Let’s talk about something here. I clearly Love my arts and crafts. However, arts and crafts are pricey, so knowing I am as budget friendly as possible, how can I justify the amount I spend on these side hobbies? Well, because I have a huge list of what I would like to do and then choose the most budget friendly patterns and options from there. I only buy kits if it makes sense, I use coupons as much as I can, I choose projects that may not require a bajillion materials. And now, I really think about what I want to make and order only what I need offline because my nearest Michaels or JoAnns is more than 90 minutes away. And guess what…buying more to get free shipping actually makes you SPEND MORE. And I do not fall into that trap anymore.
So I thought it would be fun to start sharing with you how much I actually spend on assorted projects. Would that interest you? I know it isn’t as flashy as an income report, but I realized that if someone is looking to get into a new hobby but can’t justify the cost, this part of my site might be a helpful tool to them. This also falls in line with my Make Your House A Home On A Dime Series. Because honestly, making your house a home with your own handmade items can escalate in price very, very quickly.
I also think this is something important to discuss because the price of purchasing handmade items are more costly. However, the price point they actually sell for is typically lower than it really costs to make it when considering the amount of time the person spent to make it and not a machine. Also, when considering if it is purchased from Etsy, Etsy collects 5% of the commission for the sold item. Again, things to talk about and think about how much do these things really cost? Would you be interested in finding out how long certain items actually take to make? I think there is so much information that someone looking to get into different hobbies might want to know that just isn’t out there. Please ask away if there is anything specific you would like me to discuss in the future!
This week I am going to be talking to you about my recently finished Land of the Free Cross Stitch. I haven’t fully finished it, but I think it is still important to talk about what the actual cost is with a finished art project and then later discuss how much it will cost me to frame it. Because that seems to be something that is hush hush. I won’t frame all of my pieces believe me, but this piece is something I want to withstand the test of time in my house and hopefully beyond me in my family.
There are so many different ways to make the exact same thing, and sometimes less is more. Sometimes more is justified. Let’s talk about it here on briannalentz.com.
Cheers <3