I've been doing a lot of work lately and as a result have mountains of scrap fabric right down to teeny weeny thready little bits. I can't bear to throw any of it out, it's so colourful and precious that I want to make it into fun things. I put out a basket of bits for the birds to use making nests this year but it hardly made a dent so here is what I've been doing with the rest. I still have a bin full of the thready little bits to find a project for, I might stuff something with it.
Here are two completed projects
[www.flickr.com]

Love, love, LOVE the things you make! I feel so cheerful after viewing that, not the least reason for which is that, as a slideshow, it is "Chaos Turns to Order"--awesome and thanks for posting

Coco, you should start your own business! Seriously, you have such a talent and "Shredlock" is adorable. You could market it as eco-friendly toys or whatever.

Oh, banana who, we have already all nagged coconuts about what a boon to the natural kiddie toy market she would be if she would just be willing to market her stuff to the right venue, yet she persists to resist!

Because you can't make a living doing it, people want to pay Chinese sweat shop prices for everything these days.
I make fun love gifts for people, it makes/saves me money in that way. And I willingly show people how to do stuff, there are several tutorials on that site to spread the recycling crafty love.
These projects I'm going to try selling at a craft fair though, I'm mass producing stuff and need to fund our summer adventure. I've got nearly 90 pocket tissue cosies, over 20 taggy blankets, 10 bibs made from old tshirts, a couple dozen pairs of panties made from old tshirts, 10 scrap monsters and some fabric shopping bags in the works. The living room is a perpetual mess but I'm getting things done and the kids don't seem to mind living in a jumble even though it makes me crazy!

Very cute and adorable items.
And bless you for using every scrap of material.

Vinny

Vinny, I started out with the ugliest most unwearable clothing that no one was going to do anything with. It was garbage when I got it but I transformed it into some of the cutest and most functional items,that makes me really happy. I'm more inspired by little bits of stuff than by big bolts of new fabric any time. I love piecing colourful bits together into something really neat.

Well at least you get to share your gift with others. Also, you could donate them to group homes, I guess, if you have any extra. I see stuffed toys like Shredlock all the time. And I can't think of the brand where they are ugly monsters? I love those things!

I don't know but if you do remember I'd love to see them too!

How much can I charge for this stuff, what would you be willing to pay for tissue cosies, taggy blankets, baby bibs made of cool tshirts, scraplings, cloth shopping bags made from interesting fabrics? Any ideas?

Finally finished these scrappy creatures, the kids want to keep them ALL lol.







Each one of them has a fabric tangle heart inside, the kids helped me make those and choose which went where.






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2011 08:26PM by coco.

sell them on etsy

here is the toy section: [www.etsy.com]

Thanks for the suggestion but I'm actually not a fan of Esty, they have some rotten business practices. Plus shipping is a pain, especially from Canada. If they don't sell at craft shows this summer I'll be set for xmas gifts for everyone! LOL.

"Because you can't make a living doing it, people want to pay Chinese sweat shop prices for everything these days"

Thats something to consider. The other thing is I don't understand so much around marketing, and regulation of production. I see recycled crafts around, so the regulations must not be that restrictive.

We have a lot of clothes to donate. However the last time I dropped off a bag I really wondered if they would ever really get used. It felt like putting it in a dumpster.

coco,

Post photos of the tissue cozies, etc. and I might take a stab at costing them out for ya. It's "whatever the market will bear," as the wonks put it. Say I want one of those Rasta Rabbits, or whatever those things with the streamer hair are, but I MUST HAVE ONE. I would pay you, say, $25 bucks, depending on the size. See, that's how it's done.*


*To be honest, I really do covet those rabbitses, Gollum-like

Here Tam [www.flickr.com]
They are going elsewhere for between $7-$15, I'm thinking $6 or 3 for $15, what do you think?

Uh, just got back from your flickr stream, and am veering between adoration and contempt: You doof! All the hipster parents in Kensington, Brooklyn(or the Danforth, TO, for that matter) would pay double what you are considering for these items; think, they are one-of-a-kinds, yeah? My sis-in-law is expecting her first child. She's a textile designer and proficient seamstress herself. I am sure she'd gladly pay 30-40 bucks for, say, the "Alice" bag for a chic carryall for baby's diapers and bottles, if I am not mistaken about the size. This, by the way, matters greatly as to relative value.


[Btw, I want that gnome apron. Seriously. I will be the envy of all my cooking school friends, and that is priceless.]

I can make that for you no prob, aprons are dead simple to do. I should be making those to sell but they take way more fabric than I usually use so I only make them as gifts.
The thing about selling in TO is that the cost of living is so high you need 2 more jobs to be able to afford your crafty endeavors! I don't miss that city very much. I know I could ship stuff there but... I don't know. I can't ensure a steady supply of something, you know? I make what I make and that's all. I do have a friend with a gift shop there, I'll see what she'd be willing to carry. That means a mark up which either decreases my price of increases the selling price, that's also a consideration, craft shows are just table rental and no other overhead.
I have had 2 adorbz sock monkeys at a friend's hip cafe on Dundas west for half a year, no sale. They are pretty basic but still took enough time to ask $40-50 each. My friend said $60 but that's really a lot for a pair of socks .

[www.flickr.com]

Things like the day of the dead and voodoo sock monkeys take so many hours to make, I can't even imagine pricing them. I'm making a Cthulhu sock creature for a friend this week, same deal. Hours of hand stitching. Just Hours.

Did you like the felt food? That's probably my favourite stuff.

coco,

If you are salvaging stuff like fabric and notions, then most of your cost will be labor. Hip people will pay a premium for this, especially if the work is high grade. As for the Orphans of Dundas Boutique, um, well, they are very dark. Perhaps their aspect is too grim for wide appeal? Think how cheery they'd look if made from rainbow colored socks, right? I know, I know, you used what you had, but this is the only explanation I can think of because the workmanship is clearly quality, otherwise. I liked the felt food, btw. I liked everything pictured, but some items squealing-with-delight more than others. The Wookie messenger bag, por ejemplo, has limited range, methinks, but that owl wallet would be tussled over at any college campus coffee house. That's the point: I would pay you for that gnome apron because that apron is worth paying money for. And why shouldn't you sell such things rather than giving all of them away; that's a lovely gesture, but it doesn't sufficiently[and I use this word judiciously] exploit you talent or the quality of your work. You could have it both ways--make some as gifts, sell others as you are able. It is really a pity that you aren't in the D, because I can think of one place where your stuff would sell well, or so I imagine:

[goodsdetroit.com]

I'll ask me s-i-l if there's something like etsy, but more, what would you say, trustworthy? that might work for you. Just so, you know, you can think on it

Thanks chica, and for the link too that was super fun to look through. Do you have a pair of those Michigan mittens? Cool. And they carry this work which is amazing (but discouraging, look at how inexpensively it's priced!) [www.happycloudthunderhead.com]

The thing about selling in any store is the mark up, it's generally %100 so a $5 item bumps up to $10 + taxes. And for this stuff I used fabric and stash I had but to actually produce more or specific things I would have to buy more as this was a major destashing effort, I've cut my supplies down to barely anything at all. That said, I can score fabric in the form of old clothing or use our outgrown stuff but that's a take what you can get sort of deal, gotta be very creative in that case (no problem but no making whatever people or stores want, only what I have supplies for).

I don't know, this isn't really something I want to do for a living. I'd rather work a joe-job and keep this for enjoyment, it's what I used to do to relax.

Here they are with their hair down



My daughter is ready to adopt them ALL, I'll never be able to sell even one at this point LOL.

Love your scrappy little friends. Love the bright colors, their hair, their all around cuteness & that they are born from recycles & ingenuity. They make me smile.

Thank you!

Here's another family of them, these ones made from old sweaters.


I'm possibly going to be selling some things at a craft fair this weekend, my first ever! We'll see how it goes.

Good luck, coconuts!

Drr... couldn't get organized enough. It rained cats and dogs Fri and Sat too though so tenting w the kids was enough of a challenge. My friend is doing the farmer's market every 2 weeks though so I'm planning to go out with her a couple of times and see if my stuff sells. I'm hoping to finish up 41 cloth bags while packing up and moving, lol lol lol. I am a crazy lady, that's for sure!

2 shows and people doing last minute shopping = nothing left! No creatures left anyhow, just one sock monkey. I've got a lot of little things still but all the stuffies I made are sold, yipee! More than paid for my own xmas shopping and rent on the studio for a couple months too. I'm really, really happy I spent all that time stitching. Fun.

Congrats, Coco! That is very cool and inspiring!

AWEsome

Holee shizzle you guys, I sold the last sock monkey, 2 more that I just finished, TEN little embroidered pouches and have 2 custom orders I've got to finish by tomorrow! WOOT!

Oh my gosh, I have such a fun life!
This is what the kids and I have been up to the past couple of days. Their creativity astounds me .
[www.craftster.org]