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If you have sewing skills, you can make money from home. You don’t have to be an expert seamstress or pattern maker, either.
Sewing is an awesome side hustle. However, with some dedication, a sewing business can become your full-time job (if that’s your goal).
The first step is deciding what type of home sewing business you want to run. Check out the following six business models you can use if you know how to sew.
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Business Model 1: Sew Items to Sell
Sewing products and selling them at craft fairs and online is probably the easiest business model to follow if you know how to sew. Simply choose a few products and make as many as you can. Then, decide where you’re going to sell them — craft fairs or online?
If you want to sell handmade crafts online, you’ll need to setup a website or choose an online platform that lets you set up a shop. I recommend securing a FREE domain name from Bluehost and then using their WordPress and WooCommerce tools to get you up and running. CLICK HERE to use my affiliate link to get promotional pricing. You can start a website on Bluehost for only $3.95 per month. And, for a couple of extra dollars, Bluehost will even set up your ecommerce site for you.
The hardest part of this business model is deciding what to sell and how much to charge. You need to make unique items that people want to buy!
Business Model 2: Make Clothing Alterations and Repairs
Another easy sewing business idea is clothing alterations and repairs. Tons of people have a hard time finding clothes that fit, no matter how hard they try. They’re willing to pay a lot of money to get something to fit properly and look great.
Clients will come to you to shorten hems, change the position of darts, adjust waistlines, and so much more. You can also help people with clothing repairs — you’d be surprised how many people don’t know how to sew on buttons or perform simple mending.
The best part about a clothing alterations and repairs business is that most projects won’t take much time to complete because you’re not starting a sewing project from scratch. That means it’s an easy way to churn a profit. For example, you can easily let out a pair of pants or hem a dress in 15 minutes or less and charge $20+ for the service.
Business Model 3: Design Custom Clothing for Clients
Another sewing business idea is to design clothing for clients. This can include wedding gowns, costumes, formal attire, and anything else your clients want. You can either work from a pattern or create something from scratch.
The same clients that want clothing alterations and repairs would probably also be interested in placing custom clothing orders because it means they’d get something that fits perfectly. There’s also a certain prestige in owning a piece of clothing that you can’t find anywhere else, and people are willing to pay a lot of money for it. You might even get work from celebrities.
Custom clothing orders take a lot more time than clothing alterations and repairs, so it’s harder to estimate your profit. You need to try and figure out the cost of your fabric and notions and make sure you’re getting paid enough for all of the time you’ll have to put in, especially if you need to come up with a pattern from scratch.
Business Model 4: Sew Custom Home Décor Items for Clients
Your sewing business doesn’t have to be based around tailoring clothing. Clients can also commission you to sew drapes, curtains, pillows, and other home décor items. These are services offered by large stores that sell window coverings, but you can make a ton of money if you offer this sewing service for less. Your sewing business can also be more profitable if you team up with an interior design company to get more clients.
Business Model 5: Service and Repair Sewing Machines
If you know how to repair sewing machines, you can start a profitable repair business. Everyone that sews needs to get their sewing machine serviced and will encounter repair problems at some point. It’s easier to repair sewing machine problems than you think, and clients often require simple fixes. If you want to learn sewing machine repair, start by reading my book: Sewing Machine Problems and How to Solve Them. You can also take a class from the Fix Sewing Machines Institute. They offer both live and correspondence courses.
Business Model 6: Teach Others to Sew
Sewing is becoming a lost skill. Many schools no longer require students to take sewing, cooking, or other home economics courses. However, people still want to learn these things. If you know how to sew, you can make money by teaching sewing classes.
Many people would rather learn to sew from an in-person class than on the internet. This way they can get their questions answered quickly and with hands-on help. You can organize sewing classes for all age groups in your area and make money by charging students who attend your classes.
Do you have a sewing business? I’d love to hear about it. I often feature Etsy shops and other sewing businesses here on SewingSociety.com. Your business could be next.
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