Make Money from your Scrapbooking Stash
and Know-How!

Anyone who takes up a craft as a hobby knows how compulsive it becomes to buy supplies, and scrapbookers are amongst the worst offenders!  Each trip to the store for one particular type of paper, or embellishment becomes a $20+ binge of scrapbooking "must haves" that aren't immediately needed but might come in useful one day.  The scrapbooking supply stash soon mounts up and quickly becomes an organizational nightmare requiring yet another trip to the craft store to purchase containers to keep all these precious bits and pieces in.

It is possible to earn some money to fund your addiction to purchasing scrapbooking supplies however.  You already have most of the tools of the trade, and the knowledge of how they fit together - all you need is to give a little thought as to how best to use this as a source of income.

There are many people who would love to have scrapbooks but don't have the time, or ability, to actually sit down and devote their concentration to the task.  Perhaps they are busy executives working 12 hour days with 2 hour round trip commutes.  Perhaps they are working single moms with children, a job and a home to juggle.  Perhaps they just don't have the skill and patience necessary to undertake craft work.  Whatever the reason, they are the people who need your skills and could be willing to pay you to create the scrapbooks of their life events.  If this appeals to you, select a few of your best layouts, take photos and then turn these into a brochure that advertises your services.  Decide how much it costs you to create one page, and one double page of both a basic, and a more advanced layout, and then create an example price list, but make a comment that each layout will be quoted on an individual basis.  When thinking of the example price list, remember to factor in something for your time along with the price of supplies as this is where you will earn the money.  Advertise your business online, and on local store notice boards etc.  Network in places where you know you will find busy women - preferably those with children who will have a greater need for your services. You could even ask the local scrapbooking store if you could advertise your services there.

Another way of earning money from your scrapbooking stash is to create hand made cards.  These require the same techniques and equipment you already have and so they are a perfect way of turning your current stash into money.  You will need to purchase some blank cards and envelopes - unless you want to make your own from existing card stock in your cupboard - and also little plastic bags of the right size for to fit your cards so that you can package each card and envelope separately ready for sale.  Think about not only the traditional occasions for card giving, but also occasions when perhaps there isn't much choice amongst the existing stock in stores - getting a good report card for example!  Promote your cards in a similar way to the scrapbooking service above to find customers for your creations.

One final thought for creating money from your existing stash is to offer your services as a paid demonstrator.  You will need your stash to create the examples to show what can be achieved with a few bits of paper, card stock, shiny bits and pieces, photos, some sticky stuff and a little bit of know-how.  Take a look at the local yellow pages and see what organizations there are who might have an interest in booking your services.  Give them a call, or send them a letter, telling them what you do and what your demonstration would cover.  Expect to spend at least one or two hours at each event - and reimbursement should depend on the length of time you will be expected to talk.

Crafting is a great way of relaxing and letting the brain focus on something creative, but it quickly becomes expensive.  With a little thought, you can use a little bit of your crafting time earning money from your supply stash, which will help make the funds to keep you well up-to-date with each new supply and gadget that comes onto the scrapbooking market!

Information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not be interpreted as financial or legal advice. This does not represent a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Please consult your financial advisor.