How to Start Making Money from Your Jewellery Making Hobby!

If you’ve mastered the art of making your own jewellery and your friends and family are constantly asking you to make them everything from Shamballa bracelets to ear cuffs, perhaps it’s time to take your talent to the next level and set up your own business.

Turning your hobby into a money-making scheme can be a little daunting at first, but if you’re passionate about making your own jewellery and your creations are in demand, you may as well get paid for your talents.

Research and Learn

Elizabeth Anne Norris, who has her own jewellery business and runs jewellery making workshops, stresses the importance of doing everything you can to learn and develop. She says: “Read, Watch, Listen and Learn! I learnt jewellery making from excellent teachers but I’m self taught at all the business stuff. There is so much information out there to help you. Read blogs, watch Youtube videos, connect with other craft biz owners, talk to them, swap snippets of advice. Etsy runs great community teams to connect with others”.

Choose a place to sell your jewellery

After asking friends and family to spread the word, it may be time to sell your products online via a website such as Etsy or Not on The High Street. Alternatively, you could sell your jewellery in independent shops, boutiques, market stalls or events.

Decide on your key designs

Before you start promoting and selling your jewellery, it’s a good idea to build your own collection of designs so that you can show off your skills. Variety is of course the spice of life but having your own style or trademark can work wonders for your brand. Whether you specialise in charm bracelets or quirky vintage-inspired pieces, make sure your brand is memorable and you stand out in a crowd.

Plan ahead

Don’t go into business without having a plan first. If you intend to start out part-time and make jewellery on evenings and weekends, at this stage your plan doesn’t need to be extensive as you’ll at least have your regular earnings to support you. Break down what you’re going to do and how you plan on doing it. Set yourself regular targets to meet so you have something to work towards. Don’t forget to also think about your finances so that you can afford to buy all the jewellery making tools and materials you need before the orders come flooding in. Remember though, while you may have periods where you’re swept off your feet, you may also have quiet times with very few orders coming in.

Promote yourself

If you haven’t already, be sure to create social media accounts for your business so you can promote your creations to a wider audience and get yourself heard.

By taking fantastic photos of your jewellery and sharing them on the likes of Twitter and Pinterest, you’ll soon catch the attention of people other than your friends and family.

Pay attention to the serious stuff

Getting paid to do what you love is definitely a great feeling, but it’s important to devote time towards the serious stuff too such as finance and accounting.

You’ll also need to think carefully about how much to charge. It is important to price your jewellery correctly. To start making a profit and grow your hobby into a business you must price each piece of jewellery accordingly. Work out an hourly rate and use this to guide how much to charge your customers. Always keep a record of how much your materials cost and time it took to make each piece. Once you have ironed out all these finer details, you can start making money from your hobby and do something you really enjoy!