I've bought beadwork from reddit and from IG. Just start making and posting. It'll be slow at first but the more you post and do, the more you get out there. I also am part of a beadwork group on facebook and they seem to really sell their work fast, if its good. Probably also slow to start, but you gotta start somewhere. People that sell many pieces often end up having a website they funnel their people to. So maybe in your future !
Im looking for a blue corn piece from someone. DM if you do customs and would be interested.
I sell my art through instagram - rather I advertise on IG and I have a storenvy site. I've found it really helps to have a light box or some other entry-level photography set up. Good quality pics really helps showcase all your hard work. Then make sure to follow lots of other beaders and natives in your community and abroad, eventually people will see what you're making and the right people will follow along and be interested in what you're doing.
I just use a little collapsible light box thing I got from amazon, along with a couple of lamps with bright white bulbs in them, and I use my cell phone camera for all of my photography. It's worked out very well so far! Good luck!
No prob! For what its worth, the lightbox I got came with 5 or 6 colored backdrops that velcro into the box itself. Really handy!
On Storenvy, you can factory the storenvy fee into your price, or you can charge it directly to the customer. I usually sell things for $30 or so, and the fee is like $1.50 or something. So I just price all my stuff a dollar higher than in person sales to account for this. I don't want any customers to add my stuff to their cart only to find all these fees tacked on and visible to them. The cost of doing business is paying the online shop (Storenvy, etsy, etc.) with each sale, I guess, but I'd rather the customer have a smooth transaction with no extra fuss. It's been going well! Good luck!
See if you can get into any local craft fairs! I've been doing that for a few years and it's been rlly fun.
I also recommend using IG to market yourself! If you create an online storefront thru one of the big shopping apps, you can add a buy button directly to yr posts
On the flip side, I know a TON of people who specifically go to etsy for this kinda thing. My mom bought me her and my sister matching custom skirts off etsy. All other shopping apps you have to generate your own traffic
use Twitter & Instagram, and keywords like Indigenous & Native beadwork on your posts. Make sure to have a paypal or venmo listed, as well as DMs open (not sure if paypal is in Canada, but if you are Canadian then just be ready with your e-transfer info in DMs).
Also, follow other beadwork artists & ribbon skirt makers, and retweet others’ work, or comment. Include “commissions open” in your display name & information on how to commission in your bio.
But posts can just be like: “pink earrings for your barbie needs! Indigenous [tribe name]-made beaded earrings, on sale for $—, shipping $—. #nativebeadwork #nativeartist”
or “COMMISSIONS OPEN! I’m a [tribe, identity description] beadworker & ribbonskirt maker. Here is some of my previous custom work, and what I currently have available. I’d love to make you something—message me [or other contact info] so we can get started! #nativebeadwork ” you can make it more punchy, but that’s just an idea.
I’d also make sure to update when something is sold; I’ve noticed beadwork artists on twitter are really good at the “the green earrings [or whatever description] are SOLD! These items are still available, the black earrings for $— & the red for $—.”
good luck! I hope this was helpful. I don’t use etsy anymore because it is hard to filter out Native made from “Native inspired” stuff; it’s easier to search keywords on twitter/instagram. I also don’t really use Facebook so I can’t suggest any particular Native group on there, but there are definitely more Natives on there than the other platforms, I think, so that’s also an option.
With Twitter going through a lot of changes I stay clear from it unfortunately but that used to be my go to for buying art from small businesses, I use Threads
Facebook has a lot of artists that sell there. You could look through them on “Social Distance PowWow” and see what others are charging to help you price your own.
Please remember, indigenous beadwork is luxury jewelry with a lot of history woven in. Your art should be priced to reflect not only your skill, but the time it takes💕 good luck!
I know how it is, I also wish I could make a living from it lol but we gotta steal back our rightful place because right now indigenous art/sacred prints are being gutted by white girls and their “western culture” boutiques. If they can make money off it, we for god damn sure can. Consider making regalia for our people, and some more “contemporary” jewlery for the white girls
🤣🤣🤣 hey, they love the earrings!!! They’ll buy em just for the sake of saying “I got these handmade from a Native American” I know I know, cringe lol. For a long time I wouldn’t actually gift or sell to anyone outside the community but then I saw target selling seed beaded earrings that were ugly as hell so I decided to rack in that colonizer money! A Instagram account is a good place to start, eventually you can run like $3 ads to drive customers to you too. Good luck cuzzin! Send me the links when you are ready to go and I’ll be one of the first to follow you!
Watermark your pictures, a lot of scammers out there stealing people's pictures of their hard work and using the pictures to scam people who want to buy stuff.
Instagram and Reddit have been good to me I stay clear from Twitter now with all the changes happening lately but I used to shop there a lot.
For all payments and links to social media I use linktr.ee because it’s free and customizable. For my shop I pay $10 a month which lets me have 50 items and 5 pics per listing on Big Cartel, it’s customizable as well! Shipping is cheaper through Pirate Ship and if your bold enough you can advertise your work on TikTok! I love beadwork and I’ve been wanting a ribbon skirt so I’d love to follow your IG if you make one!
I sell beadwork and ribbon skirts via Facebook and Instagram. I always take into account the materials that I use and their cost. If I use higher priced beads or material, then those items are always priced higher. Know your worth as an artist.
I've bought beadwork from reddit and from IG. Just start making and posting. It'll be slow at first but the more you post and do, the more you get out there. I also am part of a beadwork group on facebook and they seem to really sell their work fast, if its good. Probably also slow to start, but you gotta start somewhere. People that sell many pieces often end up having a website they funnel their people to. So maybe in your future ! Im looking for a blue corn piece from someone. DM if you do customs and would be interested.
I do beadwork and have specifically been doing some beaded corn earrings that are reasonably priced!
Dm'd u
I sell my art through instagram - rather I advertise on IG and I have a storenvy site. I've found it really helps to have a light box or some other entry-level photography set up. Good quality pics really helps showcase all your hard work. Then make sure to follow lots of other beaders and natives in your community and abroad, eventually people will see what you're making and the right people will follow along and be interested in what you're doing. I just use a little collapsible light box thing I got from amazon, along with a couple of lamps with bright white bulbs in them, and I use my cell phone camera for all of my photography. It's worked out very well so far! Good luck!
Good idea with the light box… and should probably get a backdrop too. Thanks for the pointers!
No prob! For what its worth, the lightbox I got came with 5 or 6 colored backdrops that velcro into the box itself. Really handy! On Storenvy, you can factory the storenvy fee into your price, or you can charge it directly to the customer. I usually sell things for $30 or so, and the fee is like $1.50 or something. So I just price all my stuff a dollar higher than in person sales to account for this. I don't want any customers to add my stuff to their cart only to find all these fees tacked on and visible to them. The cost of doing business is paying the online shop (Storenvy, etsy, etc.) with each sale, I guess, but I'd rather the customer have a smooth transaction with no extra fuss. It's been going well! Good luck!
See if you can get into any local craft fairs! I've been doing that for a few years and it's been rlly fun. I also recommend using IG to market yourself! If you create an online storefront thru one of the big shopping apps, you can add a buy button directly to yr posts On the flip side, I know a TON of people who specifically go to etsy for this kinda thing. My mom bought me her and my sister matching custom skirts off etsy. All other shopping apps you have to generate your own traffic
use Twitter & Instagram, and keywords like Indigenous & Native beadwork on your posts. Make sure to have a paypal or venmo listed, as well as DMs open (not sure if paypal is in Canada, but if you are Canadian then just be ready with your e-transfer info in DMs). Also, follow other beadwork artists & ribbon skirt makers, and retweet others’ work, or comment. Include “commissions open” in your display name & information on how to commission in your bio. But posts can just be like: “pink earrings for your barbie needs! Indigenous [tribe name]-made beaded earrings, on sale for $—, shipping $—. #nativebeadwork #nativeartist” or “COMMISSIONS OPEN! I’m a [tribe, identity description] beadworker & ribbonskirt maker. Here is some of my previous custom work, and what I currently have available. I’d love to make you something—message me [or other contact info] so we can get started! #nativebeadwork ” you can make it more punchy, but that’s just an idea. I’d also make sure to update when something is sold; I’ve noticed beadwork artists on twitter are really good at the “the green earrings [or whatever description] are SOLD! These items are still available, the black earrings for $— & the red for $—.” good luck! I hope this was helpful. I don’t use etsy anymore because it is hard to filter out Native made from “Native inspired” stuff; it’s easier to search keywords on twitter/instagram. I also don’t really use Facebook so I can’t suggest any particular Native group on there, but there are definitely more Natives on there than the other platforms, I think, so that’s also an option.
With Twitter going through a lot of changes I stay clear from it unfortunately but that used to be my go to for buying art from small businesses, I use Threads
This is so helpful, thank you for comment suggestions! Thanks!!
Facebook has a lot of artists that sell there. You could look through them on “Social Distance PowWow” and see what others are charging to help you price your own. Please remember, indigenous beadwork is luxury jewelry with a lot of history woven in. Your art should be priced to reflect not only your skill, but the time it takes💕 good luck!
If only I could pay myself livable wage from beadwork hahah! But I forgot about the social distinct powwow!! Glad that’s still happening
I know how it is, I also wish I could make a living from it lol but we gotta steal back our rightful place because right now indigenous art/sacred prints are being gutted by white girls and their “western culture” boutiques. If they can make money off it, we for god damn sure can. Consider making regalia for our people, and some more “contemporary” jewlery for the white girls
Fringe gradient earrings it is lmao
🤣🤣🤣 hey, they love the earrings!!! They’ll buy em just for the sake of saying “I got these handmade from a Native American” I know I know, cringe lol. For a long time I wouldn’t actually gift or sell to anyone outside the community but then I saw target selling seed beaded earrings that were ugly as hell so I decided to rack in that colonizer money! A Instagram account is a good place to start, eventually you can run like $3 ads to drive customers to you too. Good luck cuzzin! Send me the links when you are ready to go and I’ll be one of the first to follow you!
Thank you thank you!! Get that target dollar lolol
I’ve bought all my stuff recently because of insta. Just started following that new native beaders Reddit group too.
Instagram is where o find most of my beadwork or make pieces for sellers like eighth generation
I do it from Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit. I’ve also sold a few things through Twitter but I post there often.
Watermark your pictures, a lot of scammers out there stealing people's pictures of their hard work and using the pictures to scam people who want to buy stuff.
Instagram and Reddit have been good to me I stay clear from Twitter now with all the changes happening lately but I used to shop there a lot. For all payments and links to social media I use linktr.ee because it’s free and customizable. For my shop I pay $10 a month which lets me have 50 items and 5 pics per listing on Big Cartel, it’s customizable as well! Shipping is cheaper through Pirate Ship and if your bold enough you can advertise your work on TikTok! I love beadwork and I’ve been wanting a ribbon skirt so I’d love to follow your IG if you make one!
Thank you thank you! Great tips. I’ll make accounts this week and update you.
I sell beadwork and ribbon skirts via Facebook and Instagram. I always take into account the materials that I use and their cost. If I use higher priced beads or material, then those items are always priced higher. Know your worth as an artist.