Handmade Craft Business Ideas

Good news, craft lovers — starting a lucrative craft business is perfectly possible! Here’s OMTech Laser’s list of worthwhile handmade craft business ideas that you can sell online and offline. Find one that you love and get started!

Getting Started with a Small Craft Business

Starting a small craft business can be exciting and rewarding, especially for people who are passionate about creating handmade items. But turning your hobby into a business requires careful planning and strategy. Here are the essential steps to get your small craft business off the ground.

Identify Your Niche: Research the market to find out what types of crafts are in demand and which gaps you can fill with your talents.
Create a Business Plan: Outline your business goals, target market, and marketing strategy. This will help you stay on track as you grow your business.
Set Up Your Online Presence: Start by creating a website or an online store on a platform like Etsy or Shopify and getting on social media.
Legal Considerations: Register your business name, get any necessary licenses or permits, and look into the taxes you’ll need to pay. It’s also wise to consider liability insurance if you’re selling products that could cause harm, like cosmetics or children’s toys. You’ll also need to investigate your market and any regulations that you need to comply with. For example, jewelry needs to be specifically labeled, and ceramics intended for food applications need to meet FDA guidelines.
Pricing and Profitability: Calculate the cost of materials, time, and any overhead expenses, then figure out a price point that covers these costs and allows for a profit.
Marketing Your Craft Business: Online, you can use social media, email newsletters, and influencer partnerships to reach a wider audience. Offline, think about participating in local craft fairs, pop-up markets, or collaborating with local boutiques.

Starting a handmade craft business can be a rewarding way to turn your creative skills into a source of income. Handmade items are highly valued for their uniqueness and personal touch, and they can often fetch higher prices than mass-produced goods. Here are some ideas to consider if you’re thinking about starting a handmade craft business.

1. Jewelry Making

Jewelry making ranges from simple beaded bracelets to intricate metalwork. Handmade jewelry is often sought after because it allows customers to own something unique that’s not widely available in retail stores. You can experiment with various styles, like minimalist designs, bohemian-inspired pieces, or luxury items using precious stones.

Products: Rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, body jewelry, and more
Materials and Tools: Silver, gold, brass, copper, bronze, wood, yarn, leather, acrylic, resin, beads, crystals, wire, bone, shell, etc.

2. Candle Making

Candle making involves melting wax, adding scents, colors, and wicks, and pouring it into molds or containers to set. Each type of wax has its own special characteristics, such as burn time and scent throw, influencing the final product’s quality.

Keep in mind that liability insurance is a good idea for this kind of business because you’re selling something that could cause fires if not used correctly.

3. Ceramics and Pottery

Ceramics and pottery are ancient arts that involve shaping and firing clay to create functional or decorative items. After shaping the clay using techniques like hand-building, wheel-throwing, or slip casting, the pieces are left to dry before being fired in a kiln. Glazing adds color, texture, and a protective layer to the pottery.

Products: Pottery, vases, housewares, earthenware, etc.
Materials and Tools: Clay, porcelain, glazes, molds, kiln, and other equipment

4. Soap Making

Soap making combines fats or oils with a lye solution. This hobby has gained quite a lot of popularity, especially since people are increasingly looking for natural and personalized skin care products.

There are two main methods of soap making: cold process and melt-and-pour. The cold process allows for more customization but requires curing time, while melt-and-pour is faster and more suitable for beginners. Soap makers often add essential oils, colorants, and exfoliants like oatmeal or dried herbs to create unique bars that cater to different skin types and preferences.

Products: Natural, handmade soaps in varying shapes
Materials and Tools: Oils, fats, lye, water, fragrances, colorants, molds

5. Textile Crafts

Buyers love the unique look and feel of handmade textile items, and they also tend to like buying pieces of clothing that aren’t mass-produced. Create unique pieces and market them well, and you can expect success!

Knitting

Knitting is a popular textile craft that dates back centuries. The process involves a series of basic stitches like the knit and purl, which can be combined in endless patterns to create different textures and designs. Knitting has also gained popularity as a therapeutic hobby, helping people reduce stress and enhance creativity.

Products: Sweaters, wraps, beanies, earrings, scarves, blankets, etc.
Materials and Tools: Knitting needles, wool

Crocheting

Crocheting is similar to knitting, but it uses a single hook to loop yarn into stitches. The flexibility of crochet allows for a wide range of textures and patterns. It’s also a portable craft, making it a favorite among those who enjoy working on projects while on the go.

Products: Bags, blankets, hats, stuffed animals, etc.
Materials and Tools: Crochet hook, yarn or wool, stitch markers, tapestry needle, scissors

Macrame

Macrame is a textile craft that involves knotting cords or strings into decorative patterns. It’s appreciated for its simplicity and the organic, natural look it brings to home decor. The craft needs minimal tools, with most projects only needing a few basic knots to create intricate and beautiful designs.

Products: Bags, hammocks, jewelry, tablecloths, plant hangers, and more
Materials and Tools: Macrame board, loom (macrame board), scissors, tape measure, embellishments

Quilting

Quilting is a textile craft that involves sewing together layers of fabric to create a padded, often decorative, material. Quilters use a variety of techniques, including piecing, appliqué, and embroidery, to create patterns that range from simple to highly complex.

Products: Thick, high-quality quilts with unique patterns, padded jackets
Materials and Tools: Fabric, thread, quilting gloves, needles, or a sewing machine

6. Paper Crafts

Stationery will always be used, and like anything, there’s a demand for stuff that’s unique and eye-catching. If you can create your own handmade paper, you can sell it to paper craft businesses. Otherwise, buy paper and try these!

Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is a great mix of creativity with personal storytelling. You’ll create a visual journal or memory book by arranging photos, memorabilia, and decorative elements like stickers, patterned paper, and embellishments on the pages.

This allows people to preserve and showcase their memories in a personalized and artistic way. You can do it for yourself, or offer it as a service to others.

Products: Personalized books or pages
Materials and Tools: Paper (sheets and scraps), embellishments, adhesives, tools like scissors, markers, punches, and stamps

Paper Filigree

Paper filigree, also called quilling, begins with coiling thin paper strips into tight rolls, which are then pinched, curved, or left in their circular form to make various shapes like teardrops, scrolls, or spirals. These shapes are then assembled to form larger designs, like flowers, butterflies, or abstract patterns.

Products: Creative greeting cards, wall art, and jewelry
Materials and Tools: Paper (sheets and scraps), embellishments, adhesives, tools like scissors, markers, punches, and stamps

7. Woodworking

Over the centuries, woodwork has evolved from using basic hand tools to advanced machinery that enhances precision and efficiency. There are various ways to work with wood, of which two popular methods are laser engraving and furniture making.

Laser Engraving

Wood laser engraving uses a focused beam of light to burn or carve designs into wood surfaces. Unlike traditional engraving methods, laser engraving is precise and versatile, so it’s ideal for both professional artisans and hobbyists. The laser is guided by a computer, allowing for designs to be created digitally and then transferred directly onto the wood.

Products: Keyholders, key rings, wall art, and more
Materials and Tools: Maple, cherry, birch, etc., a laser engraving machine like OMTech Laser’s Polar 350 50w Desktop Laser Engraver, personal protective equipment (PPE)

Furniture Making

Mastery in furniture making requires understanding different techniques such as joinery, carving, and finishing, ensuring durability and aesthetic appeal.

Products: Furniture, cabinetry, intricate carvings, etc.
Materials AND Tools: Various wood types, machinery, glue, PPE

8. Metalwork

Metalwork is crafting pieces from various metals like steel, aluminum, and iron. It involves cutting, shaping, and assembling the pieces into the final structure. Finishing processes, like sanding and painting, add the final touches to the piece.

Another type of metalwork is metal laser engraving, a method of decorating metal surfaces. This technique involves using a laser beam to etch designs, text, or patterns onto the metal. The laser vaporizes a thin layer of the metal surface, leaving a permanent mark that’s both detailed and durable.

Products: Wall art, jewelry, furniture, etc.
Materials and Tools: Metal, safety equipment and PPE (goggles and gloves), hammer, vice, and various tools. For metal laser cutting, we recommend a compact model

9. Glass Blowing

Glass blowing is all about shaping molten glass into beautiful and functional objects through the use of a blowpipe. The process begins by heating glass to a temperature of about 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit until it becomes a malleable, honey-like consistency. Artists then blow into a tube to create a bubble and shape the glass using tools and molds.

Products: Sculptures, cases, bowls, decorations, paperweights, and more.
Materials and Tools: Glass, furnace, bench, kiln, blowing pipe, shears, paddles, PPE, and more.

10. Leather Craftwork

Modern leather craftwork begins with selecting the right type of leather, which can range from soft, supple lambskin to durable cowhide. Techniques like tooling, dyeing, and embossing are employed to add texture, color, and patterns, resulting in customized, high-quality products.

Products: Bags, wallets, belts, footwear, etc.
Materials and Tools: Leather (cowhide, lambskin, etc.), cutting tool, leather punch, stitching tools, mallet, leather cement, and more

Building a Successful Handmade Craft Business

Ready to take your small business idea and turn it into a profitable business? Here’s our quick checklist to help you go from a new business owner to a thriving DIY craft full-timer!

Create a professional website and social media profiles
Consider email marketing to share new products with your list
Develop a system for managing orders, inventory, and shipping
Encourage customer feedback and reviews
Continuously develop new, unique products
Attend craft fairs, markets, or trade shows
Join online communities for motivation
Consider wholesale or consignment opportunities

OMTech’s Laser Machines for Woodworking, Metalworking, and Leather Crafting

OMTech’s laser machines are the perfect tools for your handmade craft business ideas. Our wide variety of laser machines can cover all your unique arts and crafts ventures, from making wooden and metal furniture tocrafting leatherand many other materials such as acrylic, paper, glass, stone, etc.

Get in touch with OMTech for all your engraving needs today. We can help you find the perfect laser machine for your daily needs, assist with first-time setup, safety, maintenance, and more!