Create intricate needlework art and functional embroidered items. Modern embroidery has seen a major resurgence with contemporary designs appealing to younger buyers.
Consider these related business ideas and specializations:
Create intricate needlework art and functional embroidered items. Modern embroidery has seen a major resurgence with contemporary designs appealing to younger buyers.
Consider these related business ideas and specializations:
San Juan Islands-specific considerations for this business:
Test this idea before investing heavily:
Create 6-8 finished hoop pieces and a few DIY kits (~$50-75 in supplies). Sell at one farmers market or list online. Track what sells and what questions people ask.
Do finished pieces or kits sell better? What themes resonate? What price points work?
You sell most of your inventory and get custom order requests or kit reorders.
Expected startup and operating expenses:
Areas where quality investment pays off:
Cheap thread tangles, fades, and frays. Your stitches are the product — thread quality shows in every stitch.
Good enough: DMC or Anchor embroidery floss for most work. Nothing from dollar stores.
Embroidery is highly visual and detail-oriented. Bad photos make beautiful work look amateur. Good photos sell pieces and patterns.
Good enough: Natural daylight, clean background, close-up detail shots. A phone camera is fine with good lighting.
Areas where cost-cutting makes sense:
Financial timing and planning notes:
Strategies to reduce risk and increase odds of success:
Join shomby today and start selling to your local community. We provide the platform—you bring the passion.
We build shomby around your business—not the other way around. If there's a feature, integration, or tool that would help your textile art & embroidery business succeed, we want to hear about it.
Design and create wearable art pieces from various materials. Handmade jewelry allows for endless creativity and personalization, from delicate minimalist pieces to bold statement items.
Share your artistic vision through original works and high-quality reproductions. Local art buyers appreciate supporting artists in their community and having access to unique pieces.
Create artisanal bath and home fragrance products. This growing market appeals to customers seeking natural, locally-made alternatives to mass-produced products with customizable scents and ingredients.
San Juan Islands-specific considerations for this business:
Test this idea before investing heavily:
Create 6-8 finished hoop pieces and a few DIY kits (~$50-75 in supplies). Sell at one farmers market or list online. Track what sells and what questions people ask.
Do finished pieces or kits sell better? What themes resonate? What price points work?
You sell most of your inventory and get custom order requests or kit reorders.
Expected startup and operating expenses:
Areas where quality investment pays off:
Cheap thread tangles, fades, and frays. Your stitches are the product — thread quality shows in every stitch.
Good enough: DMC or Anchor embroidery floss for most work. Nothing from dollar stores.
Embroidery is highly visual and detail-oriented. Bad photos make beautiful work look amateur. Good photos sell pieces and patterns.
Good enough: Natural daylight, clean background, close-up detail shots. A phone camera is fine with good lighting.
Areas where cost-cutting makes sense:
Financial timing and planning notes:
Strategies to reduce risk and increase odds of success:
Join shomby today and start selling to your local community. We provide the platform—you bring the passion.
We build shomby around your business—not the other way around. If there's a feature, integration, or tool that would help your textile art & embroidery business succeed, we want to hear about it.
Design and create wearable art pieces from various materials. Handmade jewelry allows for endless creativity and personalization, from delicate minimalist pieces to bold statement items.
Share your artistic vision through original works and high-quality reproductions. Local art buyers appreciate supporting artists in their community and having access to unique pieces.
Create artisanal bath and home fragrance products. This growing market appeals to customers seeking natural, locally-made alternatives to mass-produced products with customizable scents and ingredients.