Arts and crafts died in Kenyan schools from 2001 though some schools have the lessons going in British/American curriculum schools.
Arts and crafts aren’t
dead online either and as a Kenyan, you can make money from your crafts.
There are many
starving artists in Kenya but artists online aren’t starving.
They found a way of
creating an income from the comfort of their homes.
Are you ready to make
money from your home’s comfort with your artistic talent as a Kenyan?
What are The Best
Arts and Crafts to Sell Online in Kenya?
The following are the
most popular arts and crafts niches online and Kenyans can sell from their
home’s comfort and they include:
Calligraphy
Creating cute letters
art isn’t dead. Companies like Hallmark, the biggest greeting card maker always
look for online workers talented in calligraphy to help expand their greeting
card gallery. Though most positions are for the US market, you don’t have to
get discouraged. This shows there’s a market for the calligraphers out there.
You can sell your calligraphy online via Instagram or sell to font companies
when you digitize your art to fonts.com, Etsy, Creative Market or Design Cut.
Don’t forget, Canva has made fonts a craze and rave because it’s easier to be a
graphic designer using Canva. Canva creators look for the best exclusive fonts.
Sell your fonts over and over when they are digital, have a commercial license
for the purchasers. To get an idea of how it’s done, check the fanaticism on
Creative Market and list your font. And read more blogs on selling your fonts
online.
Sell your crafts
online
What craft do you do?
Is it sewing, cross-stitching, crocheting, whatever the craft, Etsy is the best
place to sell your handmade for Kenyans? There are other markets as well like
Amazon handmade or eBay, Artfire, big cartel, open a Shopify store, Icraft,
Shoprida, Zibbet. All these marketplaces may not be as wide as Etsy, but worth
checking them out. Remember, there is a percentage all these marketplaces take
and some may require you to pay a monthly subscription like Shopify.
Drawings
Like fonts, are you a
great painter or artist? Sell your drawing on Creative Market as a digital file
or as a clipart for use in wedding cards or greeting cards.
Potters
Do you love creating
unique pots, bowls, plates? You could sell your pots on Etsy, your website or
offer lessons as an Airbnb experience. Offer the lessons on YouTube/your blog as a
tutorial and see an increase in your revenue.
Jewellers
Women and men alike
love jewellery, no wonder the jewellery industry grows each year. Do you have
unique jewellery pieces to offer to your customers?
Tailors
You know I talk about
tailoring all the time. A beautiful craft of turning your fabric pieces into
clothing. Isn’t this an amazing craft to have?. Would you love to set up a
tailoring business in Kenya? Read this article.
Carvers/Sculptures
Have you ever taken a
trip to Kisii land to see the beautiful wood and soapstone carvings? You would
not be a lover of craft if you don’t fall in love with them. Sell your
soapstone carvings on Etsy.
Woodworking
I got amazed at
woodwork carving after watching this video. Do you love wood?. Wood made Ikea a
billion-dollar and worldwide business and craze. You can carve bowls, cooking
sticks, gourds, wild animals like giraffes, lions,
Glass Blowing
I didn’t know about
glass blowing until I watched a Netflix show about glass blowers. I then
realised this is a great craft to know. Want to learn more about glass blowing.
Watch the show on Netflix to get the basics.
Soap Making
Soap makers are so
prominent with many of their videos garnering millions of viewers on YouTube.
We want to know how soap is made. Plus soap making is a great source of side
hustle, we all shower/bathe at some point. We want to smell good, and soap
provides the smell-good luxury. Learn the basics of soap making from Becky’s
Homestead video and if you want to make money, make organic soap with goat
milk, for example, include essential oils to make the soap exotic.
Painting
Watercolors are so
popular for making greeting cards on Creative Market and Etsy. Do you know how
to paint? Use your painting talent to make money by digitizing your paintings
into clip arts.
Candle Makers
Candle making is
another great side hustle idea to start from the comfort of your home. You
don’t have to be a woman to make money with candles. Learn about candle-making
from YouTube. Make your candles exotic by writing love messages on the candle
holders or etching on glass candle holders. Glass etching is another great
talent to have.
Popular Crafts to
Sell Online in Kenya
The following crafts
are so popular and you can start selling from the comfort of your home.
You don’t have to be a
crafter to sell crafts though. You can buy from China at cheaper prices then
enhance the product and resell at a higher price.
For example, buy
beautiful glasses and then decoupage or etch on them lovely messages.
Valentine, Christmas, and birthday messages sell well.
Any season greeting
messages in a glass bottle sells well because it’s a thoughtful message. Don’t
you love a message in a glass bottle?
Wood art/carvings
Glass etchings
Jewellery
Throw Pillows
Wall Arts
Magnets
Kids Toys
Pet Toys
Electronic Accessories like phone cases
Rustic Wooden Designs
Ceramics
Dread Hair Extensions like wooden beads, wool, cotton, silk, pewter,
fabrics.
Blankets
Coasters
Lip Balm
Note Cards
Cat Tents
Planters
Handmade Soap
Pixel Art/Painting
Greeting Cards
Candles
Packages
Decoupage
Portraits
Don’t stop at these
popular crafts, what other crafts do you love?
Make money off of it
online by selling on Etsy, eBay, Amazon among other craft-friendly websites.
Above all, make your
own blog, YouTube channel, or Instagram and make your craft there.
How to Become
Successful Selling Your Arts and Crafts Online in Kenya
Have a
website.
Crafters don’t know
the importance of having a website. Create a simple website on WordPress to
help maximize your income. Maybe talking on the camera isn’t your strength
nor is writing. But writing a step-by-step guide isn’t that hard. With a
website, you monetize your content and buyers get to buy your art online.
Buyers care for the step-by-step guide, not your English level.
Create online
courses.
The more you establish
yourself by either teaching tutorials on blog or YouTube or showing the step by
step of your business, the more language barrier doesn’t matter. I have seen
millions of viewers on YouTube on channels where the tailors don’t teach in
English. Make the video or photos a step by step for easy following and copying
by your followers. Online courses help establish you as an expert.
Advertise and
market yourself
Have you seen crafters
marketing themselves? Crafters hide behind their crafts claiming they are busy
coming up with ideas. WRONG MOVE. It’s good to keep developing new crafts every
day but when no one is buying, what will you eat? I used to be so scared of
advertising until I asked myself if I don’t know how to advertise, am I proud
of my work?
Do proper branding
for your crafts.
Remember branding
isn’t about being Apple, it’s having the right packages for your crafts. Are
you letting customers leave your store with unbranded items? How will they
remember your store in case you close it or change the name? You want your
brand to be remembered for a long time. Create memories with your brand.
Don’t sell in one
store online only.
Don’t sell your crafts
in one store online. Sell the same watercolor clipart on all available shops
online plus your shop. It pays to have yourself exposed to various shops.
Show your expertise
by creating a YouTube channel
Don’t hide behind the
camera. People buy a face and your personality shines through on YouTube,
people want to identify with your business/craft. They don’t care for your
looks, they care for your human side. Get confident, your craft is
awesome.
Involve social
media to help advertise your crafts
Pinterest and
Instagram are great places to showcase your work bringing in more traffic
sources from all over the world. Throw yourself in the social media space to
help bring more eyeballs to your crafts. Don’t get distracted though,
prioritise.
Don’t sell yourself
short. It takes a lot of time
to create any piece of art. When pricing, take time into consideration.
Know and value the
worth of your craft. Many
crafters don’t know the value of their craft, what a pity! It’s already
exhausting to come up with ideas to help you stand out. Know that your art is
valuable.
Know when your
craft is no longer a hobby and must make money for you. Turning from a hobby becomes upheaval for all
crafters. We don’t want to move from our comfort zone. The burden of buying
your crafts supplies tools will be felt if you give out a lot of your crafts.
Make money by selling and not small money as many crafters say, it’s big
money.
Perseverance and
dedication. Stop giving up
because the money isn’t trickling in as you wanted. We all face a challenge
that threatens to stop us from our destiny. Dedication, endurance, patience,
love for the craft are the virtues that keep us moving.
Have a business
mindset. Lots of crafters
don’t have a business mindset, see the tips for developing a great business
mindset here.
Keep learning and
getting better in your craft.
No one is perfect even the perfect glassblower, painter, or writer keeps
creating. That’s your lifeline. Learn and change with the trends to help your
craft stand the test of time.
There’s a difference
between a starving artist and a wealthy artist.
They both think
different one knows their worth and charges their worth another one believes,
crafting doesn’t make money.
Which one of the
artists are you?