Finding wholesale craft supplies and sewing supplies is not easy. No one ever wants to share their wholesale sources – and even if you find them, often the minimum orders are too high when you are just starting out. Many wholesale craft supply sites wnat a minimum order of $500 or more. That can be tough to do if you are starting your business without debt and with little capital.

Here are some ways to find supplies at wholesale prices:

* Fabric coops – there are dozens, if not hundreds of coops on Yahoo and other group sites. Coops are run by one or more group leaders who arrange a group buy. They take orders in advance for materials, such as several prints of a designer fabric. They collect all the money, then send in the order. When it arrives to them, they cut it, package it up and collect shipping payments. Coop prices are usually a little above wholesale (to account somewhat for the leader’s time and materials), but the slight increase is definitely worth it when you can’t afford a whole order on your own. Some coops also order custom fabrics or have materials made for them.

Coop leaders vary in their phiolosphy about how much they should mark up materials. I ran a small coop for a couple of years. It is incredibly time-consuming and takes a lot of work. So, I beleive it is more than fair for a coop leader to mark things up 5-10%. On the other hand, I have seen some coops charge double or more what I can get a fabric for at wholesale. In my mind this violates the point of a coop, but if people are willing to pay the price, it is all fair. Just be aware of this possibility when looking at coops. Also, there are good coops and bad ones. In a good coop you may need to wait several weeks or months to get your stuff, but you will get it. In a bad coop, well, let’s just say a few coop leaders have run off with money. So, do your research and look for a coop where the leader has a good reputation over a period of time.

You can find coops by searching Yahoo groups or forums related to your products and materials.

* Wholesale suppliers. Try doing a Google search for suppliers by typing in the key word and “wholesale.” Be wary of scams and false sites, but you can often find great suppliers this way. If your first search doesn’t work, try using different key words such as name brands.

* Sales – It may sound silly to shop sales for your business, but when you are just starting out it really makes a difference. Anything over 40 percent off is pretty close to wholesale price, so you can assume you are saving enough to make it worth your time. Just buy as much as you can at once so you are not running yourself ragged. It is better to have 5 yards each of 5 prints of fabric so you can save time creating in bulk, than to have to spend the time taking pictures and listing items individually.

When shopping locally, be sure to bring a copy of your business license and tax certificate so you can avoid paying sales tax on materials.

Some places I find great sales online:

Fabric.com has great deals on fabrics of every kind. Watch for their sales and free shipping offers.

Create for Less has a huge selection of craft items and they are all at great prices.

Joann.com everyday prices are not great, but their sales are awesome. Watch for seasonal sales and weekly ads.

Starting a home based business is not easy, but it is very doable if you are willing to put in the time. A home based business of your very own requires some creativity and knowledge. If you supply the creativity, I can help you with the knowledge part. Even if you don’t know anything about internet marketing, I will show you how to start your business and grow it into a profitable part-time or full-time business. Starting your own homemade craft business is exciting, but it can also be confusing.

Your home based business can be selling almost anything, but you will have a much easier time of it if you love what you are doing. Why work for yourself if you will find it boring or if you are sick of dealing with what you sell? For instance, I could make a lot more money selling handmade boutique style purses than I do selling cloth diapers.

Cloth diapers are a low-profit business and they only appeal to a small percantage of people – but handmade boutique purses can sell for a lot and many women like to have several unique handbags to match various outfits or in various sizes. I can make really cute purses, they are just not something that I live for right now. I could make money selling them, but after a while I would get bored if that was all I made. I do enjoy helping moms get their babies off to a great start in cloth diapers, so for now, that is a better business for me.

So, your first assignment in creating a profitable home business is to make a list of things you love to use or make. For now, just make a list of everything that comes to mind. We’ll take a closer look later. Today you are just brainstorming. There are thousands of possibilities, so keep your eyes open for new ideas. You can try looking through sites such as Etsy.com to get ideas or Google “handmade.”

Here are some ideas to get you started:

* Scented soaps
* Twirly skirts
* Handmade diaper bags
* Earrings
* Personalized bracelets
* Unique hats
* Holiday decorations
* Baby blankets
* Personalized or funny t-shirts
* Shopping bags
* Soy candles

Crafting is an underappreciated art form -and for many of us it is also a way to create an income for our families. With the advent of sites such as eBay and Etsy, more people are earning part or all of their income crafting. Thousands of work at home moms all across the US and many other countries are returning to the tradition of crafting items for sale to help make ends meet – or as the beginning of a much bigger business. Many, many other women craft just for the sheer joy of making something beautiful with their hands. Whether you are new to crafting or whether you have long delighted in the process of creating, you’ll find some great things here.

From as early as I can remember, I have loved to create with my hands. Three years ago I launched my first little online store selling baby things and soon began making many of those items by hand. Before long I was part of the vast online community of women who make things for their families or for sale. Like everything else I do, I have researched the markets for handmade goods and learned an enormous amount about making a small business prosper. I love to share what I have learned, so you’ll find all kinds of juicy tidbits about running a handmade craft business here, along with a lot of fun things as well.

Come along with me as I review craft books and patterns, play with new materials and discover new, fun things to make. If you happen to be serious about starting or growing a craft-related business of your own, I have information about that too. For in-depth business information, check out WAHM Solutions.