Running Your Crafts Business

How to Make a Sandwich Board

How to Make a Sandwich Board

Whether you’ve got a craft fair, street festival, urban yard sale, protest rally, or, yes, Girl Scout cookie booth in the works, a DIY sandwich board is an excellent, albeit old-school, way to get the word out. Here’s how to make a sandwich board with materials that you can get for free.

Got crafts to sell? Here are 19 resources to help your crafty biz thrive!

This morning we shared a video about how to position your crafty business just like any other green business, and you guys seemed excited about it! The list below comes from our sister site Ecopreneurist, and it includes 19 resources to help you grow your green crafty business. If you’ve got crafts to sell, it’s important to focus as much on the business side of things as on the making side.

Running Your Crafts Business: How to Make Business Cards from Paper Scraps

With upcycling, it’s easy to make perfectly unique, eco-friendly business cards that advertise the style of your business while costing absolutely nothing.

These particular business cards are made from paper scraps, waste cardboard, and a DIY business card stamp set. They reduce the footprint of your business by removing scrap paper from the waste stream, cost nothing beyond a few minutes of your time, and are eminently customizable.

How-to: Make Re-usable Chalkboard Signs instead of Posters

If your kid wants to set up a lemonade stand or hold a car wash, your first impulse is to buy some poster board and fat Sharpies and let them make themselves some signs.

If you spend a little more time, however, and make a good-sized chalkboard sign, then not only will you save some trees, but you won’t have to scrounge for poster board ever again!

How-to: DIY Embellished Business Cards–with a Treat!

Sometimes, if you’re an artist or a crafter, you have the chance to give out business cards that have a lot more flair. Business cards that you give out at a conference or networking event, with a purchase at a craft fair, or in a package that you’re shipping with an order from your etsy shop can afford to be a little fancier, and include a little bonus gift to make you memorable.

These DIY business cards may not fit in a potential customer’s wallet, but they’ll still stand out. Whether it’s a string of hand-painted beads, a small charm, or another trinket, these items may be just more of your unneeded stash, but to others they’re gifts, a little added value that costs you nothing but a few extra seconds of time, but positively impacts how your business card is received.

Reader Question: Custom Labels

One frequent reader question that we get is where to find ethically-made garment labels. These custom labels on organic cotton are the perfect solution!

3 Ways to Upcycle Business Cards

Whether you run a crafty business or just nabbed a swag bag at a craft market, chances are you’ve got some business cards handy that have outlived their usefulness. Instead of tossing them in the recycle bin, try some of these projects to upcycle business cards!

To Do: Grow Your Crafty Business

Do you have a green crafty business? One of the hardest parts of running a green business – after sourcing ethical materials – is spreading the word. You can make the most beautiful organic dresses or upcycled jewelry in town, but if you’re not marketing yourself effectively, chances are no one is going to know.

Craft Booth Ideas: Promote Your Website Through Picture Frames

I’m selling lots of old and vintage picture frames in my booth. I’ve painted them so they look rejuvenated, but I hate how the cardboard glares through the glass. I decided to make my own “filler” that not only solves the boring cardboard problem, but promotes my website as well!

Craft Booth Ideas: Upcycle an Old Shutter into a Unique Display

I got two shutters from a garage sale and was eager to see how I could incorporate them into my booth. Using shutters as a display is not a new idea, but nevertheless, I wanted to give you a few ideas of what you could do in your craft booth with old shutters.

Craft Booth Ideas: Recycled Paper Price Tags

In addition to my dry erase price signs, I need to price each item individually with my booth code. Many antique/art stores do this in order to keep track of which booth earned money. Instead of using new price tags from the store, why not make your own from recycled paper? They’re so much cuter and way more eco-friendly!

Craft Booth Ideas: Upcycled Dry Erase Price Signs

In last week’s post, Bubble Gum Machine Button Display, I shared that I am opening my own booth at a local antique/art shop. I’m sharing all of my eco-friendly display ideas, so here’s another one– upcycle small picture frames into price displays!

Craft Booth Ideas: Bubble Gum Machine Button Display

2013 begins a new crafting chapter for me– I’m opening my own booth in a local antique/art shop! I know a lot of you might have your own booth or are interested in opening one, so let’s share our eco-friendly display ideas together!

Giveaway: Win a Pack of 250 Recycled Business Cards from UPrinting

One of the trickiest parts of running a crafty business is finding eco-friendly promotional materials that are within your budget. That’s why I was super excited when UPrinting, the sponsors of this giveaway, approached us about their eco-friendlier business cards printing by UPrinting. UPrinting uses soy-based inks and 55 percent recycled paper in their business cards, and they’re offering up a pack of 250 cards with free shipping to one lucky Crafting a Green World reader!

2012 Summit of Awesome: A Crafty Business Camp

This year, Hello Craft – the organization that plans the Summit of Awesome – released a brand new book on launching a crafty biz, so rather than a full-blown, multi-day event, this year’s Summit is a one day Business Camp workshop. If you run a crafty business or have been wanting to launch your hobby into a money-making venture, you should definitely check it out!

How-to: Recycled Paper and Scrap Fabric Business Cards

These sewn business cards, which utilize two layers of scrap fabric, a recycled paper base, and your complete business information, are a little more work than your ordinary business card, but they’re beautiful, eco-friendly, quite thrifty, and they’ll certainly stand out in a crowd. Here’s how to make them:

How-to: Make Recycled Paper Business Cards Using Your Sewing Machine

Even though it’s a little more work to create these particular business cards, made from colorful paper and stamped and embellished, they offer a lot more impact than your ordinary card. And since these business cards are made entirely from recycled paper and cardstock, they’re also eco-friendly and absolutely free.

5 Simple Ways to Green Your Crafty Business

Whether you just made the leap recently into selling your crafts or have been a crafty pro for years, there are lots of easy little ways that you can make sure that your DIY business is as good for the planet as it is for your soul.

Green Business Cards: A Moo Review

As a crafty business owner, business cards are a must! I am all about making your own business cards if you have the time, but let’s be honest: sometimes, you have to prioritize. When time doesn’t allow for making cards, the next best thing is finding business cards that are as eco-friendly as possible.

Talking Waste, Consumerism, and Reuse with Reuse First

As always, I couldn’t resist scouring this year’s Indie Craft Experience for new green crafters on the scene, and the folks at Reuse First really stood out to me. Jeremiah and Michelle’s mix of sweet and cheeky paper goods totally caught my eye, and they were kind enough to answer some questions about what they do and why they do it! Their insights into waste, reuse, and consumerism are really refreshing.

Creative Reuse Center: A Recycled Art Supply Resource

One of the recycled crafty resources that came up a lot during this year’s and last year’s Summit of Awesome was the Creative Reuse Center. But what’s a Creative Reuse Center, and how can you find one near you?

Giveaway: Win a Pack of 100 New “Green” Cards from MOO

Not only are they launching an eco-friendly line of cards, but they want to give away three sets to some lucky Crafting a Green World readers! Since I know lots of you guys own crafty businesses, I thought you might dig a chance to try out some eco-friendly promo materials from a small company. There are a few ways that you can enter to win your set of 100 MOO cards…

Balancing The Green in Your Crafty Business

I’m going to talk a little bit about my own business, and where I’m doing well and where I am still sorting things out in the green department. I encourage you guys to take a look at your processes and do the same! It’s not about feeling guilty; it’s just about growing. From time to time, it’s great to take an honest look at what you’re doing and see how you can do even better!

Green Crafter: First World Trash

First World Trash makes functional accessories by recycling billboards and seat belts. The eco-chic items are carried in stores around the world and the owner’s goal is to do what’s good for the people of her hometown than just make accessories. Read more to find out where her ultimate vision lies.

Green Crafter: Alex Keller

Alex Keller is a jewelry redesigner who converts vintage jewelry and upcycles them into more modern vintage chic jewelry. Her love of vintage carries into her vintage shop where she sells vintage housewares. Let’s see if she has any tips on vintage shopping.

Scroll to Top