24 Craft Business Ideas

Basketry is the craft of making baskets or woven containers from fibres such as bamboo, grass and twigs, or alternatively from synthetic materials. Popular variations include Willow Weaving, basket weaving and basket making.

Basketry is an ancient craft that many people take up as a craft to make bags, storage trays and home furnishings. The style has become increasingly popular across a variety of different sectors, especially fashion and homeware, and basketry crafters are making profitable businesses by jumping onto current trends.

Many basketry business owners sell their products on their own websites, Etsy, Facebook marketplace and even in-person stalls too. As the style of the products are increasingly trendy, sellers may find it easiest to gain a following from Instagram and Tiktok with the use of the right hashtags.

The wax melt and candle making industry has blown up massively over the past few years, and many have taken the opportunity to make it their next business venture.

Wax melt and candle making involves producing a variety of different scented and shaped products to suit every customer’s needs. The perfect part of them is that they are fully customisable from shape, to scent, to size and can be relatively cheap to make if you can get the right supplies.

If you do want to venture into candle making, it’s important to get the right level of protection before you start, just in case something happens that could affect you or your business. Luckily, CraftCover offers bespoke Wax Melt and Candle Making insurance!

It is a saturated market, which means you need to make yourself stand out from the get go and in many cases, this means being transparent about the responsibilities you owe to your customers.

Many talented crafters have started producing pottery with the intention of creating a business from it. Common products include vases, pots, jewellery dishes and even kitchen accessories such as spoon holders.

Ceramics and pottery making isn’t the cheapest of crafting businesses to take up as the equipment can be pricey. You may not need your own studio space however, you could potentially use a space at home which you can comfortably and safely work in.

With the increased amount of backlash the fast fashion industry is getting, now more than ever, consumers are turning to small businesses for accessories. If you make anything from bags, hats, belts and even hair accessories, now could be the perfect time to start up a small business.

You should consider what your niche is and how this could fit in with current fashion trends. You will also need to consider the best places to sell your products and how you will advertise them.

Many shoppers look on social media to find new brands as they have become increasingly bored of fast fashion products. Social media is also a great way to outreach to those who also love the niche you’re targeting.

Many avid florists, and those who just love flowers, have managed to create businesses around their passion. Popular flower crafts include making floral arrangements for occasions, creating pieces of art from dried flowers and Ikebana, which is the Japanese art of flower arranging.

Flower crafts have skyrocketed in popularity due to an increased interest in preserving flowers from special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, funerals and much more.

Businesses operate by customers sending the flowers to the crafter who will then dry the flowers properly and produce beautiful pieces of memorabilia for them, such as coasters, framed flowers and paperweights.

Food and drink making has become more than a hobby for many people and it has become a popular choice for budding business owners. Popular businesses include cake making, craft wines, beers and spirits such as Sloe Gin, and confectionery too.

As your home will most likely be your place of work, it’s important you have the right level of protection.

CraftCover can provide you with the perfect level of protection best suited to your business needs, including public and product liability insurance which is vital when running food and drink businesses for the public.

Glass blowing and making isn’t the most common of crafts, but there’s always a demand for glassware including drinkware, glass ornaments, stained glass and bubble glass too.

Many people opt for gifting glass on special occasions, so if you have a passion for glass crafts, you could be profiting from your outcomes. However, be sure to explain how your products are different and what makes your business unique.

Glass making isn’t as saturated as other business markets, meaning you can push yourself out there much easier and gain a bigger audience.

Cosmetic crafts has always been a much loved area of crafting that many newbies to craft find easy to get into. Many crafters with cosmetic businesses offer a range of products including soaps, bath bombs and salts, body scrubs and aromatherapy.

However, others have also been successful with one specific product such as false nails, eyelashes, hair oils and perfumes too.

Whatever cosmetic you choose to craft, CraftCover can provide you with specifically tailored levels of insurance for your cosmetic business. Due to the nature of cosmetics, not every ingredient will be suitable for everyone to use, so it’s best to be covered just in case issues, such as skin irritation or allergic reactions, arise.

One thing many people look for is unique soft furnishings which they can place in their home with pride. Creating a business around soft furnishings is broad, so you perhaps need to have a sole focus such as cushions and throws, curtains, rugs or beddings sets.

Before you start crafting, you should consider:

– Which styles and prints are trending;
– Who you want your target audience to be;
– and what price range you wish to sell at.

This way, you’ll be able to establish your specific audience and create a plan to target them.

Many jewellery wearers are looking for pieces that will last, and so look for businesses which provide high quality products at affordable prices. If you have a passion for jewellery making, you could be creating a profitable business from it.

Popular jewellery includes handmade rings, stamped gold and silver jewellery, body accessories and costume jewellery.

Although you may think you’ve produced safe jewellery, accidents can happen, which is why you should always have some form of jewellery making insurance in place. This will not only cover any potential claims from customers, but it will cover your own expensive equipment and materials too.

Leatherwork businesses require crafters to have a specific set of skills, including producing wallets and bags, tanning, repairing leather goods and even shoemaking, which is why it can be a very profitable business.

Products and goods of leatherwork crafters are extremely sought after due to the quality and design that can’t be found at fast fashion outlets, which is why many crafters jump onto creating businesses.

Again, this is another craft which may require finding the right audience, so it’s worth investing your time into marketing and personal branding to stand out.

Lighting crafts may be considered niche, but there is a huge demand for unique and original lighting for homes, gardens and businesses too. Many people are turning to solar lighting, especially when they come in different designs to what may be seen in typical DIY and garden stores.

Businesses are also taking a larger interest in lighting as decorations, such as neon signs for their walls inside or signs for outside their place of business. Talented lighting crafters can make hugely successful businesses by providing custom designs for a range of clients.

Metalwork and silversmith crafts cover a huge range of trades from clockmaking, coppersmithing, enamelling, wirework and etching too. Creating a business which covers one or two of these trades can open your business up to a range of commercial and domestic customers.

Crafters of these trades don’t just receive business from their outcomes, but from the fact they are often more ethically sustainable and produce a higher standard of goods than larger retail companies.

A bit more of a niche craft, mixed media includes beadmaking, scrapbooking, musical instruments and face painting. Those who choose to produce mixed media crafts may benefit from taking their products to craft stalls in order to attract a specific audience.

Craft fairs are run up and down the country, so if you’re ready to do a bit of travelling, you could be selling your mixed media crafts to a range of different people. Find out more about craft fair insurance with CraftCover.

Needlework includes crochet, cross-stitch, knitting, quilting and much more. Launching a needlework business allows you to capitalise on current trends, as well as the resurgence of older trends all whilst doing something you’re passionate about.

Needlework isn’t just a skill you can pick up in a day, it may take quite a bit of practice. If you are considering making a needlework business, it may be a good idea to start with smaller pieces first and build up to bigger projects when your skillset develops and you feel more confident.

Painting will always be a great craft business option, and if you have a specific talent for a certain type of painting, you could immensely profit from it. Some painting businesses include custom portraits, murals, acrylic, oil and watercolour paintings.

Whether you choose to produce your own designs or take requests, if you build a large enough following and customer base you could be on your way to making your hobby your main source of income.

Papercraft is another craft which can take a bit of practice to get into and to be able to make it a business. Customers will expect a high standard of products, especially if they’re paying at a higher price than larger businesses offer.

However, if you have practised paper crafts for many years and have a knack for it, your business could become hugely successful. Demand for a variety of paper crafts has increased with customers wanting stationery for occasions, book binding, book making and cardmaking.

Other crafters may actually be interested in your skillset too. If you produce items such as handmade paper, you could become a business to business company, selling your products in bulk to other businesses.

Now more than ever, pet owners are looking for products for their pets to suit their own personality. Customers are bored of plain looking pet products, which is why there is potential to strike while the iron is hot and create a pet craft business.

This could include creating collars and leads, food and drink bowls, clothing and treats too.

However, as with any business which is producing products to wear or eat, it’s important to have the right level of protection. You don’t want your products to injure a pet, leading to an expensive claim heading your way. Talk to our team for specific pet crafts cover today.

Photographic print businesses typically mean the photographer selling pictures they’ve taken, rather than having a studio to take pictures of people. This is an ideal craft business for photographers as you can continue doing what you love and make a profit from it.

Your store can also contain a variety of images from animals and nature, to cars and so much more. Depending on how big your team is, you could print and frame the images yourself or use a third party to do so.

A photography business itself is also a great business model, though often much harder to get into. You can get specific photography insurance to help support your business.

Resin has become one of the most popular crafts over the past few years due to how easy it is to make it, and how much of a demand there is from customers. The popularity comes from how long the products last; they make excellent keepsakes for many people.

The fully customisable nature of plastic and resin art is the reason why so many people love it. Brides can send off their flowers to be preserved in virtually anything, from coasters to earrings to decorative blocks. Other popular items people send to be preserved include pet collars and ashes, photographs, precious items and jewellery too.

This is a craft which requires a small amount of practice in order to get the correct consistency and technique, but once you’ve mastered it, you can start selling.

CraftCover provides specific plastic and resin art insurance, perfect to suit your unique business needs.

Printing and digital arts crafts is another craft perfect for those who already love and take it up as a hobby. It can include lino printing, screen printing, digital art and fabric printing.

This type of craft is quite versatile as you can sell items as both digital and physical prints, potentially allowing you to double your profit.

You can also sell your designs across a variety of sites, such as Society6 and Redbubble. These sites are great as all you need to do is produce the artwork, and the company will print and send it to the customer.

Stone crafters create beautiful pieces of stone art such as stone carvings, mosaics, letter carving and knapping. To take on stone crafting as a business, you should ideally already be good at it and have an excellent eye for detail, this isn’t just a skill anyone can do.

Those who are good at it can make very successful businesses, especially if they offer unique and custom designs for their customers. The market isn’t saturated as it is with resin craft, meaning there is potential to fill the gap in the market and build a strong customer base.

Textile crafts cover a wide range of different crafts such as rug making, canvas work, rope making, spinning, weaving and felt work. The reason buyers love handmade textile craft businesses is because they often offer customisation or fully custom requests.

Businesses who can cater to the needs of the customers are more likely to have a larger following as they will be providing products customers can’t get elsewhere.

The business is also a good idea for those who want to reach a global market, as many of the products can be rolled up and shipped without hassle.

Wood and furniture making is another specialist skill that could be profited on, especially if they fit current homeware trends. The trade can include furniture making, upholstery, wood making, woodturning and wood carving.

You may require your own space for this, so it could be worth investing in a studio space which customers could visit.

If this is the case, you should consider purchasing public liability insurance just in case an accident happens at your place of work, such as a customer tripping over equipment or ill-placed products.