Handmade on Instagram: how to make money on children's toys

Choosing a direction

The best option is to choose what you can do better than others. These can be designer dolls, cute toy animals (bunnies, bears, kittens, etc.) or bouquets of plush animals. For those who like to knit, the best choice would be the popular trend of amigurumi (knitted dolls). Handmade toys can be made from a variety of materials:

• fabrics;
• wood;
• felt;
• felt;
• colors;
• wool

It all depends on your skills and desire: you can learn almost anything. Moreover, there are many detailed master classes and specialized forums on the Internet where people share their reviews and exclusive patterns.

Business benefits

The main advantages of this business:

1. Minimum start-up costs. You only need to purchase materials for the toys. No special premises or equipment are needed.
2. It's easy to run a business from home. There are no premises or transportation costs.
3. You can register as a self-employed citizen and operate legally with minimal effort.
4. High profitability due to high margins on toys.
5. This business is suitable for everyone - both schoolgirls and pensioners. It can be carried out as a main activity or as a part-time job.

Relevance of the idea

A business plan for a children's toy store involves the formation of a special program aimed at developing the business, taking into account the state of the market in a certain area. It is necessary to study prices, the number of competitors, demand and other factors before funds are raised for the development of the idea and the first work begins on finding a store location, providing advertising and promoting the business, even before registering a business selling children's goods.

Forming a business in children's toys requires obtaining the latest statistics on the region where stores are planned to open.

Market research assesses how relevant the idea of ​​opening a children's store is.

Two factors are determined that will determine whether or not it is necessary to open a toy store in a particular locality:

1. Demand. The profit of businessmen depends on this criterion, regardless of which branch of trade is chosen. Accordingly, the greater the demand for toys, the higher the relevance of the idea of ​​​​opening a children's store.
2. Competition. This criterion will also affect demand. It is necessary to assess whether the consumer’s need for children’s goods will decrease if, in addition to other stores, another one is opened.

If the region allows you to start this type of business, then you will also have to carefully approach production issues, namely, decide on equipment, assortment and sellers, select premises, a sales area, and so on.

Registration of activities

You may not register a business with designer toys, but if sales gain momentum, you may have serious problems with the law. Therefore, we advise you to register your business immediately:

Select your legal form. The simplest and most common option is to register an IP (Individual Entrepreneur). If you work from home, do not have hired employees and have a small turnover (up to 2.4 million rubles per year), you can register as a self-employed citizen - if this tax regime has been introduced in your region. In this case, the tax rate will be 4% when working with individuals and 6% when working with legal entities.

When registering an individual entrepreneur, you must indicate OKVED codes. Experts advise choosing several codes that at least indirectly relate to your activities. Main code 32.40 - “Production of games and toys”

Choose a taxation form (simplified is best) and register with the pension fund.

Please include as much information as possible in your ad.

For good sales, it is best to indicate complete and accessible information in the ad:

1. Description of the appearance of the toy with photographs from different angles.
2. Information about the composition of the product, manufacturer, date of manufacture, if such data has been preserved.
3. Possibility to send toys by mail or through a delivery service. There may be problems with some cities or countries.
4. Payment methods for purchases.
5. Your contact information: phone, email or social media page.

Buyers love to quickly scan an ad and make their choice. Attract attention with a bright photo and memorable text. Remember, the clearer and more informative your ad is, the fewer questions you will have during further conversation.

• Author: iarriba
• Print

Rate this article:

1. 5
2. 4
3. 3
4. 2
5. 1

(3 votes, average: 3.3 out of 5)
Share with your friends!

Production technology

Even if you have no equal in sewing children's products, remember one thing: there is no limit to perfection. To make money from handmade, you need to constantly study, watch master classes and practice. If you are a beginner, you can use other people’s patterns with the permission of the authors, but over time it is better to come up with something of your own.

Technologies for making toys are different - they depend on what exactly you are making and from what materials.

Stages of creating toys:

1. Model selection.
2. Choice of fabric.
3. Washing fabric.
4. Making patterns and cutting the product.
5. Sewing toys on a sewing machine.
6. Collection of small parts.
7. Product stuffing.
8. Collection of accessories and final decoration.

You may be interested in: Pictures embroidered with ribbons: how to make money from your hobby

For inspiration, we invite you to watch detailed video tutorials on how to sew a cute bear:

You can’t earn much on such products, because... they are not copyrighted. But for practice this is a great option. We also recommend saving photos of good patterns for making beautiful soft toys with your own hands:

Please remember that all patterns provided are the property of their author. They are good for a beginner, but if you intend to do a serious business, it is better to come up with something of your own.

Business on wooden toys. Useful tips

If you want to get into the wonderful world of woodworking and open your own family workshop for the production of wooden toys, then this article is for you!

Do-it-yourself wooden toys in the evenings, in your free time from your main job, can grow into a successful and promising family business: a Wooden Toy Workshop. In recent years, there has been a boom in the development of small home workshops. Many family projects (which have shops at the Masters Fair) have proven that in Russia there are many talented families who began making toys in small quantities and are now successfully developing their business at the international level. This is greatly facilitated by the current economic situation, which has made it difficult for online stores and ordinary customers to purchase toys abroad. Large and small online stores, parents interested in the harmonious development of their children, treat Russian family toy production with interest and attention, and are happy to buy their products. Therefore, if you have long dreamed of being free from the routine of hired work, want to work for yourself and spend a lot of time with your family, then the production of wooden toys is what you need! This business is filled with kindness and joy. Because it is aimed at creating toys for our most precious thing in the world - our children. Read articles from manufacturers of wooden toys and you will see that it is their own children who become a source of inspiration for couples who decide to start a toy production business. It is your own children who test the first models, offer you a sea of ​​ideas for new toys, and play with them with pleasure. You bring joy to your family and friends by giving your first toys and acquiring your first customers through “warm” contacts. The main platform for a beginning craftsman usually becomes the portal of the Crafts Fair, where for nominal money you can get the opportunity to open your own store and sell your products without significant costs for your own website. Therefore, our workshop decided to launch a series of articles that will help novice craftsmen start their business producing wooden toys. Go ahead, now is the time!

The advice we will give will help you master the craft and get a lot of important and useful information.

1. When you do woodworking, safety is important. Always read the instructions for the tool and follow the prescribed safety precautions. Use respiratory protection against dust, goggles to protect your eyes from splinters, and an exhaust vacuum cleaner. Do not remove the manufacturer's protective guards from the tool - they are there to protect you! When working even with hand tools, it is important to take your time, gradually acquiring skills in order to avoid serious injuries.

2. When painting wood, carefully read the instructions and try first on defective pieces to acquire the necessary skills and determine tactics when applying the coating. This will allow you to avoid most errors on the finished product and increase your income by reducing the amount of defects produced.

3. The key to getting started is setting up your workplace. The first is a workbench table. Choose its ideal height and size, adjust the light and dust removal. It’s great if you manage to free up a separate heated room at the initial stage (at least a loggia at first). This will allow you to calmly do what you love, not waste time preparing for work every time, and most importantly, you will be able to stop and continue the project at any time. Time to prepare for work requires a lot of energy, and if you have to get everything out and put it away in drawers every time, you will get exhausted very quickly. Therefore, already at the start, create a comfortable workplace for yourself.

4. Determine the set of necessary tools and allocate a budget for it. Initially this will most likely involve a few hand tools. We will try to write more about this in future articles. For example, to produce wooden puzzles, the minimum requirement is a tabletop jigsaw.

You can look for used equipment, which will save a lot of money. A business in the production of wooden toys, we can tell you from our own experience, can be organized with a budget of about 30,000. You can get by with a larger or smaller amount at the beginning - it all depends on your chosen business strategy and the range of toys.

5. When working with machines, do not use your fingers as guides when cutting narrow strips of wood with a table saw. Use a homemade pusher from a scrap piece of wood.

6. It is important to work with wood at the correct moisture content. Ideally, purchase a special device, a moisture meter.

7. If you are a beginner, it is better to use blanks made by other craftsmen and put your work into the creative component by decorating them, and with gaining experience, make them yourself and experience the joy of woodworking with your own hands. Because a lot of questions always arise at every stage and you will get stuck in finding the answer to each one. For example, the first technical questions arise from the moment of sanding and attempts to create three-dimensional toys. Yes, yes, even an ordinary pyramid requires calculation and a preliminary sketch, and a couple of new skills. Using blanks you can save money on purchasing your own equipment and costly mistakes. For example, it is better to buy turning blanks. It is advisable to buy your own equipment at the stage of sales growth to reduce the cost of the products you produce.

8. Plan your budget. At the initial stage, your workshop will only be an additional expense item in the family budget and a reason for jokes from family members. But, as soon as your income exceeds your spouse’s salary, he will also be happy to join your family business. The wooden toy workshop is a truly family business that brings joy and income. Woodworking has been learned for years. The time to start is now, and our workshop will be happy to share its experience with you.

What are you interested in learning more about?

Write your questions. We wait.

Tips for making toys

1. It is better to make patterns from thick cardboard, so that later it will be easier to transfer the contours onto the fabric.
2. The pattern needs to be pressed to the wrong side of the fabric and the contours drawn with a ballpoint pen or a white pencil - for dark materials.
3. Paired toy parts must be the same size and match each other 100%.
4. Leave seam allowances, and sew the toy itself along the wrong side if the material is made of loose fabric. Otherwise, you can sew it on the front side with an overlocker.

Materials for toys

Here's what you need to buy first if you intend to sew handmade items:

• threads and a set of needles;
• wool, fur, burlap, multi-colored fabrics, etc.;
• stuffing for toys (sawdust, synthetic fluff, etc.);
• accessories (eyes, noses, buttons, rhinestones, etc.);
• for frames - cardboard and wire;
• special glue;
• carbon paper for patterns;
• awl and pliers;
• tailor's scissors of different sizes.

All materials can be purchased in craft stores or ordered online.

Features of different materials for sewing toys

Faux fur is a very popular material. It comes in different colors, with short and long pile. It costs much less than natural fur with similar characteristics.

Natural fur is expensive, but it is very silky and pleasant to the touch, soft and silky. Usually, individual parts of toys are made from it, and it is purchased in small quantities.

Velor, velvet and other fabrics with pile are also pleasant to the touch. They are used for stuffed animals. But such toys need to be cleaned often, as they attract dust, hairs, etc.

Cotton fabrics are ideal for sewing patchwork toys for children and adults. These are budget toys, but they look good.

Silk is a slippery fabric and is usually used to make parts of toys.

Wool fabrics are considered universal for soft toy dolls and animals.

Felt holds its shape well, so ears, beaks, noses, etc. are often made from it.

Fillers:

Sintepon. This artificial material is lightweight, harmless, dries well and keeps its shape even after several washes.

Sintepuh . These are small balls for stuffing toys. It also holds its shape and can withstand washing.

Sliver. Natural material made from sheep's wool, very soft and pleasant to the touch, but sometimes causes allergic reactions and is not intended for machine wash.

Cotton wool. Cheap material, but not washable.

Cereals. Heavy material that is used for samovar dolls and other “kitchen” toys.

You may be interested in: The best income ideas for a retired woman

It is better to buy fabrics and fillings from trusted manufacturers. Demand quality certificates, because your products are mainly intended for children.

Product cost. How much can you earn

Each author sets his own price for the finished product, but in order for the business to generate good income, pricing must be approached wisely. The cost of each product consists of direct costs for materials, wages for the author and other related costs (for example, advertising). The minimum markup in relation to the cost of materials is 100%. That is, if you spent 200 rubles on materials, the minimum price is 400 rubles, but in fact you can sell a toy for 500 or 1000 rubles. But not all beginners can adequately assess the cost of their work. For beginners, it is best to focus on competitors with similar products. Also consider your time investment.

Advertising handmade toys

Buyers are most often sought through the Internet. We offer you an approximate diagram of how to make money on homemade products:

1. Join all major specialized communities on social networks, register on websites, forums and systematically post advertisements everywhere. One of the best Russian-language services at the moment is the Masters Fair (be sure to pay attention to it).
2. Create your own group on social networks and/or website. Invite people to it and do not forget to constantly update information and add photos of products.
3. Register on classifieds services such as Avito, Yula or OLX. On them you can offer your products absolutely free of charge.
4. Register on foreign sites. This requires minimal knowledge of English. You can sell toys abroad at better prices.

If you want to know more about selling goods on Avito, see how to earn a stable income on message boards. You will learn about which product is better to choose and how to sell it successfully.

You can also participate in handmade fairs, collaborate with gift shops and advertise in print media. In advertising, all means are good.

How much does it cost to open a toy store?

Determining the exact amount of investment that will be required to open and develop the business option under consideration can only be done by researching the individual characteristics of the work and the needs of a particular entrepreneur. Taking into account goals and plans, the amount of costs at the initial stage will be formed.

We recommend you study! Follow the link:

How to make money selling underwear

Start-up capital when forming a business selling children's toys should include taking into account expenses, starting with registration and ending with possible additional expenses.

The business plan includes several cost items that must be reflected in detail, indicating approximate cost amounts:

1. Registration.
2. Repair work. The amount of expenses varies depending on the area and condition of the store. The approximate amount is 80,000 rubles.
3. Purchase of equipment, furniture. On average, the amount of expenses for this item will be 150,000 rubles.
4. Purchase of goods. At the initial stage, an amount of about 250,000 rubles will be enough.
5. Advertising and store promotion. Such services provided by special agencies will initially require no more than 30,000 rubles.
6. Additional expenses. This article includes an amount determined by the entrepreneur. The average size is 50,000 rubles.

As a result, the starting amount will be 600,000 rubles.

However, take into account that these calculations are typical for regions; in Moscow or St. Petersburg, the amount of expenses will be higher.