Collaborative Guest Post
Handmade goods are everywhere, and people are making a living off their passions. Everyone is looking for that cool, original gift to buy. The good news is, anyone can get in on the fun. Your kids can learn a craft and become entrepreneurs in their free time. Though there are all kinds of crafts that sell, some of them are easier and cheaper than others. Here are a few crafts that are easy to learn, quick to produce, and could earn your child some extra pocket money.
- Stickers
Everybody loves stickers! Kindergarteners love to get them on school reports, teens cover their notebooks in them, hikers cover their water bottles in them, and crafters dedicate entire drawers to their sticker collections. Stickers have taken on a new life, outside of the scrapbook aisle and teacher supply store. Plus, stickers are super easy to make! If your kid is artistic, they should turn their artwork into original sticker designs.
All your child needs to get started selling stickers is some matte sticker paper. They can doodle, draw, and paint right onto the paper and cut those stickers out by hand to sell in person. If you have the resources, they can up their sticker game by digitizing their artwork. A high-resolution photo of their art on a white background can be uploaded into any free photo editing software. Cut the background out of the photo and leave it transparent. Digital images can be printed onto high quality vinyl sticker paper for a more professional look. Partner with local paper or art supply stores to sell your kid’s stickers to a wider marker. Or, start an online store!
- Knit hats
Lots of kids learn to knit or crochet as a quick, easy craft. Once they’ve mastered the basic techniques, they can start selling knit goods. Hats are a fast, simple project that can be made en masse, depending on the pattern. Knit beanies are very popular, and are a wardrobe staple from fall through spring. After factoring in the cost of yarn, you can sell a handknit beanie for a fair profit.
Knit or crochet hats are a more expensive and time-consuming product to sell, but it’s great for crafty kiddos that need something to do with their hands. A single ball of inexpensive yarn can yield an adorable beanie in one evening. It’s a great craft to sell during the fall and winter to make money for holiday gift giving!
- Baby Blankets
Baby blankets are the simplest of sewing projects. All you sew is a straight line around all four sides. The nice thing about baby blankets is the size. Material for a full-sized blanket is expensive, and they can take days to construct. A baby blanket is significantly smaller, meaning you get more blanket per yard of fabric.
A quick, simple baby blanket project is the minky blanket. Minky is that super soft fabric that almost feels like fur. The blankets are usually minky on one side, and an inexpensive synthetic satin on the other side. You can even buy folded blanket binding to finish off the edges like a professional. These fabrics come in a multitude of colors and patterns, so your child can get creative with it. After making a sizable inventory, these blankets can be sold at craft fairs, online, or to local businesses.
- Photography
If your child has access to a camera or smartphone, they can start making money with no initial spending on materials. Though some photography is more art than craft, it is a profitable business that is easier to get started than you might think. There are several digital platforms that will pay people for stock photos, like still lives or nature photography. Some free stock photo sites work on a donation basis, meaning the more followers and downloads your child gets the more money they could be making.
For teens 14 years old and up, photography is a legitimate service industry job. They can focus on portraits, like senior photos, or events like birthdays. Teens who offer their photography services can market themselves through word of mouth, free platforms like Craigslist, or a personal website. As a parent, it’s important that you teach your teens how to meet with clients safely. They should never go to a photoshoot alone, and you should always know who the client is and where they will be. If your teen is smart and safe, photography can be a lifelong career path.
- Upcycled Clothing
We all do our best to limit our environmental impact, and thrift shopping is one way of saving money and saving the earth. Unfortunately, many charity shops seem to cater mostly to the over fifty crowd. For a creative teen, those outdated threads could mean a fashion goldmine! Upcycling is the act of finding gems in charity shops (or just the back of your closet), and re-imagining them into something new! No Pinterest board is complete without a couple of t-shirt crafts or button-down shirts turned into dresses. There are plenty of genius upcycling ideas floating around the internet, and plenty of gently used clothing that can be turned into something unique!
So, how can your child actually make money on arts and crafts? The key is to find the appropriate audience and venue. It might take some help and support from you, but your child can find a market for their handmade goods. Craft fairs, farmers markets, and even local boutiques are great for handmade goods. Ecommerce platforms like Etsy and Shopify offer a professional level audience for your child’s crafts. Even starting small, like selling their homemade slime to their friends at school, gives kids a taste of running a handmade business. Encourage your kids to be entrepreneurs! It is a lesson in healthy risk taking that can reap significant rewards.
Byline:
Ron Stefanski is the founder of JobsForTeensHQ.com and has a passion for helping teenagers find jobs. He created the website because he feels that teenagers need to focus on their professional passions much earlier in life and aims to teach them how they can do that. When he’s not working on his website, Ron is a college professor and loves to travel the world.
