Woodworking Products……6 Ways To Increase Sales

Personalising Woodworking Products

Attracting More Customers

Etsy ArtsyFramingandGifts

Woodworking products which are personalised and are made from sustainable sources, will attract more customers and achieve a higher profit margin.

The trick is to find an attractive, cost effective way of creating the lettering and to discover a sustainable source of timber for your woodworking creations.

I have chosen some unique, handcrafted gifts you can buy from Etsy …..Just click on the image for full details of your selection.

Personalising Your Offering

Fortunately there are five techniques you can use to form letters in wood…..hand carving…..a Dremel drill……laser cutting…… pyrography…. and stencilling.

Here is my guide to the best videos and articles I have discovered on how to personalise your woodworking products using lettering.

1. Hand Carving

Wood Carving Illustrated

Hand carving is the traditional way of forming letters, which has been handed down through the centuries. It takes practise to acquire the skill and then you have to become adept enough to make this method a viable option.

The most popular woods to use for carving are basswood, aspen. butternut and black walnut.

Palm & Knife Set woodcarving4u.com

Before you choose which wood carving tools to buy, it’s wise to decide which type of carving you will  favour…..whittling, lettering, figures…..

Here is an excellent article, which lists ten wood carving kits for different purposes…..highlighting the pros and cons of each.

This video demonstrates how to hand cut letters.

You can speed up hand carving by using a powered chisel, as demonstrated in this video.

2. Dremel Drill

Dremels are small drills, which have a wide selection of bits. They make deep, delicate cuts in almost any type of wood with comparative ease.

There are two attachments which make cutting letters with a Dremel so much easier. They are the tool cutting guide attachment shown below and a plunge router attachment.

Carving with a Dremel……… Carving Fusion by Jordy Johnson

Take a look at Easy Steps To Carve A Wood Sign which demonstrates how to cut letters with a Dremel.

Cut with a Dremel – see video  Carving Fusion by Jordy Johnson

3. Pyrography

The word pyrography derives from the Greek meaning ‘writing with fire’.

YouTube…..Hobby Hoarder

Pinterest Pyrography

You can create beautifully intricate designs on your woodworking projects using this method

If you want to learn more about pyrography take a look at ‘Wood Burning For Beginners‘

A professional grade pyrography kit costs around £110 and there are many free stencils available online

4. Laser Cutting 

Laser cutting is a way of cutting or engraving on different materials, like wood, acrylic, leather, glass, card and paper.

So how does it work?  Having created your design using software like Photoshop, Illustrator or CorelDraw, you import your design into the laser control system ready to commence cutting. A laser transmits a powerful beam, through mirrors and a lens, onto the material you’re cutting.

Glowforge

Take a look at this video which guides you, step by step. on how to make a sign……..   Laser Cutter Project To Make Wood Sign

The Glowforge models featured in the above video cost between $3,000 and $6,000.

If you live in the UK then Oculus Benchtop Lasers are a respected brand.

5. Stencilling

Removing the template. YouTube Sarah Vanderkooy

Sarah Vanderkooy

Stencilling is an inexpensive way of printing on wood, whilst also enabling you to add colour to your design. You will find a wide variety of stencils online at very reasonable prices.

Here are two videos which introduce you to the world of stencilling signs…..

How To Make A Wood Pallet Sign

3 Ways To Stencil A Wood Sign

Sustainability

Felling….hopefully to be replaced by several saplings

Many of your customers will enquire whether your products come from a sustainable source, which is being replenished as quickly as it is being used

It makes your product more attractive to customers if you can reassure them that it has been made from timber, which is either being replaced by the planting of new trees, or uses recycled timber.

Take a trip to your local salvage yard and see what’s available. Auctions selling old furniture are another source of old, well seasoned timber.

Don’t forget that a softwood tree grows far more rapidly than a hardwood, so it is preferable to use a softwood where ever possible.

Planting little trees

If you are unable to buy reclaimed timber, look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood.

Evan and Katelyn have made a video in collaboration with Woodworking Edge called ‘How To Sell Handmade Products’ which describes how they market their wares. You can visit their website here.

I have recently come across Wayfair…..they may be a platform you could sell your products on.

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