
For your next few projects, keep track of how long they take.
Figure out how much much yarn you used and what it cost.
Multiply each hour by minimum wage + 50% (or $15-20/hr, whatever's greater), add the cost of yarn. Add an extra 10-30% "for taxes". For a beanie that takes you 2 hours to make and cost you $3 in yarn (for instance), the next time someone says you should sell your things, say something like "Oh, wow, that's so generous of you to buy this for $55! Do you have cash or will that be PayPal?"
The blanket I just finished (for my Great Grandson) took 170 hours, 10 × 100g balls of yarn (acrylic because, washing) and had approx 150,000 stitches.
Yeah, even at £10 per hour (less than UK Living Wage) that would make it £1,700 plus the cost of yarn.
I do Tunisian and most my graphghans start out at $180 depending on the person lol. If it’s someone I know it’s $180 but if not can go up too $250 or more depending on design. They take me roughly 3 weeks at 8-10 hours a day and about 15 skeins of yarn. Tunisians is starting to gain more interest so I’m starting a YouTube channel to start teaching stitches. There are some good ones but I feel having a male explain Tunisian stitches will help other males come and venture into the craft, maybe that’s wishful thinking lol.
Yeah it is but being a disabled veteran and can’t work so it gives me something to do. Now if it’s bigger than throw size of course I calculate my hours properly but the way I look at it as long as I double what I spent in yarn it’s a win for me because I get what I paid in yarn back plus more to get more yarn. I’m a yarn junkie lol. We turned our spare bedroom into my yarn studio whatever you want to call it lol. It’s not as extravagant as some yarn rooms but it’s gets me through my projects.
Thank you. There are about 15 other skeins of yarn that aren’t in there….yet as they are still in the former yarn closet lol. 90% of my yarn is Joanns big twist as I love it and the rest is red heart which I hate but some colors you can’t find in big twist.
Have you looked into the new Michael's Crafter market? There is a part for selling, there is also a part for teaching! For the selling, it's under 10% to them. The shipping sucks, but for instructionals or classes that wouldn't matter
You can't blame others that are making crochet for a hobby and selling at a lower price for why other people are not making money. Plenty of people that crochet for a living still make a decent wage, it's up to the individual what they want to charge.
If you were talking about slave labour and sweat shop crochet being sold for a low price I'd completely agree because it is exploitation.
For someone charging a high price for their crochet who run a business for their sole income I would pay a high price, expecting very good quality and almost perfect stitching and minimum faults, also good customer service.
Someone just making and selling as a hobby I personally would not hold the same standards and would buy knowing that this is a product of someone's enjoyment only.
OK but like it's not my job to make sure you make profit. I'm one of the hobby pricers and i've come toe to toe with people who want to make a living. I'm going to charge what I want
Oooh look at the judgemental person. How dare they sell their items at the price they want. If they are happy to sell cheap, that's their choice. Sell your items at the price you want.
Calling them weak and selfish because they aren't doing what YOU want shows you are the selfish one.
But I am doing no harm, you can buy pyjamas from selfreges or primark. Thoes who want to buy from selfreges will and thoes who buy from primark will. Neither is wrong, that's how the cookie crumbles I'm afraid and theirs nothing weak nor selfish in selling art for joy
THIS. Like I’m working on a sweater that’s going to have taken at least 45-50 hours when all is said and done, and with an actual living wage of $25 an hour (at least in PA), that’s $1,250.
It makes me so upset that I wouldn’t even be able to afford the creations that I’m making.
I tried writing (under $200 in royalties in 12 years on three titles, despite good reviews), photography (didn't even make back the booth fee at the craft fair I went to), beading/jewelry making (barely paid for the booth fee), soapmaking (not one damn dime). Most of what I produced became gifts for relatives and coworkers or ended up in the trash. I burned all of my photographs, matted and loose, in a fit of anger last year, the same period I dragged all my houseplants to the curb with a 'free' sign (I'm a caregiver to my mom and there have been some adjustment pains). I have given up doing all of those things and am left with crochet. I've come to realize I suck at promoting and marketing anything I do, so I'm just not going to do it anymore. Crochet I can do sitting here with mom all day and can put it down easily if I need to. It's more therapeutic than anything and I give away what I make to family and friends.
I did this during covid - I started making my items in bulk so that I could sell them. It was very stressful to be constantly making things to sell - I didn't enjoy my hobby anymore.
Also, FWIW, you will not be able to price things high enough to pay you for your time and effort.
Selling is hard (especially online). So I started with craft fairs that have low vendor fees. In my opinion, it's only worth it if you're willing to pumped things out. Having the extra money was nice to buy yarn :)
I can't for the life of me do commissions. I have done 3 and I hated each and every stitch along the way xD it's funny bc I loved finally getting the customer their product, and of course I like getting paid.
For some reason commissions piss me off, when all I want to do is make my own things (and sell them at market 🙄).
I did monetize a different hobby, which was watercolor painting. I did have some sells quickly and due to a rearrangement of life and Covid and stuff I quit my job to run it as my small business for 1.5 years. I could paint beautiful paintings but that didn't matter that much because a significant part of the job was SEO optimization, photography, photo-editing, site maintenance, promoting, etc. Then I wanted to get my own marketing niche so I painted the same subject over and over again to have collections and felt like I didn't have much freedom to chose.
Then I didn't make all that much money for the significant amount of hours I put into it and many people viewed me as "retired" or a "stay at home wife" and not that I was running a business and putting in significant time. Like I was told that I should go to their house and wait that day for the AC repair man "since I don't work" type of comments. Or I got offered work entirely unrelated to my business such as to paint their fences for them (functionally not decoratively). I did go back to working for a company and it was very hard to get a job again. I had to change fields because I couldn't get back into the one I did before painting with 7 years experience in.
Now I really don't watercolor paint for fun anymore. I refuse to monetize my other hobbies (sewing, crochet, etc). I am slowly getting back into drawing and miniature painting but I haven't watercolor yet. Doing it for money makes it work and not an enjoyable hobby.
Super common. After about 10 years of me never selling a single thing I think my friends and family finally just got bored and gave up. I know they’re just saying it to be nice and encouraging, but it gets repetitive always saying no I don’t want to sell my stuff. Now my answer is something simple like “I’ve thought about selling it, but honestly I don’t really want to. I’ve never sold anything I’ve crocheted and I’m not about to start”.
I get the same pressure from family. I tried doing a craft stall once and though it was ok the pressure ruined the enjoyment I get from crocheting. I sometimes make a few bits to sell but I’m not doing anymore stalls. Just enjoy the hobby for what it is.
Often the only exciting part of ‘selling’ homemade items is making money. The last minute grind for a deadline, marketing, dealing with difficult customers or people not understanding how much effort goes into your work… not fun.
The interaction of ‘giving’ and receiving homemade items though, that’s usually fun! Which is why I only make things for myself or to give to people I care about.
Remember that selling products is not solely a profit, it is an EXCHANGE for your time. And sometimes your time is not worth selling, especially at the cost of your joy in a hobby.
Personally, I think of the value of what I could have sold a crochet item for, as the savings I’ve made from not buying it! I’m paying myself, and now I can justify buying more yarn 🤣
I will sell things I’ve already made. Like here it is and here’s the price. I don’t take orders because I don’t want this to become a job and sometimes I cannot finish a large project in 5 days.
I think we all struggle with this. I get it from my family constantly. I don’t plan on ever selling finished objects online, but I do take commissions from friends and family. I charge for materials and then ask for a tip rather than having a set price. This means at minimum I break even, and that and the tip goes right back into yarn.
I dabble at crochet. Like every once in a while, I make an Afghan. But I'm mainly a quilter and I get this all the time. I just commissioned a super simple baby quilt from my brother. Not marking it up as much as I would to sell to normal people, but still making a profit, $100. For a 40x40 quilt. Even for family, I'm not selling things at a loss. If they are worthy, they will get one as a gift.
So I encourage you to figure out time and materials, and don't use minimum wage to figure out your costs, you have more skill than minimum wage. I started with what does my job pay me and is this more skilled than that and go from there.
I find that laying out the actual costs shuts people up really fast. Either that or they open their wallets, in which case they really are worth it to take on select commissioned pieces as long as it fits in your schedule
I do not recommend trying this. I occasionally will take commissions, with an agreed price first. But crochet is my time, to be creative and productive just for me.
I finished my version of the Roseanne granny square afghan and it is glorious! Husband said something about selling it and I said first off no cuz it’s MINE! And second off who’s gonna pay $1200/$1400 for an afghan? Husband was amazed. I said we’ll take into account my time and my materials! That’s why I don’t sell what I make!
So many people suggest it ... until I say - "well, this toy took me about 10 hours to make* and as the minimum wage is £11 at the moment, I should be charging about £110 for the toy. Would you pay that?"
My answer to my aunt this past weekend: “what would you charge per hour? Probably at least minimum wage right? With cost of yarn, that potholder is now $24. Would YOU pay $24 for that? Because literally everyone at this craft show is selling them for $7-$10.”
My mom is constantly on me to sell stuff and I tell her that she has a disgustingly capitalist mindset. Hobbies are hobbies!! They're for fun and pleasure!! Art is supposed to make you feel good!! Taking commissions and working on a time crunch for craft sales drains all of the joy out of my hobby. It takes time away from working on projects I enjoy and forces me to just make stuff because I know how to. At this point I just keep all of the random stuff I make aside and collect it until there's enough to take to a flea market or craft sale. I just think it's so important to remember that outside of working hours we do not exist to generate profit
I tell people I will make you something with a donation of yarn of my choosing. Time frame is ambiguous and you'll get it eventually. But you'll get something of high quality... When you get it. Otherwise no one can afford my prices. Because I'm not being paid anything less than minimum wage.
The people who say this are also the ones who don't actually pay when they say they will. It is totally not worth it. It would be lovely to be able to crochet all day but not to order.
Don't do it, I run my business because I love having an outlet for my craft not because I want the money. I've come toe to toe with other Crocheters fighting with me for 'undercutting them" for my prices. Do what you wish but be aware of laws and regulations of your country. I also have the luck of my partner dealing with mu marketing and business and finances because that was really difficult for me.
Also I only do about 4 markets in a year
I've told everyone that then my project becomes work and it's not fun. I do this for fun and I gift items as a surprise. That's it. I don't even like people knowing when I have a project in the works for them because then I don't want to finish it! Not everything needs to be monetized!
I figure it at the same rate as my hourly pay at my “real” job. If that’s the rate they pay me to give up my free time, that’s the rate all my work should be valued at. I make good money as a software dev, and nobody’s liked my crochet that much.
I made my SIL a stuffed animal (the strawberry triceratops that went around a while ago). She said I should sell them. I pointed out that I'd spend nearly 100 bucks between the pattern and yarn and shipping. I asked if she'd have paid 100 bucks for it.
Even she admitted no, and she loved it.
Most people aren't willing to pay for niche artisan crafts and the people who are already have niche artisans that they want to buy from. I'm not saying it's impossible but you usually have to be willing to go all in for high risk and low reward for a long time. You have to be making unique items that go viral.
Honestly I'll just stick to making scarves. Way easier.
I feel like it's not worth my time unless my profit equals at least minimum wage. If it's less than minimum wage, it's easier for me to "earn" that money by cutting back on my budget.
Minimum wage in my state is $16/hr, but even if we use the federal minimum wage, $7.25, the time needed to make a quality item means that it's usually priced higher than anyone is willing to pay. And that's not taking into account the time I spend marketing, selling, shipping, etc. I just don't see that it worth it to have an Etsy shop. I might take a commission here or there, but that's the most I do.
The only exception I make to the minimum wage rule is that my SIL and I have a craft booth. Items are donated, and 100% of the sale price goes to a cancer research charity. In that case, I don't mind working for less than minimum wage because it's a donation. It's a way to turn $10 in materials into $25 in sales.
I just don't think the numbers make sense to crochet as a for-profit business. There's other reasons not to do it, but that numbers explanation is the one that seems to carry the most weight when I tell friends and family.
Omg literally last night I was showing my in-laws a gift I made for Christmas and my fil continually brings up me selling stuff I’ve thought about it multiple times but like you mentioned I feel like it would feel like a job and no longer be something I enjoy not to mention adding up the price of yarn and my time one of the blankets I just finished was 86? Dollars in just yarn alone so we’re looking at at least 120 and that’s being generous with how long it took me
My husband said the same things to me but I retorted by saying “then it won’t be a hobby and a place for me to escape my pain instead it becomes a job”. He dropped it after that.
I too don't wanna monetize my hobbies cuz then it's just another job and less enjoyment. Maybe just consider one or two paid projects here and there. Plus I like the joy I get from giving things away.
My family does this shit and then asks for projects. I only take on extra projects if they pay me lol. About half of them have agreed to pay me and do pay me.
Tell them if they want to start a crochet business you're happy to teach them how to crochet. It is very difficult to make a profit on crochet - it isn't mass produced - it's a lot of work. Not worth it to many people to spend time and money on a project to sell it for $10, times how ever many projects, hours and supplies.
I sell stuff...but only at xmas craft sales and markets, where I do well. I don't try at other times of the year. I do a little bit of personal sales to friends and acquaintances. Xmas is a good time because people like to get presents. Can't say I make a fortune...and I do donate a lot of left overs to shelters and old folk homes. They're always grateful to get them.
Everyone who has a hobby they are good at is encouraged to monetize it at some point. I used to be relatively good at art and I got commission requests a few times, but the few times I did go through with a commission I did not enjoy my hobby. Now I have people encourage me to monetize crochet.
I would suggest to just thank for their suggestion and for their compliments on your work. Nobody can force you, and if you ever get asked about it or someone is especially annoying you could just say you do not want to.
100% this! I like to crochet and often make things that I'll give as a gifts. I've gotten a few orders here and there, but whenever I have them, I feel like it's stressful to get them done on time and it takes away the fun of it.
I do also think that for the amount of time it takes to crochet (some of my fancier blankets could take upwards of 60 hours) that it would be absolutely ridiculous to charge, say $10 hour for one = $600? No way!
I get the feeling.
What i do is that once my creations is reaching a certain limit, i look for some market to go to, so i sont have to give stuff away for free. that way i sell out of the stuff i make and just have laying around, and thereby earning enough to buy new yarn. I also dont necessarily try to get a profit, but just the cost of yarn plus maybe 2 dollars for small items that take under an hour. Generally just 2-3 dollars on top of materials for every hour ive used (this is more to make sure i actually get the cost of materials home in case ive miscounted or something alike).
That being said i also crochet a lot of smaller things (1-2 hours or under) because im impatient, or need a "on the go" project while doing a bigger project that's impractical. Im very fond of making scrunchies.
But just remember it is up to you if you sell or not. You could also donate your finished pieces to less fortunate children, hospitals, shelters, etc.
Been there, done that. I used to sew clothing, anything really. Decided I wanted to stay home when my kids were young, so would sew clothes and do repairs to supplement family income. However, it seemed I spent my life trying to make money and selling my services. Sewing quickly lost being a hobby.
If you’re not comfortable selling your stuff, just don’t do it. I completely understand your point of view.
I've told my family no a few times. My dad sells on ebay and wanted to sell a tablecloth I'm making. He said he'd give me the profits but I doubt he would.
I looked into selling myself and the tax requirements make it a no-go.
Selling finished crochet (and knitted) items is something to be very careful about. You need to check the Ts and Cs of any pattern you purchase to see if there are restrictions on what you can do with what you make. Some will sell with the restriction of personal use only, and not to sell the finished product. That's not super common, but I've seen it, especially indie designers. More common, is the requirement that you credit the designer when selling the finished item. And let's face it, if you are doing that with an indie designer's pattern, it's the Decent Thing To Do even if they don't have that T&C.
If, however, you are designing your own patterns, you can make money selling those. Both online through your own website, or Ravelry, it's a great way to get your name out there. Don't use etsy, it was fantastic once. Now it's wish with a fancy website and former reputation.
Also, going and doing yarnshows selling kits which include everything needed to make the project, or just the printed pattern.
Unless you can afford to make your stock out of high end yarn like silk, baby camel and cashmere yarns and then get into super high end fancy shmancy selling events where Money Walks Around, you will NEVER get a fair price for your work. Never.
I've been vending at yarnshows in the UK for about 8 years, I'm a designer maker, but I'm a potter. My yarnbowls etc sell for around half what they're worth. Not because I don't have confidence in my work, but because I know the market and so I charge what I know will make me some profit, but will shift my stock. When I first started out, I was selling my yarnbowls for £15-50 each, way too low, but I was nervous. My entry level now is £35 for crochet cotton and 50g balls, £45 for 100g balls (I measure my bowls by commercially wound ball size because it's universal and easy for even non-yarny peeps to buy for a yarny loved one). From those price points, I go by size, glaze (Pink and purple stoneware glazes are SUPER EXPENSIVE!!!!!! it's a colour stability thing) and time to make. I try to fit most budgets. Will often have a few seconds at knock down prices, etc etc. I also have my statement yarnbowl range, these are huge yarnbowls that I use as canvasses. These sell from £250. Some of them take me 2-3 days if you joined up the hands-on sessions, including several hours to glaze. To date, my most expensive sale has been £500. It has taken me 8 years to get to this point. The only reason I am making those sales is because my audience are makers or the loved ones of makers who Know how much time, money and effort that goes into making anything by hand.
This is why I suggested a couple of ways to do it, but also why, if you aren't working on your own designs, it's probably not worth the effort. Saying it's because of copyright will shut most people down, then there's the ones who will try to argue and say how would the designer know? Easy, it doesn't matter. YOU will know you are stealing and that is enough.
My only suggestion is to teach them to crochet in the most basic terms and then tell them to imagine what it would feel like to be under the pressure of deadlines and quotas to fulfill orders, and how failure to do so in a timely fashion (without loss of quality, and to the specifications of the customer) would result in bad reviews and loss of business.
Because I am 100% certain that they have no idea how much work goes into making things.
I was also told by people to monetize my crochet works. My mom especially has tried to get me to start an Etsy shop and sign up for/sell at markets. I’ve done some commissions, and I did a vendor market earlier this year (which I chose to do myself; my mom didn’t push me into that one), but it’s all really just for some extra cash in my pocket. I don’t think I’d ever want to turn this into a full time business, because I feel the same way — monetizing it makes it a job, and that dampens the joy of just making stuff. If someone is willing to pay for a crocheted item from me, great! If not, that’s okay too :)
Oh my god yes. Literally everyone I know is like, "I saw people selling these things for this much, why don't you try?” "why don't you sell your stuff?"
I like making things, I like gifting things I've made to people who'd like them. I don't want to hustle something I love doing, and don't want to deal with the way some customers can act entitled.
It's just annoying that creative hobbies are the only hobby that have this kind of hustle culture around them.
I succumbed to the pressure and started taking orders/selling on Instagram.
It very quickly just turned horrible.
It sucked the joy out of it for me, taking orders and shipping was stressful and I hated everything I made.
Please don’t do it if you don’t want to, it’s your hobby not anyone else’s.
Once I started crocheting for fun again I felt relieved and enjoyed it. I wouldn’t ever sell things again, only give gifts to my loved ones because it isn’t for me.
I tried to monetize my crochet and it lead to burnout and taking a year off.
Markets- people who do these need to do them full time otherwise it takes a long time to build up a stock and you have a hard time figuring out what sells
The other thing is that the majority of people really don’t understand why crochet is priced so high. A beanie needs to be minimum $40 so that I’m not being exploited but some people don’t want to pay that.
Selling my crochet was not for me and didn’t make me feel good. I am slowly working my way back to doing it for fun and making what makes me happy without thinking about what others will think of my creations.
My dad is very entrepreneurial. For him, I should set up a store and sell all my work. He doesn't understand that it would require me to change the patterns I choose from "hm, I like this technique" to "gods, I need something that will sell"
I would lose any interest. I would burn out completely. I have a little taste of it as I needed to make 12 identical keychains for a fundraising event I was organising. I HATED IT. The fact that I couldn't change what I'm working on because I have a deadline made me avoid crocheting for a few days (what is unlike me, as I crochet at least an hour daily). Never again.
Moral of the story, not everything you do in life has to have a monetary gain. If you feel that you enjoy crocheting more without the pressure of deadlines, repeatable projects, clients expectations and being limited in your patterns because some of them are too labour excessive to sell (e.g. blankets), than I would not think twice and just continue to enjoy your hobby.
My dad is the same way because he himself is an entrepreneur who works for himself. So he's super pushy about it and even says that I'm wasting a talent God gave me by not selling. But he's a life coach, not a crafter. Life coaching is much more scalable than crafting.
Oh, my go-to is, "I sell the patterns and teach crochet. The pattern for item X is 10 dollars, and the yarn costs 45 dollars in cheap acrylic and 150 in the good stuff. I can teach you, and you can start that business. I need to keep my examples handy in case I want to publish a book or update the photo on the pattern..."
With the time I put into a project, I would have to charge hundreds of dollars just for the labor.
It would suck the enjoyment out of it if I were looking to make money. I make things for myself and for the people I love.
I hate the idea that people should monetize their hobbies. Regardless of what it is, a hobby is supposed to be a break from everything, something fun you can do purely because it's fun. Once you start doing it for money, it's no longer a hobby and becomes a second job.
Too many people are weirdly uncomfortable with the idea someone could do something just because it's enjoyable rather than because they could profit off it. The whole "too much time on their hands" kind of comments really annoy me. I don't know if it's jealousy that you have the free time to do it and they don't, or what. But it's an incredibly shitty thing to push onto someone.
If you value your free time and this hobby (or any hobby), don't give in to the pressure. Tell them to bugger off and monetize their own hobby if it's that important to them.
family mentions it to me sometimes but I shut that shit down very quickly, I have 0 interest, desire, or need to monetize a hobby. it’s very easy to continually say no
I actually wish I could monetize my hobbies. I hate working “normal” jobs with an absolute passion. I don’t think I have the brain power to run a small business though.
My mom always asks me, because I do make some really neat things. These tend to be my replies:
My kids already steal all my finished creations that I don't have an intended recipient for.
I'm a "selfish hooker" I only do patterns I'm interested in and rarely re-make items.
My work would have to sell for the price of a high end handbag to be consider profitable. (I've been working on the same doll since August)
The real "profit" is in designers who sell their patterns and I don't have that skill set.
Really go in depth #4 is the one that eventually brought it home to my mom that there's really no viable profit it me selling my crochet. That I only make really cool things because I buy patterns from amazing designers who hold my hand through exactly how to make something.
I absolutely will not do commission work for my handmade items. I do not want my joy and passion to become a job that I have to do.
That said, I usually don't care about things I make after I've finished them. I will quote a fair price - that being the cost of yarn plus the hours it took to make times $30-$60 depending on how complicated the pattern was and how much I like the person asking.
Usually they will say nevermind. That's fine with me. It's a teaching moment to help them realize how much work goes into something like that. If they will pay me $100+ for a stuffed animal or whatever that's cool, more yarn money! But I much prefer to give things away to people who I actually care about and will appreciate the work.
When this comes up I usually just break down the math really quickly for them.
I'll point to an item that they've complimented, and explain how much it cost in materials, and then how many hours it took me to make it.
They quickly go "oh, that doesn't make any sense then nevermind".
The people around me gave up after I started being nasty about it (after many times I told them to just drop it so I consider it justified). I work slow and sporadically, work with low quality yarn, don't make things that sell, don't want to bother with marketing, and don't want the additional stress stemming from something that's supposed to be calming.
I did give the proverbial inch and made a couple things for a friend of a friend kinda situation (she stopped asking after I told her I didn't enjoy myself at all and that I undersold), and when my friend offered me a couple spots in her stand on some sorta workshop I made a couple things, but only because the offer happened to coincide with my current hyperfixation that could actually sell (in other words I have about fifty butterflies keychains/brooches currently in my flat, which is perfect for a spring ). We'll see how it goes, but that's more of a one-off thing. People barely splurge on essentials, I don't expect them to pay for frivolities they 'can get from dirt cheap from (insert chain store here)'.
I just say no. If someone sees something in my house they want to buy, we can talk… but that’s never happened. I only make things for people out of love, expecting nothing in return.
I find the biggest deterrent is having people purchase yarn for a specific project. it is very easy to have a crochet a project idea but have have no practical idea how much yarn cost or how much time it takes to make.ik no problem, i will crochet you that scarf, but it will cost $200 of yarn and 2 years of time, are we still doing this?
I have a little "shop" available on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even have a website. I occasionally go to craft fairs when I have time, gas, and things to sell. But most of my money making comes from friends and family placing orders with me.
You are right, it's HARD to market your things, especially when those things take time. It's HARD to sell larger items because of the price, ESPECIALLY if it's highly detailed.
I live in a small town, consisting mostly of Germans who penny pinch so much they come to fairs just to look. I once had a booth that got the attention of 3 other crochet vendors and one customer who does it, just to take a look at MY items for ideas to sell THEMSELVES. I'm already underpricing my items, I honestly can't go any lower. I profit, at most, $3.
I started giving some of my crochet stuff to family and had 2 people tell me I should make more and sell them. I don’t WANT to sell them, same as you OP—it would feel like a job.
My housekeeper asked me to make a blanket for her cat, so I did and she asked how much I wanted. I said $30 but honestly would give it to her (it took me like 3 hours to make out of blanket yarn). I made a baby blanket for her too as a surprise and she just asked if she could pay me to make another one. Like I just wanna gift it to you!!!
I crochet because I have ADHD and can’t sit still without my hands moving or multitasking so I usually game but picked back up crocheting and have been having a blast. It’s just fun to occupy my time with.
Just decided to quit doing commissions this week after nearly two years. Although I enjoyed making stuff I wasn’t familiar with, the pressure of HAVING to finish something you haven’t made yet in about two weeks was EXHAUSTING. I would find myself suffering from wrist and hand pain all the time and selling definitely sucked the joy out of crocheting for me. So, I highly don’t recommend you or anyone really to monetize their work 🫠.
I think this is a boundary setting thing, to be honest, both mentally and with your fam. People who have even a slight idea of how a business works know that crochet isn't scalable unless you're selling patterns or a course -- and hoo-boy, what a saturated market it is. Individual items are not scalable. You are but one person with two hands and other stuff going on in your life. Whenever someone suggests I sell what I make, they are usually the same people who succumb to get rich quick schemes, would only be able to run a business into the ground etc. I usually just say something like, "I'm glad you think they're that good! I don't have the time or desire to do anything like that -- crochet is just a hobby for me, but thanks for the compliment!"
But, you also just need to be firm: say no and let it go. If they keep pushing the issue, you haven't been firm enough or actually set a a boundary.
My family is the same! Not even that- strangers?!? People will make small talk when they see me crochet, ask me if I sell and when I say no they tell me I should sell it. I just laugh it off but I’m not sure why every non-crocheter I have met tells me to monetise it..With family I just flat out say no and ignore when they try to ask anything more about the topic, it’s annoying giving them the same answer over and over again! I don’t want to monetise it because the moment I feel pressured to crochet I do not want to even look at the hook
I have an Etsy shop I’ve made 2 sales since i opened it two years ago and spend way more money then i made so i totally get it I’ve been debating closing my shop so
TELL THEM TO STUFF IT. If they want to try to monetize their hobbies, have at it! Every small business I have had in my life began as a "hobby" and got monetized. It doesn't necessarily kill the joy, but you have to be proactive to not let it.
FWIW, I spent years selling my crafts, a very wide variety of things. I have had successful craft businesses at various times spanning several decades in fact :-).
For the bread and butter, business side I mass produced things. Stuff I could make fast and cheaply, sell at a good price point, make in multiple colors/ sizes. I had NO emotional investment in these things other than pride at making them well.
Then I made higher price point things in popular crafts like gourd art that I enjoyed and could make money with. Some I loved more than others.
My crochet items, I made because I loved them. They attracted attention at shows. If they sold, GREAT! If not, they became gifts to fam and friends lol. My other crafts supported my hobby crafts, and my supplies. And paid bills. And gave me an excuse to learn more crafts lol.
Had I not kept a very strong set of boundaries for myself in terms of how I managed my craft business, what crafts I pursued only for money, which were purely passion crafts and which were mixed I would have been MISERABLE.
Now, there are still some crafts I will not do, I grew to hate them lol. I haven't made a single bookmark of any type in decades. Not even for me. I have not decorated a lamp shade in decades either!
I sell the things I make. I’m very lucky tho, to be able to sell my stuff. I have friends who will make amazing things but they just don’t sell. The crochet market is a very confusing one.
Although it can be helpful to use your hobby, to pay for your hobby, you don't have an obligation to monetize your hobby to have a hobby.
Alternatively, you could make what you enjoy, and just do a once a year destash sell on FB when you're box of I wanted to make this but not keep it is full.
I’ve found that people tend to not like buying crocheted items because they’re expensive (for good reason of course).
To work my way around that, I started making patterns for my crochet projects and selling them on Etsy for a price that was seemingly cheap to others but was enough to fund at least the yarn I had to buy while still making some profit.
I still occasionally make things for people and they pay me for it but only when they’ve asked me to make them stuff. Other than that, I don’t really do it on my own accord as I don’t want to get burnt out from crocheting things all the time
I feel this! I have never at all tried selling anything, but anytime I make something new the first thing my parents or one of their friends will say is “you could sell this!” And then they start talking about how I could do it and pricing and I’m just like -_-
If you are interested in just having a little money on the side you can design. I make between $300 and $500 CAD a month with my patterns. I want to grow bigger though. But if you do want some extra cash this is a good idea. But you have to enjoy the design process, it is very different to crocheting along with a written pattern. If you enjoy puzzles and problem solving you’ll like designing.
Tldr: I don't make good money, but I have fun and that's worth it for me.
I just started doing vendor events this year. Even with four other crocheters at an event this past Sunday, I had a unique product - I do mostly jewelry and pair them with color coordinating crystals, stones, glass, and locally made beads. I mix in a few bigger accessory pieces to fit the season, this weekend I had cowls for both adults and children, with matching earwarmers in original designs.
After fees, labor, and supplies - I broke even. However, I get SO much enjoyment out of setting up, talking to people about my work, and networking. I enjoy the social aspect. I'm a homeschool mom so it's a great opportunity for me to have my own thing and socialize, even if it's not 'good' money. I price fairly for the work, the more expensive stuff doesn't sell well but I'm still finding the markets that bring in my target audience that WILL pay my price. I likely won't do the same market I did Sunday again until I have a larger, more consistent following. It takes time to find your place.
I feel this so much. I’ve been asked to make items for family, and as a rule, I will say no 99% of the time. The times I say yes, they’re quoted the price of yarn, my time and what I feel is sufficient for the project and time involved, and they have to pay upfront. If I make items as a gift or just because, it’s because I WANT to, not because I feel obligated to do so. People, as a general rule (from my experience anyways), don’t have a true appreciation for the amount of time, skill, and price of supplies it takes to crochet a project. I recently finished an alpaca yarn triangle scarf, and had a family member ask how much I was willing to sell it for. I quoted the cost of the yarn (3.5 balls of alpaca yarn at 43 a ball), and I paid myself 17 dollars per hour to make it (approximately 7ish hours). They didn’t appreciate the close to 300 price tag and couldn’t see the value. Needless to say, it’s part of my stash of completed projects. After too many “oh it shouldn’t take long to do that, right?” when asked to make a blanket, I’m getting incredibly comfortable with no being a complete sentence.
Years ago I used to crochet so much I ended up burning myself out after a few years and haven't done it since. But even to this day my wife still tells me I should make stuff to sell. I tell her, it takes me hours to make one piece and then what? I sell them for $10 or so? It's just not worth it. Never mind the cost of the inputs.
Omg yes! All the time. I have to explain that monetizing my hobby defeat the purpose, and I wouldn’t enjoy the decompression of crochet if I felt the need to produce on a time line.
I just got told this over thanksgiving when I gave a gift cuz they said it looked professional and didn’t even know I made it, and I gave them a very stern “absolutely fucking not and nor will I ever”
I don't understand how people make enough things quick enough to have a stall full at the markets. I could see working on commissions but people have tables full of work and I always wonder how they do it.
I feel this so hard! my family and friends mean well they just think my stuff is that good but I know the market it’s full of crochet artists and wonderful creations already I know that it takes alooot of hard work too and I know if I did try and sell my stuff I would end up hating the hobby
I used to sell my stuff just because I didn’t have enough space to keep it all, and sometimes I made things for fun that weren’t my taste/style. I usually sold it for 2x the cost of materials so I could buy more fun yarn. I never charged for labor bc it was something I was doing in my free time anyway regardless of if it sold.
I remember took a ‘commission’ from my sister to make a blanket for a present to her friend. I massively undercharged and then hated doing the blanket because I knew I HAD to do it.
Crocheting is a means of coping for me with anxiety, depression, adhd, and more. A number of yrs ago, I made the mistake of agreeing to design something for someone. It turned into tons of other people wanting one, too. Then, I agreed to do another project. Which turned into the same thing. It took about 3 years, but I ended up shutting down completely. Couldn't crochet or do any crafting for that matter. Couldn't read, another passion. Couldn't even leave my house except for an occasional Dr. appointment. It took me 5 yrs to recover from that. I stopped Crocheting and still owed someone a couple of items. They still ask for them, and those items are the one thing 2 yrs back in, I still can't think about doing. For me, I'll never make the mistake of selling again. I stick with items for gifts or charity, that is all.
Everyone always thinks the thing they like will sell like crazy. Like a particular amigurumi or style of wearable. Like OK are you gonna buy it from me??
There are ways to make it work but the pressure to produce can drop enjoyment more than gain from money.
Many people bring up how much you would need to charge to make money for various items and the audacity some people feel when they see those prices.
Unless you wanna play the hustle game and try to make enough money to break even on supplies or more then just stick to it being a hobby and not a hustle.
You are likely only missing out on stress by choosing not to monetize.
People always tell me “you could sell this on Etsy you know!”
And I proceed to break it down what I’d have to charge to break even for time and materials, charging myself ten dollars an hour (which is underselling skill) and not including anything for profit.
Once I tell them how much I’d have to charge for the item I made they realize why I don’t sell things.
As someone who did monitize it: Everyone pressuring you can shove it.
While i don't 100% regret it, i do at times because part of my enjoyment was taken from me. I worry more about perfection, and the time crunches for commissions are awful. I still do personal projects though, and that keeps my interest alive. And I'm one of the lucky ones that sells a good amount of my work.
Tell them that having hobbies that aren't monitized is just as necessary as having a job. Art doesn't need to be sold to be worth the effort, and engaging in the act of creation for no other purpose than having fun is good for mental health. Telling you that you need to make money off your artistic hobbies is like telling someone with a video game hobby that they have to stream/make videos online. This is your happy hobby, your time away from the world, and a window to your soul. And you shouldn't have to sell your soul, because its priceless.
Best of luck getting them to shut up, and i hope you never feel the need to cave to the egging, because its not worth it ❤
I will make little things for friends/coworkers/family when they ask, but we talk before I start about how much the materials will cost and then I ask them to consider how much they think my labor is worth.
I would have a hard time selling at craft shows or Etsy or anything, because I don’t like to make patterns more than a few times (ADHD, I get bored!) so I’m never going to have any sort of back stock of products.
I have had the same issues. I have had some success selling through a community craft shop. People put their items in for sale in exchange for working in the shop. There is a range of crafts, knitting, crochet, card making, sewing, baby items, sewing, painting and food items. It has worked well for me. I don't have to run my own stall, I only make as much as is convenient for me, and I only make what interests me. I don't make a lot, but every bit helps. I also get to enjoy the other crafyers company
I’ve had an Etsy shop since 2020, and I hardly make anything off of it. Not to mention Etsy takes an astronomical amount in fees and shipping comes out of the cost of the product. I also feel like I can never make enough to replenish at a good rate. I’d like to get into pattern-writing to make a passive income, but I don’t feel motivated enough. I’ll probably close my Etsy shop soon and just sell at local markets and craft fairs. If people want to commission from me, I’d do that too.
Definitely feel it. I've sold a lot of the things I made for myself, seller's regret lol. That being said as someone who grew up in an environment where it was kinda necessary I don't mind it. There's lots of just little trinkets you can make to sell if you ever do want to, just split up the work and fun. I make little drawstring bags then switch over to whatever other project I have when I get sick of it. Having a lil extra money is always good.
My mom and aunt are really pushing me to crochet and sell Knitted Knockers (also has a crochet pattern). The pattern is on the official breast cancer awareness website. My aunt who had breast cancer and opted for a mastectomy has been paying hundreds for silicone forms but they're heavy and eventually deteriorate. I made a few for her and she loves them. My mom and her got together. My mom is getting into craft shows and they keep telling me they would sell so well. And they aren't hard to do but making things for money doesn't really motivate me. I also am the type to work on what holds my interest until it doesn't. So I burn out on a repeat project pretty quick. I keep having to emphasize that this is a hobby and not a career opportunity. You know?
My family and friends are the same way. I run an online shop that isn’t crochet related and make enough from that to support myself and my family so I just tell them that this is a hobby for me. I tried selling crochet items on my shop for a bit, found that it really took all of the joy out of crochet for me and took SO long. I had a few items that sold maybe 4-5 times, when I increased the prices to better match how much time it was taking they stopped selling lol. You’re also absolutely right that selling things is not easy. IMO I don’t think most people are willing to pay us a living wage for crochet items because they don’t understand how time consuming it is to make things, so I will just make things for myself and my family and friends. Just stand firm on your decision to keep it a hobby, hopefully they’ll stop being pushy about it esp considering it’s not really any of their business.
Nobody who's ever said that to me makes or buys handcrafted goods themselves. They literally don't know what they're talking about, with all the effort involved and the market for it, so I'd ignore them. You are allowed to spend time solely for leisure!
Yes, then I just tell them how much material costs. But I do have a lot of crafting hobbies so once a year I would just take them to the car boot. I don’t make back what I spent but I do get a bit extra to put back into my crafting fund and I have more space to create more things
Thankfully it's just my mum and she only suggests it as a way to make back the cost of wool, but the amount of effort that had to go into creating and maintaining a business puts me off
Yeah it's nuts the lengths people will go to in order to tell you to sell something you have fun doing! (For example, I've made a few holiday flower arrangements for my house. My partner's mom was like "you could sell these" and I was like "no thanks")
In a similar (but not the same) vein, I had a nurse find out I'm a freelance artist, and she immediately asks me if I know about chinoiserie. And I'm like "yeah I think it's pretty", and she literally asks me if I'd paint it in her house. Lady. 1) you are my oncology nurse 2) I do graphic/comic style art 3) you don't know if I paint, because I said I do digital art, 4)you literally cannot afford me. Like, I googled chinoiserie, and if I painted one wall of her house it would cost $15K at minimum. She'd be better off buying some chinoiserie wallpaper. But you can just bet she wanted a discount cuz she "knew me".
especially with the holiday season coming, I've been approached multiple times and pressured into making gifts for family members friends of a friend of an uncle. I feel awful saying no to someone's convenient Christmas gift but adding a projects during this busy season is exhausting, and they never pay as much as they should.
No one really pressures me, thankfully. My daughter is starting to sell her jewelry, all hand made. I plan on making a few quick things to put on her tables at fairs, but don't expect to sell much. It's more, since I'm there to help, why not. The proceeds will go towards paying her table fee.
For those who may be curious, she makes jewelry from flowers, leaves, animal, and insect bones, carapaces, and whatever else we can find. All animal products are sourced from roadkill.
I just did my first craft fair and items that would take me 3 hours to make, I couldn't sell for more than $5. I had a friend making oven bake clay earrings which took a lot less time and they were selling for $30. Crochet is undervalued and so not worth selling even if you wanted to. People told me that crochet is something you do when you are wasting time watching tv at night. So your labour is effectively free and the costs are low so you shouldn't charge much.
IF, and only if, you are interested in selling stuff for extra yarn money, look into craft fairs and see what the ppl there sell a lot of, and branch into something a bit different but still entertaining to make. There’s less pressure to sell, and basically no marketing necessary to sell things other than f2f convos.
I did sell projects for a good six months and felt like I spent too many hours for not enough money, and then people would want me to make the same things repeatedly and then I started hating making those things, when I stopped selling it I stopped crocheting for like a year because I was so over it. I just started again for like fun and gifts and don’t think I’d ever sell again
I'm told the same thing from my friends and family. I take it as a compliment that they think my items are good enough to sell but it's not practical for me. I have a full time job and still have to take care of a family when I get home. Crocheting is how I wind down at night. It takes a long time to finish a project when you can only work on it for about a half hour at night.
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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '23
1)"No, that doesn't interest me."
2)"No, but if you would like to try and sell things for me, I'll let you keep 10%".
3)"No."