Home Based Quilting Business

In a Nutshell

Original unique quilts are much sought after and you can make a living out of making quilts and selling them at a profit. A quick creative quilter with some business knowledge can actually turn a hobby into a business.

The Longer Version

Quilts are not only beautiful but also practical. They make a great product for a small home business because people are looking for handmade homely quilts. This is one niche where the home based producer has the edge over any factory.

That doesn't mean you have to sew your quilts by hand. In fact, to make money from quilt making, you have to make your quilts quickly and by machine. However, even machine quilting at home produces unique and homely pieces – just what customers are after.

If you're considering a quilting business, you have to love quilting and be an experienced quilter. You also need a good working space, where you can store your fabrics and quilting machine and use them whenever you need. Quilting patterns are easy to come by, with plenty of quality books and online sites providing you with patterns and supplies. eBay is a great source for patterns, fabrics and quilting supplies at very attractive prices. If you can come up with your own original designs, that's even better.
To make your hobby into a business, you also need to be able to deal with clients, payments and some paperwork. A quilting business should be first and foremost a business. You need a business plan, a marketing and advertising system and a way to bill your customers.

The Internet provides you with some great ways to promote and market quilts with a lively quilt market in eBay. Setting up your online quilt store, whether on eBay or as an independent site, is easier than you might think. There are some great online stores services and scripts, and you can always hire a web developer or designer who specializes in ecommerce sites.
Depending on your quilting abilities and marketing techniques, you can make a nice profit on each quilt. More importantly, you will have be making that money doing something you love.

What Do You Need?

Unless you already have them under your hand, you need to make an initial investment to buy good sewing machine, fabrics and quilting materials. Remember to set funds aside for advertising your quilts on eBay and other outlets.

So... How Much will I Make?

A skilled quilter can produce a good quilt in under two hours. With an average profit of $20 per quilt, you could be looking at $1,000-$2,000 a month.