Work from home

Hello! Anyone out there sick of thier corporate job and want to work from home doing what they love and make a living? I'm desparately trying to find a way to do just that but i need help. Anyone out there work from home doing scrapbooking? Work in the scrapbook field? Any tips on how to get started? Any companies hiring? I need to find a way to get out of the corporate world and do what I love! I'm new to the site but already, learned so much and been inspired. Can anyone steer me in the right direction or offer a tip or two?

Thx!

That's a tough one - I think that is the dream of a lot of people here.

The closest I've heard of people making money at it is to sell Creative Memories or other products.

I agree. Would love to make a living at this! What a wonderful life that would be... I love this site - so amazing! Interested in hearing some thoughts...

There's a ton of things you can do to make a little cash,,,,,,

scrapbooking
card making
custom invitations
start a store
draw digis (if you're artistic)
create altered items
go work at Michael's for minimum wage,,,,,possibly more if you have management experience,,

to name a few,,,,,,,

the question is usually will you make ENOUGH to leave your job??

I'd say that MOST people find the answer is NO. You may (and probably could) make enough to support your addiction--er habit.

But to pay the MORTGAGE and the electric and put food on the table?

Not impossible,,,,,,,,but it would take a ton of work, many long hours (Perhaps more than you work now for less $$),,,,,,I imagine, like any fledgeling business, one would probably have to expect the first year to be pretty much a bust with most of your income going back into the business,,,,,and zero take home pay for yourself.

Can you afford to do that?

Some can,,,,,and it's worth the effort,,,,,,

some can not,,,,,,

You could start a business part time and keep your current job until it gets on its feet,,,,

but again, that's double work,,,,,

and then,,,,,what you love,,,,,,becomes WORK. A lot of it.

It just depends if that's worth it to you,,,,everyone's answer might be different.

As Henri said, that's the dream of probably at least half the people on here and while not impossible, lets say difficult.

If you do - let us know and good luck.

How about becoming an SU! demo? It wouldn't pay all the bills, but it might pay for your scrapping bills if you have plenty of scrapping friends.

I'm right there with you, would absolutely love to leave my corporate job! While it would be nice to be able to use my creative talents to make a living, I have not yet found a way to do it. In my case, I provide the benefits for my husband and myself, and in jobs like SU demo or any of the companies like that, since you're not an "employee", there are no benefits. And on the wage the craft stores pay, it would probably only pay for benefits with nothing left over.
If anyone does come up with a viable option to the corporate world, I hope they let me know!

With the cost of scrapbooking supplies, it would seem to be nearly impossible to actually make a living just doing scrapbooking for people. I made a scrapbook at my brother's request as an anniversary gift for his wife. Because I was being reimbursed for supplies, I kept track, and was amazed to discover that one scrapbook cost over $400 to make (paper, embellies, adhesive, page protectors, book itself, etc). Considering all ofmy time I spent doing the book, I can't imagine how much I would have actually had to charge someone in order to "make money" on the project.

Just keep in mind that sometimes when you turn something you love to do into a job, that love turns into work and it's not so much fun anymore.

I do know that those conventions that come around like Creating Keepsakes, have a program where you work at the convention and get free scrap supplies. I did it for 1 day and worked 2 shifts of 4 hours and it was fun and I got freebies galore! I was TA in a couple classes and the instructor gave us TA's a kit or 2 for helping. Plus you got the benefit of the class for free. Then the convention had a gift bag they give you after your last shift that had a paper trimmer, glues, paper/cardstocks and other scrappy items.
So if you live near where they have the conventions you could do that for a day or 3...you get to choose when you want to work at the convention. If you want to work every day they are open they let you do that when I did it. If you go to their convention site, they post when they are looking for help and you sign up for the days/hours you can be there. They were so nice and friendly and the job was just all about being friendly and helpful. My other shift was at the front desk answering questions from people attending the convention. Stuff like 'do they sell lunch here?' 'where do I find my class?' 'I lost my kid somewhere here, can you help me find her?' It was fun for me, you have to be a people person but that is easy for most crafters I think
You might try different little shops and see if they take consignments. Like Baby shops~ many people go in there to get shoes or whatever but some cute baby themed paper piecing framed pictures might get them shopping for your hand made items! Or scrap books or cards! To many people who are not crafty, to get a picture frame done like a scrap page and all they have to do is put their child's pic in it is what they want! That is what my friends used to tell me anyhow. Might even work at the bigger stores, tho they may want you to supply the whole chain with items. You never know till you ask. Take samples of the items so you can show them what they will be getting too, visual things they can hold are very appealing. Just remember they usually take a percentage of $ you earn for your work/item.
That's all I got, hope there is something here that helps.

Just a thought but don't know how much you would make - my husband has suggested that if I want to do something on my own I should get rates from hotels and put quarterly crops on in the hotels banquet facilities. I go to one every quarter and its $100.00 to crop friday night, Saturday and part of Sunday. They really pack the room and it was 2 years before I could even get a spot. I think they host about 80-100 at each crop.

The furnish munchies on Friday night, some soft drinks and cold water in pitchers, and sandwich stuff Saturday afternoon.

They also give you a goodie bag with the supplies for the make & take that weekend.

If you have experience in event planning this could be a fun and would let you work from home to organize it. If there are already a lot of crops in your area it may not work well, but if so - then its good.

The one we go to is sponsored by "She Scrapbooks" and is 10 minutes from the store so we can run get things. ALso, the Saturday lunch is served in the scrapbook store so people by things too. Seems we get a discount that weekend also.

Another thing some have done is put up a really great website to sell scrapbook supplies. That would be a conflict here so you would not be able to direct traffic from here to your site but still, that is a thought.

I but a lot of supplies here but I do buy a few from some other sites.

I think it would be easier to make a living on the retail end of the supplies or hosting crops than on selling items you crafted.

ITA. I'm making a baby scrapbook as a shower present, and just considering the materials used... it's a whopper of a cost. And considering what my time is worth at my corporate job, they couldn't afford me!!

Thank you all for your wonderful advice and encouragement

I agree with t-scraps. I don't know if I'd want to turn my favorite hobby into a job. Seems like it would just suck the fun right out of it.

I agree, I think doing a crop or something retail would be more fun than making your own stuff.

The owner of my LSS - which just opened last summer - said it very well. She said sometimes she enjoys shopping for scrappy stuff as much or more than the actual scrapbooking, and having a store of her own is fun because she gets to buy lots of stuff. But she also has mentioned several times that the store is not making enough money.

I think in my area we have an over saturation of direct sales people, but your area might still have a need for that. Craigslist here is flooded with people selling their stuff for their "at home" scrapbooking businesses like SU and CM. They are selling all their consultant bags and supplies and getting out of it. Maybe you can check your craigslist and see if there are people selling. It could tell you if there are too many people doing it, and if not, it might be a way to stock up on some of that stuff if that is something you decide to pursue. Also, I know several ladies who sell multiple types of things... scrap stuff, makeup, candles, so that they have multiple businesses to bring in money, but they are all pretty much the same process.

I used to make stuff for other people but it stopped being fun, for a few reasons. One, my pride got hurt when something I put a lot of thought and time into went unappreciated. Either they just kind of gave it a once over and a superficial "oh this is nice" and then continued on to the next thing. I'd be like "but...did you see the... did you notice how... look at the detail here..." but a lot of people just don't appreciate things as much or don't notice them. Two, the things people did really like, I found myself doing the same exact things over and over again and got bored with it. It's been quite a long time since I've made things for other people. I also found that unless you're buying in bulk, it's really hard to get the materials at a low enough cost that you could sell for a profit but still keep the price reasonable for the customer.

I work from home testing data and software.
This enables me to teach on the side at a LSS. Since I dont have a commute to an office I have more time to scrap and teach. It's not the perfect solution you are looking for but it's a start.

I would be happy with any type of job that let me work from home, it doesn't have to be scrapbook or arts related. However, my problem is how do you find those work at home jobs? I've searched all over the internet and careerbuilder, places like that, and have a problem knowing which ones are legit and which ones are just a scheme. I don't want to get into sales of any kind or phone work, but would dearly love to find some sort of data entry or similar job and work from home. I considered medical coding but don't have the time or inclination to go back to school. Ugh, where do you start?

One of my friends left here job in law enforcement to be a stay at home mom. They were doing OK on just her hubby's income, but not rich by any means. She is a very talented jewelry maker, so she recently started own business making and selling handmade jewelry on Etsy and on occasion has set up a booth at a public event (i.e. farmer's market, local church event, etc). Seeing how much detail goes into her pieces and the prices she charges, I think it's safe to say it will not replace her former income. But she gets to do what she loves while making some extra spending case.

I certainly agree with t-scraps. I used to decorate cakes and I loved it. I did a couple wedding cakes per month as well as party cakes. I moved to a town that didn't have a bakery and decided to actually turn my hobby into a business. I discovered I could no longer be as creative as I wanted and my time was no longer my own. A couple years later, I found myself selling all my decorating supplies. The joy was gone!

• olleharr Said:

It does! I've always been crafty and my hubby would always try to get to me to sell my crafts. Did it a few times and HATED it. I love scrapbooking but hate scrapping for others. Luckily I do get to use my creative talent at work from time to time. And I'm in the insurance industry-who knew? lol

You guys are right - turning a hobby into your job just basically turns it into a job, one more thing you HAVE to do! I would love to make a living in the scrapping world, but I don't think it would be selling my creations; hoping to have something figured out soon!
I love these "conversations" with fellow scrappers!
Angie

Yeah, I really don't want to turn my hobby into a business although I do sell cards to my co-workers and friends when they ask and I've done a couple of scrapbooks for other people. I really enjoyed doing that but wouldn't want to do it full time or for just anyone.
But I would really like to find some sort of clerical or bookkeeping job I could do from home, that would give me access to the benefits (medical, dental, etc). I just want to stay home! LOL

I agree with most of you - turning a hobby into a job takes all the fun out of it... however, TIM HOLTZ, Christy Tomlinson...and MANY OTHERS seem to be having a load of fun! LOL Hey, if you figure out how to do it - LET ME KNOW...and I'll work for you {from my home}

Me too Darla. I would love to do any kind of desk job at home. I can actually do most of my job from home but work doesn't want to let me work from home permanently.

I'd be curious to know how people get their work from home jobs like data entry or software testing. Most of the people I know who work from home had the job and then moved and their company decided to let them telecommute since they'd already proven themselves. That's not really an option for me anytime in the near future though.

I have been thinking about doing so as well. I am not so sure if people are willing to pay what it really the cost of something handmade.

I turned my love of cooking into a business, and did love it for awhile. I put in tons of hours & sweat into the business, and so did my partner. I won't make the same mistake with my love of paper crafting. I find it relaxing and therapeutic.

Still, I don't like to discourage those who want to follow their dream. There are many success stories out there. It takes commitment, a saving account with enough money to get you through the bad times, and an understanding you'll be putting in a ton of hours.

I am a SU demonstrator, and hold down a full time regular job these days.

I know a few people who work from home transcribing medical and court cases from tape. If you're a quick typist, you can make money doing that. I considered doing that until I discovered my love of designing custom candy wrappers for people. I certainly would not be able to live off of my fun "hobby", but it has provided me with more than enough fun money! Now I have my own website, and I love to sit in front of my computer in my PJs or sweats and just design new items for my on-line store.

There are several work from home jobs to be had. Most involve telephone work, typing (and you must be speedy and accurate), accounting, webdesigning and sales. I have 3 friends who all work from home. The downsides are that you have to sign contracts about when you are available, some require that you cannot have children or dependant adults in the home during work hours. You may also be required to have specific designated work areas and dedicated computers and internet lines just for the job.
As for scrapbooking for money. I do make albums for money. Mostly they are simple with very little embellishments. If people want fancier things the price goes up. I generally tell them to count on a minimum of $5 per page if they want fancy, but most don't when they see the cost. I teach classes and other things for craft money. I have an entire room dedicated to my crafting. In 10 years of doing this, I have never made enough money to quit my job, but I have made enough to buy nice equipment and supplies. I would say that my hobby/job is free for the most part as long as I keep selling items, but no real profit.

Yes I'm interested in working scrapbooking from home

In the past I have seen postings from manufacturers looking for employees. But most of the time, you need to live near the main office.

I have also seen postings for marketing people for the companies.
For this type of job, you need to be very knowledgeable about social media.

If you are interested in teaching, you need to have your own social media accounts, 'pimp' yourself, and apply for design teams to get yourself known.


just a few ideas....

I'd like to give you something to think about before you leap into this. When you take a hobby you love and turn it into a job, it loses the "fun" aspect really quickly. There are several reasons for this, but for me the most important one is that you lose the personal creativity aspect. You are now having to create what someone else wants, the way they want it done. You are no longer working for yourself - the customer is your boss. In addition, you are on their timeline, not your own. I discovered this when I used to do cake decorating. I loved it and started taking orders - tons and tons of orders - until it actually evolved into a business. One day I realized it was no longer fun and up and sold every piece of equipment I owned. I'll never again turn a hobby into a business. I love the creativity of scrapbooking and card-making, and simply will not risk that happening again. Just a little something to think about from one person's perspective. Whatever you decide, try to keep the joy. If you're doing it strictly as a business, you'll do fine, but if you're doing it because it's truly something you love, at least think about this before you step out.

Ditto this. I loved cake Decorating and making original, one of a kind cakes. They went to friends, family, church, and social events. But then, I won a couple of first prize awards at cake decorating competition. The prizes were sizable gift certificates for decorating supplies companies. I bought the supplies and I started my business. . . The Cake Lady-- Robin-Sue. But, For the exact same reasons you mentioned... other people's time schedules and demands and the massive load of work and clean up...I began to HATE cake decorating. Now my adult children laugh at their birthday cakes. A boxed cake mix , canned icing smeared on, and the birthday number candle on top. THEY still take photos of their cakes every year and I always say the same thing: If you tell anybody that the cake lady made it, I'm disowning you. If I had stuck with just making a few here and there " for fun money " or had done something related like teach a class or just sell icing flowers at bake sales or entered competitions and used the prizes for my own pleasure....Then making income out of it would not have ended so grievously. But it would still not have made big profits. (On the bright side since I did my own business taxes for my business and later for direct sales" and later as real estate agent, I eventually became a tax preparer for 8 years-- good can come out of bad circumstances even when you created them yourself) My advice start small and if it stops being fun GET OUT while you still have a hobby.

This is a really old thread! I will tell you first hand, starting a business from a hobby does make if feel like work and then it is no longer fun. I am in that place now. I had to take a break from it all because it became too much! I am getting back in the groove of crafting and from time-to-time I may sell a card or something. However, it is because I want to do it not out of obligation!!