So you have been making cards for quite a while and think that you are now ready to go professional? Well there are many ways to sell handmade cards from doing a few for a local coffee morning to making it into a profitable business.
Where to Start
Firstly you can sell to friends and family, this is how most people get started. If you work in an office try selling to your colleagues. Display them in a photo album and make people aware that you have a selection available if people want to have a look.
Next you can try local gift shops, florists, coffee shops and even hairdressers. Everyone needs cards and handmade items have an extra special appeal. You can also try selling at a boot sale as they can prove very popular there or there may be a local event where you could take a small stand. For example a coffee morning, charity cake fair, Christmas fair and so on. If you think your cards are of good enough quality then try a craft fair. You will be competing with professional crafters so your work will have to be of the highest quality. But this is how many professional crafters are discovered by magazine and book editors so you could be snapped up as the next big thing!
Selling to Shops
If you have had some success with local outlets then you may want to try a little higher. Some large department stores buy from local crafters so it is always worth a try. Send them a professional card with a covering letter introducing yourself and what you can supply.
Alternatively why not sell online. The world’s largest online marketplace is eBay and you can either sell cards as a private seller or even set up an eBay shop. With no overheads such as premises or staff wages, everything you sell is yours. Etsy is another very well known online means through which to sell your crafted items.
Publishing
If you are really serious about pursuing a career as a card maker then why not approach some publishers. Craft magazines buy handmade cards from crafters to use in their projects. Once you become more well-known, you may even be approached by a book publisher about contributing to or writing your own book. If you have had lots of good feedback, have loads of original ideas and are selling quite a few cards then why not approach some craft magazines with some examples of your work and a professional-looking letter. Make sure you have studies the magazine first and that your work will fit in with their style. Card making is an extremely competitive arena though, so if you do any other crafts such as scrapbooking or painting, this may give you more of an edge.
Tips for Cards That Sell
Design
It's important that you have a good range of designs to suit all occasions. When cards are displayed in a rack only the top part may show so position the design towards the top of the card.
Size
Dimensions of cards make a big difference due to display racks that shops already have. A small card may fall out so keep to C6 or standard sizes.
Quality
Everything you do and use must be of the highest quality. For example, cheap card stock will bend and look poor. Always use a guillotine and make sure there are no smudges or dirty marks on the work. Matching envelopes looks professional.
Contact Details
Always put your contact details on the back of the card using a sticky label, handwrite your name or have a rubber stamp made.
Display
Always pack your cards into protective clear plastic bags to keep them clean and undamaged. Bags are cheap and come in all sizes but don’t put a small card in a big bag to save pennies as it doesn’t look professional.
Pricing
Do put a price on the card as people are reluctant to ask. Don’t under price your cards as you need to make a profit. You need to work out how much your materials cost, how much time it took to make them and then work out a price. It's not worth making a hugely intricate card that cost £4 in materials if you are going to sell it for 30p. Batch cards are a great idea for making cards to sell as you can get a production line going and make several at once. Pick a simple theme or design which can be reproduced quite easily, such as rubber stamping.
Above all, have fun and make sure that every piece of work which represents you is professionally made and packaged, with a simple but original design and nicely finished.
I make handmade albums and would be grateful if you could advice me on how I can sell them in uk only Craft fairs have become quit difficult as I’m in a wheel chair
Therefore would like to try further .i await your kind reply.
Mameto - 27-Jul-19 @ 11:58 PM
Hi, I am from a very small town from Gujarat...I want to sell my qulling envelope online .. please help me.
Radhi - 4-Feb-19 @ 8:54 AM
I want to sell my qulling envelope ...online .. Please help me.
Radhi - 4-Feb-19 @ 8:52 AM
How to start selling greeting cards online and making extra money and starting a business around at home
Kal - 17-Nov-18 @ 6:36 PM
I want to start selling greeting cards online I have to do a form to sign up to selling the cards for
Kal - 12-Nov-18 @ 1:58 PM
Hi,l live in usa at flashing city in newyork.i like sell my quilling cards on line
Anu hand craft - 12-Oct-18 @ 10:55 PM
pri - Your Question:
Sir I want to sell my quilling card online. please give me a idea about how I sell and which website?
Our Response:
Try the advice in the above article which mentions specific websites.
CraftExpert - 4-Oct-17 @ 3:19 PM
sir i want to sell my quilling card online.. please give me a idea about how i sell and which website?
pri - 4-Oct-17 @ 2:17 PM
Hi, I m making handmade cards, paintings, bandarwal and other handmade crafts items now I want to sell them so suggest me....thank u....
Yashna - 19-Jun-17 @ 11:03 AM
I am from India. I made handmade cards and paintings and drawings I want to sell them..... please tell me some idea sell them...
Sukla - 6-Jun-17 @ 1:25 PM
Hi, I am making hand made card and wadding box I want to sell, them my cards how to start selling
Mahi - 31-May-17 @ 9:15 AM
Looking for buyer....
Hand made greeting from india
also as per ur design wil make
Vijay sanklecha - 21-May-17 @ 6:58 PM
I am making a hand made greating card and wedding box ,i want to sell tham my cards how to start selling??
Amina khan - 24-Mar-17 @ 10:03 AM
I'm making my own cards I design and I do all embroidery but I like to know how to sell them
Sim - 14-Mar-17 @ 10:58 PM
Hi,I am Nipa from India .My younger sister Somi is passionate about painting and drawing . She is from a very early age drawn to creativity and art .Despite her learning disabilities, she managed to pass her LAC Painting and Drawing Diploma Course with Merit which is a great achievement for her !
Some of her imaginations find vivid expression in her talent for art . She would spend hours with just a pen and a paper . As years past, we just realised what valuable pieces of creativity are being created each day an that they should should find their worth in something more productive.
Since then mymother just started saving the pieces of drawing. Soon Somi started making hand made cards, canvas paintings, sketches , oil paintings with her own creativity . She mixes her own vivid interpretation of her surrounding observation to create something very unique , very artistic.
Somi made 50 or more cards, which are with me right now.
If you would like to see some of the samples , I can as well!
Please let me know how we can go forward with .
But I must say you must have a look at something unique!
Many thanks
Nipa
S
Nipa - 6-Mar-17 @ 3:22 PM
Hi, I make hand mad cards which I have been doing since my childhood.. but now with the time as I've grown up so my cards perfection and the creative ideas.. I want to start selling my cards as of now i do the same work but i don't charge people for it since they are my close frnds.. but now i just want to explore myself and my creative ideas and just want to see that how far can i go in this field.. Since many of my knownsjust want me to go in this field since i am very good at it.. plz suggest me something and help me out with this..
Rinky - 10-Oct-16 @ 7:27 AM
I am 85 years old and recently discovered I can do humorous cards with my captions. I would think that they should probably be boxed.
What do you suggest?
Thank you,
sunny
sunny - 26-Sep-16 @ 7:14 PM
Thank you CraftExpert, I am based in Kenya and from this month I have decided to turn my cardmaking as a business. I have gone to several supermarkets and promised to call me later. I would like to know more about etsy, ebay (their charges). And more advise from you. Thank you.
Tim - 1-Aug-16 @ 7:30 AM
Hi every1 I've been making greeting cards for awhile and to be honest I find that my cards sell more through Family & Friends. I have not tried introducing my cards atcafes/salons or local shops but I do find opening an online Etsy shop is a good place to start and get noticed, there is a fee to pay for each item (as little as 0.15p) for 4 months and a 3.5% for each sold item but It's worth it I guess!
I do find greeting cards to be more heartfelt to give and receive than a text or a Facebook message, but I do feel that cards are not as popular as they used to be sadly. Anyhow I still enjoy creating and makingcards so I will keep researching, reading and keeping up with card trends and hopefully get more advice and tips to help make a success of card making...
Ali'sCove - 25-Jun-16 @ 11:54 PM
Hi, I am making handmade greeting cards and many other creative things from my childhood but for enjoyment only. Now I want to explore my this creation to people...I want to sell my handmade creative things...
Sayali - 25-Jun-16 @ 8:09 AM
Hi
I'm making handmade greetings cards, wedding box if any one interesting ples let me know
Thank you
Dul - 28-May-16 @ 3:46 PM
IWANTTOSELLMYHANDMADECARDA
UMIT - 28-May-16 @ 12:40 PM
i am having a fabulous drwaing with creative idea and though i wants to start business for selling of cards
himanshi - 6-May-16 @ 8:51 AM
Loveartlife - Your Question:
I am an amateur artist and am dabbling in digital art too, very time consuming as I am a bit of a perfectionist. I have used my card making with my own artwork (slightly different) to the basic card making where should I promote my work?
Our Response:
Start with Craft fairs, fetes, and markets stalls. Be sure to give everyone a business card with each purchase so they know where to find you in the future. Try also special local event and exhibitions, set up your own basic website so people know which events or exhibitions you will be attending. Join online shops such as Etsy and using auction sites like eBay.
CraftExpert - 22-Sep-15 @ 11:55 AM
I am an amateur artist and am dabbling in digital art too, very time consuming as I am a bit of a perfectionist.I have used my card making with my own artwork (slightly different) to the basic card making where should I promote my work?
Loveartlife - 19-Sep-15 @ 12:53 PM
Hi this is my first time so pleases bare with me.
I've been making cards for a while now, I use to work at my local primary school and when there was a special occasion the school sectary would ask me to make a card for all the staff to sighed, so I made a little bit of money that way. My husband and I done a craft stall over a year ago I must admit there was a lot of competition and sadly we only sold one card and one head coombe. We found that people would spend more money on cream teas than handmade items which I thought was sad. Because we live near the coast and the moors you would think handmade cards would sell well, But I've been struggling for ages, I've tried florist cafes hairdressers even hotels but no luck.
I am now thinking of giving up but I've spent a lot of money on dies is there anyone that can give me any surjections. thank for taking time to read this
card lady - 18-May-15 @ 11:59 AM
@Nana. try local craft fairs, or hire a market stall as a one-off. There are also lots of car boot sales at this time of year if you're willing to take less for the items. You could try selling in bulk in an online auction site but selling lots of small items would be time consuming and expensive.
CraftExpert - 11-May-15 @ 11:27 AM
I have a huge amount of all card and scrap booking supplies, due to going from a 3 bed house to a 1 bed house, I have to sell my stock, can you give me some advice on where and how to go about this mammoth task.
Thank you in advance.
Nana - 4-May-15 @ 4:15 PM
@jule. Read around this site for more information - there's also information on our related site Start a Craft Business
CraftExpert - 14-Apr-15 @ 11:39 AM
Can someone please offer me advice on selling handmade cards and crafts .I enjoy making cards for family and friends and would like to try and sell them a little further afield but need some advise
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