Author: Amie Erickson

There are lots of good strategies for selling crafts. Here are a few responded to methods and some things to think about regarding each method.

Selling Crafts On-line

If you propose to require your craft business on-line, you may do thus either through a third party site (that is, a web site that is not your own, like Etsy or eBay) or through your own site. Some of the advantages of employing a third party website are that it’s sometimes straightforward to set up your own store; you will not would like to learn about designing your own site. Also, in style third party sites like eBay or Etsy have already got traffic returning to the positioning, thus there are potential customers already on the site.

Keep in mind though, if you sell your crafts on-line at a 3rd party website, there can be lots of competition on the site. You will would like to figure to direct customers to your store; therefore, selling crafts on-line on a third party web site does not eliminate the requirement to work at bringing traffic to your online craft store. Additionally, when you sell your crafts on a 3rd party site, you’re subject to rules of that site. If rules change, it might have a massive impact on your business.

If you decide to sell your crafts on your own web site, you will would like to find out how to set up and market your own site. There are lots of nice tools out there to assist you do that; it’s just a matter of sorting through the hype to find the wonderful service providers. When you own your own web site, you own your own traffic and you control your business. You won’t be addicted to a third party or subject to their rules. Once folks get to your website, you won’t be competing with others who are selling similar products. You may have full control over what customers see after they visit your site.

Selling Crafts on Consignment

Selling crafts on consignment is sometimes a matter of being brave, professional and assertive and networking with store house owners who have a client base that is a sensible match together with your products. When you organize a consignment agreement, bear in mind, this person can be responsible for promoting and taking care of your things, so you almost certainly will not want to enter into a consignment agreement with simply anyone. Be sure to create a good relationship with the store owner, and clearly outline the terms of the consignment arrangement at the start of your relationship.

Selling Crafts at Art and Craft Shows

There’s a large vary of venues that will fall underneath the classification of art or craft show. Everything from little shows at your local high faculty to huge, huge venue shows.

Tiny community shows will be a sensible approach to get some expertise selling at shows while not risking a heap in terms of booth fees. You can develop your displays, network with different crafters and discover how your target market reacts to your products. Typically crowds are restricted at these shows, and folks are frequently wanting for discount things, therefore you may find it challenging to sell higher end items at tiny shows.

Larger juried shows are more durable to induce into. It will be vital to make an wonderful application package as well as unique product, a nice craft show booth, and great photos that show your merchandise and your booth in their best light. These shows sometimes draw bigger crowds and it is usually easier to sell higher end items at the higher juried shows.

Selling Crafts at Home Parties

Home parties can be a coffee value, high reward manner to start out selling crafts. Apart from your hostess incentive, you will not have selling fees to house, and there will be no competition from alternative crafters. You’ll choose to offer a traditional sales party in that you demonstrate and sell your products. You will also take into account, relying on the kind of craft you create, offering teaching parties where you teach techniques used to form your crafts, charge guests to attend the party, and additionally sell your items and maybe provides to make the craft you taught. Both approaches to craft home parties can be fun and profitable.

There are lots of ways to turn your hobby into a profitable craft business. As you are trying different strategies for selling crafts, you’ll quickly discover what works best for you, your work preferences and your products. Not all venues are right for all craft businesses, thus it’s wise to attempt a few approaches. With expertise you may discover exactly who your target market is and how to reach them.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/crafts-articles/tips-for-selling-crafts-5322381.html

About the Author

Amie Erickson has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Crafts Hobbies, you can also check out her latest website about: Natural Home Cures Which reviews and lists the best Need to Relieve Arthritis Pain? Here Are 7 Natural Home Cures!

Author: Mary Martha Deane

Candles may seem like the same objects that our ancestors burned, but in fact there has been some perhaps unexpected technology that has gone into creating what, today, we think of as candles.

At its most basic, a candle is a controlled fire. It is wax and a wick.

Wax is a lipid – fat. Years ago, the most readily available source of fat was from butchered animals. It was called tallow. You had to cook the fat and strain it until what you were left with was clear oil. Candles were constructed usually by dipping. You hung a long string over a pole. Then you dipped both ends of the string into the tallow. You lifted it up, let the fat begin to solidify, and then you repeated the process. The result was a tapered candle. You wanted to use just enough wax to keep the candle burning over time – but no more. No one was making pillars or molded candles, because these would use up too much wax. The candles provided light in people’s homes. They took a lot of work to make, and they smelled badly. These candles were not for decorative purposes.

In 1876 Herman Frasch, an American chemical engineer living the City of Brotherly Love (Philadephia), patented paraffin wax. While this was a fantastic invention for candlemakers, Herman Frasch is more well-known for his other inventions. He determined a way to extract sulfur from oil, which provided two benefits: purer oil and sulfur, a chemical needed to produce sulfuric acid.

Paraffin was a huge boon to candlemakers. It was white, translucent, and didn’t have any odor. That is could be dyed and scented so easily is probably a big reason that the candle industry remained alive. Because, although paraffin was a much better alternative to tallow candles, the late 19th century provide a far superior lighting method to both: electricity. As predicted by Edison, the place of candles in society changed from being a necessity to a luxury.

It wasn’t just better waxes that improved candles, but there are also better wicks. To understand the significance of this, you have to know a little bit more about fire. A fire is a chemical reaction that requires three things: heat, fuel, and oxygen. If you don’t have all 3 then you can get smoke and smoldering, but no flames. Part of the magic of a modern candle is its ability to maintain the right balance.

The wax is fuel. And the air is full of oxygen. Yet a candle will just sit there – until you provide the heat that is needed to light it. Once the candle is lit, the wax turns into liquid, which through capillary action, soaks up into the wick and continues to provide the right amount of fuel to the fire. If the wick is too short, then the flame can be drowned –really. if the wick is too long, then the fuel cannot be pulled up the wick fast enough. The part of the wick without fuel is still very hot, and still has plenty of oxygen. But with no fuel, it doesn’t burn – it just smolders and smokes.

The wicks of old needed to be trimmed regularly – quite often, in fact – to keep them at the right height. The wicks of today, however, are self-trimming. They curl just enough so that the end falls off right as the wick would be getting too long to carry enough fuel to keep the flame going. And you thought the candle was low-tech!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/crafts-articles/recent-history-of-candlemaking-3381211.html

About the Author

Mary Martha Deane is the Queen of Candle Making. She knows more about making candles than most people can imagine. She thinks that Candle Making is a fantastic hobby, both for those who consider themselves creative, as well as for those folks who don’t yet know how creative they are. Mary Martha Dean finds great joy in teaching others about this delightful hobby. In her latest book, “Candle Making Secrets Revealed,” she shares her secrets for how to enhance the joy and satisfaction you get from this rewarding hobby. Discover more about candlemaking history when you visit Candle Wax-Making Beautiful Candles.

Author: Annette Harper

With the economy in the state that it is and the unemployment rates not getting any better anytime soon, crafters are having to become crafty. Seeing so many independent boutiques popping up all over the internet, crafters are realizing that they can form their own business by their specialty and actually make an income off of doing something they enjoy. The self-formed businesses are finding great success by selling their products at affordable prices. One of the best crafting businesses to get into is the candle making business.

Candles are categorized as a luxury and not actually a necessity, but there are reasons that people may want to purchase a candle. Many people consider candles a necessity in their home because of the atmosphere it creates. There are different types of candles that are appropriate for every time of the year and the candles make a home more warm and inviting. Aromatherapy scented candles are actually believed to have minor but important health benefits such as being calming, de-stressing as well as getting rid of headaches. Candles are also very popular as gifts and are welcome as gifts by many people.

As with every new business, research is key. You will need to research candle making as well as the business side. Doing a quick internet search will give you a wealth of knowledge on both sides of the business. It’s important to read everything you can and absorb the business information to keep your business growing and continuing with success. To be successful, you really have to know all that there is about the business side of things.

Consider to yourself if you want to just generally sell all types of handmade candles or if you want to stick yourself into a specific niche. There are different types of candles with different benefits and different advantages. Soy candles are probably one of the most popular types of candles. They are made with all natural ingredients and are friendly to the atmosphere. Beeswax candles are what we are most used to seeing, being the most popular candle for a very long time. They tend to have bolder colors. Scented oil candles are quickly growing in popularity because of their fragrant aroma that lasts for hours. The scented oil candles bring the best of both worlds with the candle and scented oil in one. Then, there are the gel candles. These candles are very decorative in their own right and usually have decorative elements inside of the candle themselves because the gel candle is clear.

Candle making is one of the most low cost start ups. The supplies will run you less than a hundred dollars at a local craft retailer. The main start up supplies are wax, gel or soy based candle wax, depending on the candle you plan to make. You’ll need a basic aluminum mold for the candle, dyes for color and the fragrances for the scent. Continue to use your local craft retailer for the next few months as you continue to grow your business. When the business grows enough to make a steady flow of income and steady orders, then searching for a distributor for supplies and buying in wholesale or bulk is your best option.

Making the product is very easy. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions for melting the wax or gel, customizing with your own colors, scents and additives and pouring your mixture into the molds to set. There are no limits on what you can do, just use your creativity and imagination. You can make very unique products that could be in high demand by just thinking of unique ideas for your candles.

Making the candles is the most fun and easy part. The business part is moderately difficult and takes a lot of work. A new business that is solely on the internet needs a lot of promotion and marketing to be seen. There are many other candle making shops that are trying to generate a profit as well, and your shop has to shine through them all. It’s recommended to invest some money on advertising and that can be in your local newspaper, by buying ad spaces on websites that are related to your product and to use social network advertising.

As with any business start up, you won’t generate an income overnight. It takes a lot of time, determination and drive to keep your business going, even if it hits some lulls and downtime. Keep creating products and adding inventory so customers have a selection to choose from. Keeping up at the creative and business side will ensure your success for the future.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/candle-making-business-can-give-you-amazing-earnings-4816704.html

About the Author

Claim The FREE Candle Making Mini Course to Learn More about The Candle Making Business

Author: David H. Urmann

There are many types of candles. It is simple to learn how to make these. The materials are easy to get and the instructions are simple.

There are different types of candles you can make. All you need is to follow the simple steps in basic candle making and add a little creativity. The different types of candles are discussed below.
First is the most common type called gel candles. It consists of gelled mineral oils. It appearance is transparent and it feels soft, similar to Jello. This type is placed inside a container.

There are also container candles poured inside a heat-resistant container such as tins or glass and then it is burned inside the container when utilized.

Pillar candle is poured onto a mold ad then extracted, typically having a diameter of about 2 up to 3 inches. Thus, they have 1 or more wicks but they are free standing.

Votive candles are small and cylindrical, about 2 ½ inches in height and 1 to 2 inches in diameter. This is placed inside a votive candle holder in order to retain the wax. This is because they liquefy when they are lit.
Taper candles are one of the more common varieties. They appear thin, wider along the base and they tend to narrow upon reaching the top. They are about 6 up to 18 inches in length and they are placed inside a candle holder. They are also called “dinner candles”.

Tealight Candles are small cylindrical types filled within a plastic or metal cup. It is about 1 up to 1 ½ inches high and 1 up to 2 inches in diameter.

Floating candles are poured onto a mold with various shapes and it is used in a bowl filled with water. They tend to float, adding a special touch once they are lit. This is since wax is noted as buoyant.

Wickless candles are generally poured onto a heat-resistant container, having no wick at all. This is used by placing it on top of a warmer in order to have the scent released without using flames.

Tips in Candle Making

When it comes to the wick, the length and size to be used depends on the size of the candle you plan to make. If you will have a large wick, your candle tends to melt faster. If you will have a very small wick, it will not produce a good light. This means that the size of the wick should be proportional to your candle’s size.

When choosing as well as positioning your wick, you need to initially utilize an appropriate size. This should be according to the planned diameter of the candle you will be making. The recommended sizes are 6 to 8 ply or ½ inches, 12 to 14 ply or 1 inch, 16 to 18 ply or 2 inches, and 20 to 24 ply or 3 inches.

Make sure you utilize wicks that have larger diameters which do not easily melt. Good examples are paraffin and beeswax.

In order to keep a straight wick in your candle’s central portion, it is advisable to tie its end onto a stick placed over your container or mold.
The different types of wicks include the Square Braided Wicks best for molded, dipped and container candles; Metal Core Wicks best for container candles; and Flat Braided Wicks best for tapered candles.

When it comes to the color or wax dye of the candles, it is not advisable to utilize the colors used for cosmetics or soap. This is because it clogs the wick. Since adding color or dye to your candles can give it a more personal touch, it is best to make use of concentrated liquid or sold colors. If you will be coloring candles by batches, it is best to use concentrated liquid. A single drop can actually color about 1 lb. of wax.
In coloring melted wax, make sure the candle wax was opaque when it was still solid or maybe even before it was melted. It will then become blear when it has melted and is ready to be dyed or colored. This becomes apparent when the melted wax hardens as it cools. It will turn opaque with its color fading.

Safety Tips on Candle Making

On no occasion should you leave the process of melting wax without assigning someone else to watch over it. This is because was extremely flammable and can cause fires.

If fire should arise, never use water to put it off. It is best to place a fire extinguisher nearby.

Never heat wax to temperatures more than 100 degrees C.

Make sure you are using a reliable thermometer for monitoring the wax’s temperature.

Never place the wax directly on the fire while melting it. It is best to utilize a wax melter or double broiler for this process.

When handling the container or kettle with melted wax, always utilize a pot holder so as to avoid untoward accidents.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/candle-types-and-candle-making-tips-1267344.html

Richly scented candles are the ones you need to buy if you want to enjoy the scent of the candles outdoors as well as indoors. These candles do not lose their scent when you light them outside on the patio table. Richly scented candles do not contain essential oils, but rather they contain fragrances similar to perfumes. You can have floral scents, fruit scents or the scent of home baked goodies. The scents from richly scented candles are perfectly safe to use in your home and are balanced evenly throughout the candles to give you even effects when you burn them.

When you buy richly scented candles, experts will tell you that it is healthier to buy soy candles. This is because artificial candle scents in soy wax will liguidify and the candle will burn all the way down. You have less soot with soy candles than with richly cented candles made from paraffin wax. Beeswax is also another great choice to make when buying a richly cented candle. This is an all natural ingredient that is healthy to use in your home.

There are many different candle scents you can choose from when buying or making richly scented candles. Some of these scents sound very strange, while others conjure up ideas of tropical holidays in the sun. Some of the scents used in making richly cented candles may take you back to the days of your childhood in such scents as bubblegum, popcorn or different kinds of candy. There are various berry scents you can have wafting through your home when you light a richly cented candle. You may find yourself experimenting with a lot of these scented candles before you find the scent that you enjoy most of all.

Richly scented candles are also odor eliminators because they can help hide the smell of cooking or pet odors. The warm glow of a burning candle along with the various candle scents can transform the atmosphere of any room. The long lasting aroma will stay in the air long after you extinguish the flame of a richly cented candle and in most cases you don’t have to light the candle to benefit from its wonderful scent.

Richly scented candles usually contain fragrance oils, such as those you find in lotions, soaps and shampoos. However, there is only so much fragrance that you can add to candle wax. If you add too much it will run out. When making your own richly scented candles, you do need to keep this in mind so that you will have perfect results every time.

Making palm wax candles 7 Things you should know!

Author: steve pattison

Have you made candles before but are now thinking about making palm wax candles? There are a few things you need to know before you start. This information will help you to make a safe and quality candle.

1. AIR HOLES Whether you are making pillar or jar candles, you must ALWAYS poke for air holes during the cooling process. When palm wax cools it forms a layer on top while the middle is still liquid. Air is usually trapped in that liquid and it makes bubbles in the wax. Those air bubbles form around the wick or wick pin (if you are making pillars). Those air pockets can cause problems when the candle is burning. When the melt pool reaches down to one of those pockets, the melted wax drains into the pocket and exposes more of the wick. If you have a large pocket and it drains all of the melted wax, your burning wick will be out of control. The candle is burning fine one minute and you leave the room only to come back to a huge flame. I am not saying that every palm wax candle you make will have bubbles, but it is not worth taking the chance. You must poke holes when a top layer has formed and the wax is starting to get cloudy. Timing is everything in this process. You do not want to wait too long to poke holes. It does not matter what you use to poke the holes as long as you mix the juicy slush enough to be sure all bubbles have risen to the surface. Poking holes in the wax is a time-consuming process, especially when you are making hundreds of candles. I believe that this is one of the reasons why you do not see palm wax candles being made by the large candle companies.

2. CURE TIME I have tested several hundred fragrance oils from over 30 different manufacturers/distributors. I can tell you that if a fragrance oil is going to have a good hot throw when lit, it will usually have a good cold throw. If you cannot smell any cold throw after 24 hours, chances are pretty good that it is not going to have much hot throw. I have never experienced any improvement in fragrance by waiting days or weeks. Remember this is not soy wax. This big difference with palm wax compared to other waxes is that it will get noticeably harder over time. Do a test and you will see. Make three candles without fragrance oil or dye. Make candle #1 and let it sit two weeks. After two weeks, make candle #2. Wait another 2 weeks and make candle #3. When candle #3 is totally cooled, burn all three with the same type/size wick and you will see the difference. This is very important to know because if you wick the candle without taking the curing process into consideration, you will surely wick it too small. I believe that a month after making is a good time to start trying to figure out the perfect wick size. There is nothing wrong with making a candle and burning it right away. You just won’t get the longest burn time that you could have if you let it cure. If I am testing a particular fragrance, I do burn the candle right away. If the fragrance is ok, then I make more test candles to cure so I can get it wicked properly. There is no sense in waiting a month to let the candle cure if the fragrance is not what you are looking for.

3. COOL DOWN How you cool your candles is also something that is important to making beautiful palm wax candles. The slower you cool the wax after pouring, the better the crystalline design your candle will have. I would recommend testing on this issue. You can get a beautiful design without doing anything. You can pour your wax into a room temperature jar or mold and get a nice results. I would try heating the jar and molds and see if it looks better to you. Also, you could cover your jars and molds to hold the heat in. Put something insulated under your candle (like a thick book or magazine) because it will help with even cooling. Your final product will show if it had uneven cooling. It really is a matter of how much attention you want to pay in trying to get the best crystallization on your candles. Just so you know-if you pour melted palm wax into a cold or frozen jar/mold, you will not have any crystallization at all. It will look like soy wax.

4. FRAGRANCE OILS Be prepared for the fact that some fragrance oils will not work in palm wax. I fairly good rule of thumb is that if it works in soy, it will work in palm. Many places that sell fragrance oils usually state whether they are compatible with soy. For every 10-15 fragrance oils you test, be prepared to have maybe one that works great. Again, this is my opinion and what has been my experience. You might experience something different. Be prepared to test and test. You will know when you have a winner. Your candle will smell awesome! I would start with 1 oz. of fragrance oil per 16 oz (1 pound) of wax. I wouldn’t worry about getting a digital scale so you can measure 1 oz (weight) of fragrance oil. Just get a shot glass and measure 1 oz. (volume). It will vary with the actual weight of the oil but not enough to worry about. If the candle smells great and performs good, go with it. Palm wax has the ability to hold more oil. If you plan on making large amounts of candles, then I would consider getting a scale and doing it the other way.

5. BURN CHARACTERISTICS Palm wax is a hard and brittle wax. It does not get soft and bendable when heated like paraffin wax. If you dropped a palm pillar on the ground it would dent and crumble. Let me save you money and time trying to find the perfect wick to burn in your candles. Wedo is a company from Germany that makes wicks just for palm wax. The CSN series wicks can be purchased at several places online. Palm wax is tough on wicks and will reduce a good flame to almost nothing within an hour. I have boxes full of wicks that were suppose to be the best and “work great with palm”. Go with the CSN line. They really allow for a clean burn that is almost required from an all natural wax. Remember that wicks in palm wax burn down then outward. Palm pillar candles pose an interesting challenge. Making a self consuming palm wax candle is even harder. Wick too small and it tunnels and barely burns half the wax or if you wick too large it blows out the side and wax goes everywhere. Let’s assume you wick it to have a melt pool a quarter of an inch from the edge, you are relying on everything being perfect. You can’t control whether the person will burn the candle for 10 minutes or 10 hours. Will the candle be level? Will there be a breeze? What if the wick is never trimmed? All of these factors can change the way a candle burns even if you have it wicked properly. Factors like these can make a precisely wicked pillar candle into a candle that has a blow through after only a few hours. Also remember tunneling flames are not attractive in a thick diameter candle. The candle will not glow and you will hardly notice the candle is lit unless standing over it. Bottom line you have to wick the pillar with reasonable consideration for variations in burning. Most people light candles and forget about them until they blow them out. Just a thought.

6. MIXING WAXES Combining other waxes with palm wax can create some interesting results. Remember that the more you add other waxes to palm it will reduce the crystallization accordingly. If you are going to attempt mixing enough wax to eliminate poking holes, I would make enough test candles to really see and be confident that the air pockets are eliminated. I would cut the candle length wise along the wick.

7. FURTHER INFORMATION One of the most important things when making candles is to remember that any changes you make can alter how a candle performs when burning. Adding or changing the amount of fragrance oils, dyes or additives can have noticeable differences when burning. Always take notes! You will never remember everything. Palm wax is my favorite wax because of its performance. It can be a headache working with it, but in my opinion, it is worth it. Hey, if everybody was doing it, it wouldn’t be fun. Happy testing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/crafts-articles/making-palm-wax-candles-7-things-you-should-know-3469718.html

About the Author

Steve and Lisa Pattison are the owners and passion behind Mood Elements. We are a unique candle company located in Sarasota, Florida that makes extraordinary palm wax candles with luxurious scents. As candle lovers, we wanted to create great candles with reasonable prices. We believe in making each and every one of our customers happy. All of our candles are guaranteed. If you are not happy with your purchase we will do whatever it takes to make it right. You can shop securely in our online store: www.moodelements.com