What you do with your creations?

[markslathe]

Hi peeps,what do you all do with your wonderful creations?

We cant keep them all,so something has to give,do you sell them or need more space in the house :?:
Do you make a living out of your hobby :?:

 

[Dalboy]

When I started I kept quite a few then started to give to family and friends. My wife does a craft stall with her knitting using a 6meter by 4 meter marquee so I started to use a table in the corner we also use a 3 x 3 marquee for day events with a reduced stock amount.
I still keep any special pieces but if someone wanted it at the right price I would sell them, I also still have the first piece I ever turned as a bench mark of how I have progressed

 

[Stiggy]

I keep most of mine, I ask friends, family and customers where I work for commissions in exchange for a review or a quote. This will change as my skill and the quality of my work increases.

I like giving things I make to people for presents too.

 

[markslathe]

Thanks Dalboy,stiggy,
Reason i ask is i intend to sell some stuff in order to eventually get a better lathe and so on,im an ole guy now so going to need some income soon,so going to try and get better at this to make a few bob.i absolutely love turning,i like to create different things and love working with wood,im thoroughly enjoying this new found hobby at the ripe ole age of 54.

I do have some trouble having ideas as to where to sell,and at what price,it is difficult to price things such as a bowl or something like that,time cost to make etc etc,i make small bowls and small items,so pricing that isn't easy.

 

[yorkshirepudding]

I have sold some pieces and made a profit from them but in the main I give them to two friends one who works in a local hospice charity shop and the other raises funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

 

[markslathe]

Yorkshirepudding,good on ya mate.

 

[beganasatree]

When I started I just like others gave it all to family and friends for birthdays and xmass ect,and just like Derek Have kept some bits that are on show around the house and the first thing that I made ,a very small bowl .It could be used as an egg cup for a goose egg lol but it is good to look at it and see how I have progressed .I now do the odd craft fair and the other half puts my stuff on her facebook page.

Peter.

 

[Grahamshed]

The biggest problem ( I would think ) with even trying to earn money from an enjoyable hobby is that it would no longer be a hobby.

 

[Phill joiner]

I was lucky enough to sell two bowls which I had in my kitchen showroom. A client offered me £200 for two..... I didn't really want to let them go so said jokingly £300. He said yes and took them there and then. I did have to give him a discount on his kitchen though.
Family and friends get most of them.

 

[woodfarmer]

Wood turning is a hobby which I enjoy. If I were to sell stuff it would become work.
Sometimes I make something for someone specific and these go directly to them, but most things I just follow the wood and when I bring them into the house they get assessed by wife. She tends to like a big proportion of them and they get kept. Of course now we are running out of room to store them she is more inclined to part with them. Some people choose for themselves, sometimes I think some one will like a particular object. Often I give people a choice, I tell them to take the one they like.
I enjoy making them in my own time and if someone else can get pleasure from owning them that is a bonus.

 

[Dalboy]

I think what people say about becoming a chore if you take it beyond a hobby can be true in many cases. I only take mine to craft fairs to keep the house clear a bit as I said earlier.

By doing the odd craft fair also allows me to buy a little more equipment. I also enjoy doing some as it gets the woodturning hobby out to different people, it is also surprising how many more turners I have met while doing them as well as being offered lumps of trees

 

[Spindle]

Hi

I don't tend to make to sell unless it's a commission. So far the 'profits' from commissions are approximately equal to my expenditure - which is nice .

My 'experiments' are usually destined for use around the house or they get given away as presents.

Regards Mick

 

[Emanuel]

Give them as presents or sell them (if you need some money). It would be interesting to see some pictures of your creations here.

 

[markslathe]

Thanks for all the replies,interesting points of view here,i agree to a point that once it becomes income then it may become a chore,
However i feel it may be an enjoyable "chore" as i love working with wood,as i said earlier i am very new to this,but not new to working with wood (more building than anything else)i love to create things for the simple pleasure of doing it.
I am in a position now where i need to make a little money (don't we all) in one way or another to stay afloat,so my choices are going to be to attempt to sell some of my creations,

I would class some of my stuff (very rough) as rustic lol, but intend to improve asap,

I will ask one of my daughters to upload pics and post as soon she is available(im not good with technology) so you can all give me your honest opinions,don't be too harsh,remember im learning.

 

[beganasatree]

Hi Mark
I think that a hobbyist who has to buy blanks,abrasives,finishes ect,ect,add to that your time,electricity and a few more things the hobbyist will be lucky to cover the costs.I know what you mean about technology and posting photos,I tried posting photos a few times and gave up.you can see a small number of photos on Janettes facebook page see the link below.

Peter.

 

[Mark Hancock]

For any hobbyists selling their work you should consider registering with HMRC for an additional income under self employment and reducing your tax liabilities. If you do the figures right you'll make a large loss which you can then set against other income such as pensions or PAYE and receive a nice tax rebate. Never really understood why more don't do this as it's money for nothing

 

[treeturner123]

This is verging on a discussion on where and how to sell! I do a few craft shows; as I explain to anyone looking at my stall, all they see has been rejected by the Head of Quality Control!!! As far as it becoming a chore, well, I do enough turning from January to June to have a reasonable stock for the few shows I do near Christmas, that way it isn’t a chore. However, from time to time, there seems to be a rush for a particular item so I spend the evenings of a week between two shows, madly making more.

Those of you who have some experience of craft shows know the next line….. At the next show, having sweated blood, I sell none of the new stock!!!!

I class myself as having a paying hobby as what I sell just about covers what I spend on those ‘Must Have’ tools!!!!!

Phil

 

[Rhossydd]

I am in a position now where i need to make a little money (don't we all) in one way or another to stay afloat,so my choices are going to be to attempt to sell some of my creations

I'm afraid that 'trying to make money' from woodturning is exceptionally difficult.
If you look at the few people actually making a living from turning, it's always very experienced turners. They not only sell their work, but usually have extra income streams from teaching others to turn, demonstrating, selling products etc. 4 days ago you posted:
"my main issue is probably lack of patience and blunt tools,i am also learning how to sharpen them on a grinder,i don't seem to be getting the hang of it yet"
Attempting to make any money from your work seems to me to be trying to run a marathon before you can walk.
If you already know someone who is running a craft shop, art gallery and will show and sell your work for a low commission you might break even on some pieces, if they're good enough, but be realistic.

Enjoy it as a hobby, but concentrate on something else for income.

 

[Rhossydd]

For any hobbyists selling their work you should consider registering with HMRC for an additional income under self employment and reducing your tax liabilities. If you do the figures right you'll make a large loss which you can then set against other income such as pensions or PAYE and receive a nice tax rebate. Never really understood why more don't do this as it's money for nothing

Well it's not completely 'money for nothing' there will be a fair amount of work needed in accountancy, whether paid for or DIY. That sort of paperwork doesn't suit everyone, especially if they're not used to self employment and the accounting issues that surround it. If you pay for an accountant, you may lose any profit too.

It's also possible that if you aggressively chase tax rebates you'll attract the attentions of HMRC and if they consider that you're not attempting to run a viable self employed business they're claim any rebate back, with interest, and possibly charge you for tax evasion.

First sell some stuff, if you can, then ask HMRC if you should account for it and how. They're actually very helpful if you play by the rules.
If you are thinking of trying to turn your hobby into a business, the important thing to do from day one is keep ALL receipts.

 

[Mark Hancock]

For any hobbyists selling their work you should consider registering with HMRC for an additional income under self employment and reducing your tax liabilities. If you do the figures right you'll make a large loss which you can then set against other income such as pensions or PAYE and receive a nice tax rebate. Never really understood why more don't do this as it's money for nothing

Well it's not completely 'money for nothing' there will be a fair amount of work needed in accountancy, whether paid for or DIY. That sort of paperwork doesn't suit everyone, especially if they're not used to self employment and the accounting issues that surround it. If you pay for an accountant, you may lose any profit too.

It's also possible that if you aggressively chase tax rebates you'll attract the attentions of HMRC and if they consider that you're not attempting to run a viable self employed business they're claim any rebate back, with interest, and possibly charge you for tax evasion.

First sell some stuff, if you can, then ask HMRC if you should account for it and how. They're actually very helpful if you play by the rules.
If you are thinking of trying to turn your hobby into a business, the important thing to do from day one is keep ALL receipts.

Sorry I made a mistake in my original post, it's a tax refund not a rebate. That said I have to disagree with a number of points here.

It doesn't require a lot of paperwork simply because if you're unlikely to exceed the threshold for the simple self employed tax return where you just have to enter total income and total expenditure. No breakdown is required. As said just keep records(receipts) of all income and all purchases including the cost of equipment used in the business and bought prior to starting the business. The only "accounting issue" is knowing how to calculate capital allowances (often referred to as depreciation). In a lot of cases this may be ignored if you treat the expenditure as revenue rather than capital purchase but it's simply enough and explained in the accompanying notes to the tax return.

There is no "aggressively" chasing tax rebates. You simply ask for the loss to be offset against other income such as pension income, saving income etc. If you fill in the tax return online it is done automatically. Why pay more tax when you can legally reduce that liability. That's what I meant by money for nothing. An awful lot of people pay more tax than they need simply because they don't know what they can claim for.

The classic mistake most people make is thinking that they need to a make a profit. Profit and loss are just paper figures. For someone going full time self employed it's beneficial to make as large a loss as possible in the first year. This can then be offset against any tax paid in the previous 6 years and a tax refund is received.