Must Have Books for Starting a Craft Business

If you are thinking about starting a craft based business and you have questions like "How do I price my goods?", "Where is the best place to start selling my goods?", "How should I market my products?", etc. then I have a couple books I highly recommend getting first. The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin and Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco are two books that have great basic start up information for first time business owners. I didn't have the luxury to take any marketing or business classes in college so these books where great references that helped me develop a basic business plan.

Some of the useful information you will find is:

• Branding your business and products
• Finding the right venues to sell your products (online verses market base business)
  
• Reaching out to your crafting community
  
• Establishing basic business practices
• Marketing, advertising and publicity
  
• Product pricing plans
  
• Finding your customer and market base
• Expenses and budgeting
  

Meg Mateo Ilasco also published Craft Inc. Business Planner to compliment her book. It has great layouts and simple steps for calculating your start up costs, projecting revenue, creating a budget, marketing plans, etc. It also has additional advice from crafters & designers as well as a great list of contacts & resources. All three books can be found brand new on Amazon.com for under $12 or used for as low as $6. GOOD LUCK!

BOOK REVIEW

Since it is Thrifty Thursday I wanted to present this great book, or I should say series of books, on how to find the best junk for decorating your home. The “Junk Market Girls” give great tips on repurposing or restyling thrifty finds as well as step-by-step project ideas. Their books illustrate various junk market decorating styles including urban industrial, country, cottage, retro and traditional. They showcase various projects with owner’s wishlists then illustrate with beautiful pictures the “Sweat Details” on how they accomplished the look and feel of the space. They present even more project details with their witty side topics including “Junkfo”, “Junkers JuJu” and “Style Tweak”. Although I own both decorating books I am particularly fond of this book for its project how-to’s on making a birdcage lamp, iron gate coffee table, corbel frame holder, and tiny tot storage out of potato crates and iron brackets. You can typically find this book used for under $10, it’s a great buy!

Book Description:
Decorating JunkMarket Style
By Ki Nassauer and Sue Whitney
Paperback: 204 pages
Publisher: JunkMarket Girls (March 8, 2005)
Price: under $10 used -$20 new

Other books by Author:
Junk Beautiful: Room by Room Makeovers with Junkmarket Style
Paperback: 204 pages
Publisher: Taunton Press; illustrated edition edition (March 25, 2008)
Price: $8 used -$15 new

Junk Beautiful Outdoor Edition
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Taunton Press; illustrated edition edition (March 1, 2009)
Price: $14 used -$15 new

Other great books worth taking a look at:

Flea Market Style
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small; Later Printing edition (September 15, 2005)
Price: $15.50 used -$18.50 new

Recycled Home
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small (February 2009)
Price: $16 used -$19 new

Thrift: How to Have a Stylish Home without Breaking the Bank
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Key Porter Books (April 27, 2007)
Price: $6.50 used -$13.50 new

BOOK REVIEW I

REMAKE RESTYLE REUSE
Sonia Lucano

I got this book on sale a couple of years ago and I highly recommend it! It is a beautiful book, packed with loads of information, pictures and patterns for not a lot of money. Typically I do not buy craft books just to copy the exact project shown so I can’t say that I’ve actually completed any of the craft projects presented in this book, but I have taken full advantage of the tips, ideas and patterns provided and used them as inspiration in creating other unique crafts. If you ARE one of those who likes working off a pattern and instructions, this book is diffidently for you! It is loaded with great photos and artistic sketches that illustrate not only the finished products but the steps and materials used. For almost every project there are letters, text, patterns or images that you can photocopy, mirror or enlarge and use to create the projects shown. The letters, text or patterns are also great to use as inspiration for other projects not shown in the book.

Most of the projects presented use newer materials or objects such as Ikea paper lights, plates or glass vases. The book does make recommendations to use scrap linens and or used jars when appropriate. To keep your projects cost effective and eco friendly I recommend taking their advice and finding your supplies at thrift stores or simply use the patterns to spruce up your own home accessories, pillow, linens or kitchenware.

Here are a couple excerpt instruction and patterns from the book to give you an idea of the style and detail of information provided:


Book Description:
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Watson-Guptill; illustrated edition edition (April 29, 2008)
Price: $12.50 used -$13.50 new

From Random House Inc: Transform basic items into boutique-worthy home décor. We’ve all got the furniture and the home accessories we can afford. Our stuff came from Target, or Ikea, or Pottery Barn, or Dan’s Dent-and-Ding Depot. Wherever it came from, it’s pretty vanilla. Wistfully, we look through the windows at tony boutiques, admiring the little hand-painted chest, or the exquisite artisan vase, or the beaded curtains, and we ask, “Why was I blessed with such fabulous taste, only to be constantly depressed because these beautiful things are out of my reach financially?” Good news! With ReMake ReStyle ReUse, anyone can create 40 stunning, sophisticated home items, just like the ones in those high-end shops. Only the most basic craft skills are assumed, and everything is provided, including simple step-by-step directions, designs to trace or photocopy, and glowing photographs for instruction and inspiration.

Other similar books to try:
1000 IDEAS FOR CREATIVE REUSE: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Quarry Books (November 1, 2009)
Price: New or Used $16.50