From DIY Craft Blogger to DIY Craft Entrepreneur

[soapbox] I want to live in a world where craft companies recognize and reward those who a) use their products (duh!), and b) dedicate time out of their busy schedule to be creative, let their inner artist come out to play, and encourage others to do so as well! [/soapbox]

It’s no secret that although DIY craft activity has exploded since the massive success of sites like Pinterest and Polyvore, being able to turn DIY crafting into a profitable business has yet to be reliably mapped out. I mean, how do you make money off doing something you do for fun, and mostly in your spare time?

Craft supply companies haven’t quite caught onto the DIY craft blogger marketing freight train yet, especially when you compare how companies like Nestle and Huggies/Pampers have sunk their hooks into the mommy blogger marketing machine.  Sure DIY craft blogs have been around for quite a while; however the exposure has been minimal up until recently (the last 2 years).

For the time being, crafters who wish to exploit their creativity and turn a profit, need to be equally industrious and have a knack for entrepreneurship (or at the very least know someone they can rely on to mentor them through the process)…oh, and have an original idea that will draw potential customers in! Fact: Coming up with original ideas is HARD!

Then I came across this article. Alicia DiRago owns WhimseyBox the DIY craft company she hatched out of her DIY fashion blog DismountCreative.com. WhimseyBox ships a selection of craft products to customers every month for $25. I just signed up and hope to get my box of goodies soon! I can’t wait! The article takes us through Alicia’s pitch day at Excelerate Labs’ 3^rd annual Demo Day, where she would be looking for $900,000 in venture capital to grow her business.  It offers a rare glimpse into what it takes to go from DIY craft blogger, to DIY craft entrepreneur.  The answer: A metric sh*t-ton of dedication and hard work, that’s what!

Perhaps it is a sign that DIY crafters are beginning to be recognized as a profitable market, albeit slowly and with a healthy dose of reserved investment, but recognized nonetheless.  If I had half the lady balls this woman has I wouldn’t think twice about quitting my cushy government job and pouring my life into a venture like this. Huge props to Alicia DiRago for making a bulletproof business case and paving the road forward for venture capital providers to begin investing in DIY craft start-ups. *high five*

I sincerely hope to see more of this in the near future!

Article: All Business on Demo Day – Businesswoman Alicia DiRago, a former gymnast, fights nerves by stays focused at Excelerate Labs’ pitch meeting with investors – August 30^th 2012

Stuff I've Already Done - The Christmas 2011 Redux

In October of last year I gave myself a challenge: MAKE ALL THE PRESENTS YOU'LL GIVE FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR. 

Here's a sampling of some of the gifts I made for Christmas 2011. 

For Brother & Sister-in-Law - Glass Bowls with Etched Family Name

The Inspiration: Pinterest - Glass Etched Casserole Dish

In Progress:   

The Final Product: 

Note: The glass etching cream is incredibly corrosive to skin, so this is DEFINITELY NOT a craft for children, and should only be done with gloves and a mask (and if you have safety goggles). Seriously, it's that dangerous. 

For Mom - Button-Monogrammed Pillow

The Inspiration:  Pinterest - Button Monogrammed Pillow & My Mom gave me her button collection and told me to "do something crafty with it". 

In Progress:  

The Final Product: 

Note: This project was WAAAAAY more time consuming than I had anticipated. It took me about a week (about 1-2 hours an evening) to complete. Also, don't do this project without a thimble, your thumb will thank you. 

For Godson & Nephew - Washer-Monogrammed Truck Wall Art

The Inspiration: Pinterest - Washer Monogrammed Wall Art

In Progress: 

The Final Product: 

Note: Four simple steps - 1. Paint canvas preferred colour. 2. Use stencil and Sharpie paint markers to draw truck art. 3. Stick washers on with Mod Podge. 4. (Optional) Go over the entire piece with Mod Podge. 

I definitely recommend getting the Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Marker for the truck stenciling. It's so much easier than buying all the paints separately and then brush painting the stencils onto the canvas. 

For My 2 Aunts - Repurposed Cigar Boxes

The Inspiration: This wasn't a Pinterest inspiration, but something that came completely out of my own brain. 

In Progress: 

The Final Product: Unfortunately I neglected to take a picture of the final product, although what you see above it pretty much it, with the exception of felt being added to the inside of the bottom of the box. 

Note: Ensure you wash out the box thoroughly (mine had dead pieces of cigar still left inside) and air them out. Because the two boxes I repurposed had until recently be used for their original purpose, once the boxes were dry they still smelled. So I placed some vanilla soy candle beads in the boxes and closed them up for a week before I started work on them. This cleared up any lingering cigar smell, and added a nice fragrance. 

Once you have finished Mod Podging your design onto the box wait until it's dried and then go over the entire thing with Mod Podge. I think I did two coats on both the inside and the outside. It seals up the wood, and gives it a nice sheen. 

Stocking Stuffers: Part One - Terra Cotta Drink Coasters

The Inspriation: Pinterest - Terra Cotta Coasters

(Sorry, no "In Progress" shots.)

The Final Product: 

Note: While these were super cheap to make, they were kind of a pain in the ass to make in the wintertime. Firstly, the terra cotta bases are spray painted (I recommend the Krylon line), which you have to do outside (brrrrr! However if you're lucky enough to have a garage, do it there!), secondly spray paint doesn't a) dry quickly when it's cold, nor b) dry quickly when there's humidity (think snow). So these took FOREVER to dry completely. 

Once they were dry, I Mod Podged the paper centres onto them, and then brushed the entire inner surface with Mod Podge, then let them dry. 

Here comes the super smelly and annoying part of the entire process - the clear coat. Sure, I probably could have just put a few coats of Mod Podge on them and they would have been passably water sealed. However, seeing as they were gifts, I wanted to make sure they were properly sealed. I'm fairly certain I put on 2 coats of the Krylon Low-Odor Clear Finish. (Make sure to do this part outside too, although it indicates low-odor, trust me, it really isn't.) The Krylon water seals the paint, and gives them a nice shine. 

I set these aside to dry for about two days, and then I glued felt to the bottom to ensure they didn't scratch the tables on which they would eventually be used. 

Note 2: I've also made these coasters, and while they are easier to make, I definitely like the terra cotta ones better. They're better at preventing Clumsy*Mel from spilling her drink. 

Stocking Stuffers: Part Two - Etched Perrier Bottles & Cutesy Pins

The Inspiration: The Etched Perrier Bottles came from the etched casserole dish inspiration referenced at the beginning of this post. The cutesy pins were just something I thought up in effort to use up some pin fasteners I had laying about. 

In Progress: 

Yes, they're Big Bang Theory themed. ;)

The Final Product: 

and the pins - 

Note: To jazz up the bottles for the folks I was giving them to, I purchased a few sprays of faux long-grass to place in the bottles, it worked really well. 

The pins are comprised of felted scrapbooking accents (look up "felt stickers" on the Michael's website) with pin back findings heavily glued to the back. That's it. 

So there you have it! A sampling of the crafts I did for Christmas last year! They were all relatively easy, definitely cheap, and very well liked by the recipients. 

This year I endeavour to start looking for inspiration earlier; truth be told I've already started pinning DIY ideas. I can't wait! 

Have you starting thinking about about your crafty plans for this year's holiday season? Come on, I can't be the only one! ;)

Cheers, 

Melissa