Wood Turning Gifts - Hidden Money In Your Hobby
An opportunity has arisen for one of your special pieces to find a new home. Somewhere on one of those shelves at the back of the work shop or in a box under the work bench, resides a wood turning for a friend or relative.
Most turners go through a progression of giving. The first attempts are amazing only to people who are surprised you could make anything at all, something like the dancing bear in the Russian circus. It is not so amazing that the bear dances well but that the bear dances at all. Everyone needs to keep a few of those first turnings for the sake of humility or at least later to realize how far you have come.
Then come turnings with reasonable lines, good sanding and an adequate finish. Some of these are given or sold to co-workers or are snatched up by spouses and children. There may be a phase of pen turning or the making of other small craft in the thought that this hobby might make money. However, after buying a new tool or so, it begins to feel like work and more esoteric turnings start to come off the lathe. A couple of craft shows sell a few pieces but most realize that full time turning is hard work.
So the pieces start to pile up. How many salad bowls does a family need, after all? Boxes hide some great turnings with wonderful lines and amazing patterns. Then Christmas makes its way around the yearly corner and you get together with your spouse and say things like, "Well, one of the kids might like this one." or "Does this piece of oak burl not remind you of Ed's nose? He has to have it." One by one, off go the pieces to new homes.
I think of this as the hidden returns of turning. First there is the satisfaction of having made a nice piece. Second comes the knowledge that the piece fits the person who receives it. Third is the knowledge that this unique gift is handmade in a world that does this less and less. Fourth is the financial reward of the unsold piece. For instance, ignoring birthdays and such for a moment, think of giving five turnings each year for five Christmases. Assume those turnings took the place of gifts averaging fifty dollars each. That is one thousand, two hundred fifty dollars earned by the hobby less expenses. Even if the expenses reached an unlikely two hundred fifty dollars, this is still a one thousand dollar profit. This is not bad for hours spent having a lot of fun.
Related Tags: gifts, making money, art, woodturning, lathe, wood turning
Darrell Feltmate is a juried woodturner whose web site, http://aroundthewoods.com, contains detailed information about woodturning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what the whole process looks like? Follow the page links for a free video. http://aroundthewoods.com
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Home Wall Art: Get Value For Your Money
If you have a beautiful home, it is only natural that you may want to decorate it so as to make it m - Bejeweled by Mens Ring Tiffany
Tiffany & Co. is one of the largest jewelry companies in the USA that has expanded the market in mos - Inexpensive Ideas in Making Wedding Centerpieces
One practical way to cut down the wedding expenses is to consider do-it-yourself ideas. There are se - Preserve Moments With Picture Frames
Of course we don't want our memories to suffer the brink of oblivion that is why we always try hard - For Home Decor, Try Wall Art Prints
In order to make a smaller room look and feel bigger, many home interior decorators will use large w - How to Choose the Right Gift For Your Bridal Party
Your wedding day will likely be shared with friends and family members who mean the world to you. A - Beautiful Baby Shower Napkins
There are many thoughtful and creative things that you can make for your soon-to-be bride friend. Sh - Learn How To Decorate Your Living Space With Abstract Wall Art
Abstract wall art can offer you different ways to decorate or redecorate and express yourself. A lot - Adding Class to Your Home With Wall Art Painting
Since mankind's dawn the wall art painting has been a desired form of decorations. Early cave dwelli - Use Fine Art Oil Painting To Decorate Your Living Space
There are many good things towards buying fine art oil paintings for your home. For example: If one
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Homemade Baby Gifts and Instructions Ideas
A baby shower is a wonderful event that is filled with joy and happiness. Getting a perfect and un - Enter Photo Competitions
A great morale booster is to win or even place in a highly regarded competition. Many professional p - Why I Love Melt And Pour Soap Making
I love making soap using the melt and pour soap making method. In my experience it's the easiest way - How To Do Metal Detecting In Dry Sand?
In general, larger searchcoils will give better depth with larger targets and better ground coverage - How to Face Paint: 5 Things You Must Know Before Getting Started
Learning how to face paint can be easy and lots of fun once you know how. It's a great way to have f - Tips For Metal Detecting
A pulsing current is applied to the coil, which then induces a magnetic field shown in blue. When th - Christmas Soap Making
Since Christmas is almost here, what could be a better gift than Christmas themed hand made soap to - Why Choose a Wine Gift Basket?
A wine gift basket is probably one of the most beautiful gifts that a person is likely to receive. - Create A Metal Detecting Book
Are you purchasing a detector to use occasionally at a lake or beach? Or do you now find yourself wi - Simple Face Painting Designs: Where Can I Find Them?
If you're looking for simple face painting designs, you're not alone. Trying to find simple face pai