Newsletter - July 23, 2008

The Jewelry Crafter

A newsletter for the home jeweler

This newsletter will be published every 2 weeks, and will include hints and tips for your jewelry business. Any feedback or comments about the topics presented here are always appreciated. Click here to e-mail us.

If you have an idea for an upcoming article, or would like to submit an article for the newsletter, please contact us. Anyone who submits an article will receive a permanent link to their website in a special section of our link pages.

Demonstrating Your Craft

by

Mary Harvey

Have you ever thought of demonstrating your work to groups, or teaching a class? Now I’m not talking about a large, formal class at your local bead store, I’m thinking more of informally introducing people to the wonderful world of jewelry making. There are several ways to do this:

For example, I was contacted by a local girl scout troop to see if I would be interested working with the girls to show them how to make a simple piece of jewelry. Being an ex-girl scout myself, I thought it would be a good idea and it would help the girls earn a badge. The troop paid for the materials, and I donated my time (I did get a couple of boxes of cookies, though). I worked one-on-one with 13 girls, and when we were done, each girl had a nice birthstone or bead ring to take home with them. I have been doing this with several local troops for 3 years now, and the girls really enjoy it. 

There are lots of places where you can either teach or demonstrate your craft. Some schools have an “enrichment day”, where the parents come in and show the kids different hobbies, crafts, sports, etc. Or how about the local YMCA or church youth group. They sometimes have craft days or programs where people can discover a new hobby or craft.

And if you do shows or festivals, bring your tools and make some jewery. As an example, at a recent show, there was a lady with a hothead torch making glass beads. People flocked to her booth to see how a rod of glass gets transformed into a bead. People love to see how things are made, and if you make jewelry at your booth, people will stop to watch, and look around while they’re there.

Demonstrating your craft can be very rewarding. Not only will you be sharing your love of jewelry making, you will also be promoting your business and gaining valuable exposure.