Hobbies: Beading

It’s important to have something crafty you love to do for fun. For me, that means sewing and beading. It’s a lot of fun to create beaded earrings, and more than a few times, now, I’ve thought about selling the earrings I create on Etsy. Since I’m a full-time writer and editorial consultant, that would mean running a second business with a completely different product. It would also mean I took a second thing I really love doing and turned it into work.

Nevertheless, when I see a sale on beads, walk into a beading store, or come across beautiful jewelry, I can’t help but think about how neat it would be to have an accessory design business as a side business. A few years back, I participated in a gift exchange with a CafeMom group, and I posted the pictures of my creations on Facebook. It was suggested that I might want to try opening an Etsy store.

I took an accessories and design class in junior college…long ago…and I’ve been making (and sometimes selling) jewelry since I was a young teenager. It’s amazing how elegant a look you can create with a few basic supplies – needle nose pliers, ear wires, flat head pins, and beads.

What makes me hesitate is that I read somewhere that you shouldn’t turn every hobby into a moneymaking venture.

What do you think? Is it okay to profit from hobbies at a certain point or should hobbies be just that – something you do for fun? Post your thoughts in the comments field.