How to Sell Woodworking Projects: Where to Sell Wood Crafts Online and Locally

There is no single best place to sell woodworking projects. Most woodworkers who sell steadily use a mix of channels, such as a local shop, a few craft fairs a year, an online marketplace and custom orders. The right mix depends on what you make, how big and heavy it is, how much time you have, and which kinds of selling suit you.

This post covers the questions to answer first, how to match a channel to your products, selling locally, selling through shops and galleries, craft fairs and markets, online marketplaces, your own online store, custom work, promotion, and the payments, sales tax and records that go with each.

Questions to Answer First

Your answers to these questions narrow down where to start:

• What do you make? Small items such as boxes, boards and pen stands can be sold almost anywhere. Large furniture is harder to ship and suits local sales and commissions.
• Ready-made, custom or both? Ready-made items suit shops, fairs and online listings. Custom work suits word of mouth, your own website and trade buyers. Many woodworkers do both: they make the items they enjoy and expect to sell, and take custom orders as well.
• How comfortable are you selling online? Online selling means taking photos, writing listings, answering messages, packing and shipping. It can be learned, but it takes time at the start.
• How do you feel about selling in person? Approaching shop owners, standing at a fair stall all day and talking with buyers suit some people more than others.
• What does your local area buy? Look at whether people near you use and buy wood items, which products are popular, whether there are shops that could stock your work, and whether craft fairs and markets are held nearby.
• How much time can you give to selling? Time spent selling is time not spent making. Some channels, such as a shop that stocks your work, take less ongoing time than others.

Match the Channel to What You Make

The size, price and weight of your work affect which channels make sense.

• Small wood crafts such as puzzles, pen stands, cases, coasters, boards and ornaments are easy to transport and ship, and they sit in a price range many buyers will pay without much thought. They can sell in shops, at fairs, online and from home.
• Medium pieces such as shelves, stools, clocks and planters can ship, but packing and postage add to the price. They often sell well at fairs and through local shops, with online sales to buyers who are willing to pay for shipping.
• Large furniture such as tables, benches, beds and cabinets costs a lot to ship and is often made to order. It suits local buyers, commissions, your own website with local delivery or collection, and trade buyers such as interior designers.

Selling Locally

Working from home does not mean you cannot sell locally. Without a shop front, you rely on other ways to put your work in front of people nearby. Most of these cost little or nothing.

Family, Friends and Word of Mouth

Most small businesses start with sales to family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. These first buyers also tell others. Make it easy for them to do so: give them a business card, ask satisfied buyers to recommend you, and keep a few photos of your work on your phone to show when the subject comes up.

Flyers, Notice Boards and Local Press

Flyers on community notice boards, in cafés, libraries and shop windows (with permission) reach people who live nearby at very low cost. A short piece or a small advertisement in a local newspaper, community magazine or newsletter can work too. Many local papers welcome stories about local makers. Include a clear photo, what you make, and how to contact you or see more of your work.

Local Online Listings

Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor and Craigslist let you list items for buyers in your area, who collect or arrange delivery. They suit larger pieces that are costly to ship. Fees differ by platform and between local pickup and shipped orders, so check the current terms before you list. For safety, arrange collection in a well-lit, public place where possible, or have someone with you when buyers visit.

Selling From Home

Some woodworkers sell from their workshop or home by appointment, or hold an open studio day before the holidays. Buyers like seeing where and how pieces are made. Check your local rules on running a business from home and on customers visiting, as some areas limit this.

Selling Through Shops and Galleries

A local shop that stocks your work is one of the most convenient arrangements you can make. Once it is set up, it sells for you while you work.

Consignment and Wholesale

Shops usually take handmade work in one of two ways:

• Consignment. The shop displays your work and pays you only when it sells, keeping a share of the price. Splits vary by agreement. Made Urban notes that a maker typically receives around 60% of the sale, with splits ranging from about 40/60 to 60/40. You keep ownership of unsold items, but you are paid later, and items can be handled or damaged while on display.
• Wholesale. The shop buys your work outright and resells it. Retailers usually expect a wholesale price of about half the retail price, so they can mark it back up. You are paid up front, but you earn less per piece.

Either way, the shop’s share has to fit inside a retail price that buyers will pay. If you sell the same item online yourself, keep your own prices in line with the shop’s, so that you do not undercut the shops that stock you. Work out your costs before you agree a price. See how to set the final selling price on your craft.

Why a Local Shop Helps

• Transport is simple: you only take your work to the shop.
• There are no shipping costs, packaging for post or marketplace fees.
• There are no fair fees, and no full days spent at a stall.
• Larger pieces become easier to sell, if the shop has room for them.
• A good relationship with a shop owner can lead to referrals, custom orders and introductions to other shops.
• It gives you a steady source of sales alongside your other channels.

The Downsides

• The shop’s share means you earn less per piece than when you sell directly.
• On consignment, you carry the risk of unsold and damaged stock, and you wait to be paid.
• You have less control over how your work is displayed and priced.

Always agree terms in writing: the split or wholesale price, how and when you are paid, who is responsible for damage or theft, how long items stay on display, and how unsold work is returned.

Where to Look

Gift shops, galleries, home décor stores, furniture shops, garden centres, kitchen shops, cafés that sell local goods and tourist shops can all stock wood items. Look for shops whose other products and prices sit well with yours. Walk around your area, search online maps and directories, and ask other makers which shops treat them well.

How to Approach a Shop

• Prepare. Have business cards, good photos of your work and, ideally, one or two samples. A short printed brochure or a simple lookbook with photos, sizes and prices helps the shop owner decide. See product photographs for tips on taking good photos.
• Show you are established. A simple website or an online shop with your range and prices shows that you are serious about your work.
• Visit first or call ahead. Visit the shop as a customer to get a feel for it, then call to ask for an appointment with the person who makes buying decisions. Avoid busy times such as weekends.
• Meet the person in charge. Do not just leave your card and photos with whoever is at the counter.
• Take time to decide. If terms need negotiating, you do not need to agree on the spot. “Let me think about it and get back to you” is a fine answer.
• Follow up. An arrangement rarely comes from one meeting. Follow up with a call or a second visit.
• Build a relationship. A shop that cannot take your work now may be able to later. Stay in touch, be easy to work with, and deliver on time.

Approaching shops can feel awkward at first, but it gets easier after the first few visits. For more detail, see how to sell wholesale to craft stores.

Craft Fairs and Markets

Craft fairs, holiday markets, farmers’ markets and art festivals put your work in front of buyers who came to shop for handmade goods. Buyers can see and touch the wood, which helps sell pieces that photos do not do justice to. Fairs are also a good place to hear what buyers think, test new designs and meet shop owners and other makers.

The trade-offs are time and effort. You pack and transport your stock, set up and take down a stall, and spend the day on your feet talking with people, many of whom will not buy. Some makers enjoy this and do well at fairs. Others prefer to sell in other ways.

Choosing an Event

• Search event listings such as FestivalNet, local council and community calendars, and social media groups for makers in your area.
• Start with local fairs and markets. They cost less, and you may already know how many people they draw.
• Ask other vendors how an event went for them before you book. Attendance figures in event advertising are not always a guide to sales.
• Juried shows select vendors by the quality of their work. They usually cost more and draw buyers who expect to pay more.
• Choose events where buyers are likely to want wood items at your price. A farmers’ market suits boards and kitchenware, while a fine craft show suits higher-priced pieces.

Costs

Made Urban notes that small local events sometimes charge nothing, bigger craft shows typically charge $50 to $250 for a table, and large trade shows and festivals with hundreds of vendors can charge around $500 to $1,000. On top of the booth fee, count travel and parking, display equipment such as a tent, tables, risers and signs, card payment fees, food, and accommodation for events further away. Your time is a cost too. Add these up and compare them with the sales you can expect before you book.

What to Take

• Choose stock that you expect to sell to the event’s buyers, at a range of prices.
• Bring a few slower-selling items to test them with a new audience.
• Pack items well so they are not damaged in transit.
• Bring a card reader, a way to take payment without signal if possible, change for cash sales, price tags and bags or wrapping.
• Bring business cards and a sign showing your website or social media, so buyers can find you later.
• Bring a list of what you took, so you can record what sold.

For more on preparing for and selling at fairs, see how to sell at craft shows.

Selling on Online Marketplaces

Online marketplaces bring buyers who are already searching for handmade goods. You pay fees on sales, and your listings sit next to many competitors.

Etsy

Etsy is the best-known marketplace for handmade goods. Its fees and payments policy lists these fees for sellers:

• A listing fee of $0.20 per item, renewed every four months.
• A transaction fee of 6.5% of the item price plus shipping and gift wrapping.
• A payment processing fee that depends on the country of your bank account.
• An Offsite Ads fee of 15% on orders that come from Etsy’s ads on other websites, or 12% once a shop has sold $10,000 in the past 365 days, capped at $100 per order. Shops under the $10,000 threshold can opt out.

Etsy collects and pays US sales tax on qualifying orders shipped to US buyers, so you do not handle that yourself for Etsy sales. Items must meet Etsy’s Creativity Standards, which cover what counts as made or designed by you.

The main drawback is competition. A buyer who arrives at your listing can easily click away to another seller’s similar item. For this reason, many sellers once avoided sending their own followers to Etsy. Etsy’s Share & Save program changes this somewhat. When a buyer clicks a link you shared on your own website, social media or email and buys within 30 days, Etsy refunds 4% of the order total as a discount on your transaction fees.

For more on selling well on Etsy, see the places to sell crafts online guide and the posts in the Etsy section of this site.

Amazon Handmade

Amazon Handmade is a section of Amazon for handmade goods. Makers must apply and be approved, and products must be handcrafted, hand-altered or hand-designed and fall in a Handmade category. Amazon charges a referral fee of 15% per item sold, with a minimum of $0.30. Approved Handmade sellers need a Professional selling plan, but after the first month the monthly plan fee is waived. Amazon reaches a very large number of shoppers, but listings follow Amazon’s rules and formats, and custom items must be shipped by you.

eBay

eBay suits some wood items, such as furniture for local collection and pieces that buyers search for by style or wood type. It is less focused on handmade goods than Etsy or Amazon Handmade, so handmade work can be harder to find among new and used items. Check eBay’s current fees for your category before listing.

Choosing a Marketplace

Marketplaces open and close. ArtFire, once a popular handmade marketplace, closed at the end of 2021. Before you spend time on a smaller site, check that it is active, that buyers are using it and that sellers in your category are making sales there. For a wider list of options, see places to sell crafts online.

Your Own Online Store

Your own online store or website gives you a place on the web that you control. It does not depend on a marketplace’s rules or search changes, and it carries your brand rather than a marketplace’s.

Why It Helps

• No marketplace commission. You still pay for the platform and for payment processing, but not a share of each sale to a marketplace.
• No competitors on the page. When you send people from social media, email or advertising to your own store, they see only your work.
• A professional presence. Shop owners, trade buyers and custom clients often look for a website before they contact you.
• Local sales and services. A website helps local buyers find you through search. You can add a section for larger pieces with local collection or delivery, and describe custom services such as furniture making.
• Your own customer list. You can collect buyers’ email addresses (with their consent) and tell them about new work.

Platforms

Several platforms let you build an online store without technical skills, including Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, Big Cartel and Square Online. If you already have a WordPress website, WooCommerce adds a store to it. Most charge a monthly fee and a payment processing fee per sale, and their plans and features change, so compare current pricing and the features you need, such as local delivery options, product variations and personalisation fields. See how to set up an online craft store.

The Trade-Off

A marketplace brings buyers to you. Your own store does not. You need to bring visitors through social media, email, search, word of mouth or advertising. Many woodworkers use both: a marketplace to be found by new buyers, and their own store for repeat buyers, custom work and the people they reach through their own promotion.

Custom Work and Commissions

Custom woodworking is a large market, and custom projects do not have to be big. People buy custom boxes, holders, signs and shelves as well as kitchens and dining tables. Custom work can be offered alongside ready-made pieces and often brings higher prices, because the buyer gets exactly what they want.

Working With Custom Clients

• Agree the details. Confirm size, wood, finish, hardware and any personalisation in writing. A simple sketch or drawing avoids misunderstandings.
• Quote clearly. Give a written price, what it includes, the delivery or collection arrangements and the expected completion date.
• Take a deposit. A deposit before you buy materials protects you if the buyer changes their mind. Many makers ask for a share of the price up front and the rest before delivery.
• Keep the buyer updated. A photo or two during the build reassures the buyer and can be used in your marketing later, with their permission.
• Keep a portfolio. Photos of past custom work help new clients decide and show the range of what you can make.

For each step in detail, from the first enquiry to the final payment, see how to take custom woodworking orders.

Trade Buyers

Interior designers, home builders, architects, restaurants, cafés, hotels and offices sometimes buy custom woodwork such as tables, shelving, signs and display pieces. These orders can be larger and repeat, but they usually come with firm deadlines, set specifications and invoicing terms. A website and a portfolio of finished work help when approaching trade buyers.

For payment terms, risks and government contracts, see woodworking contracts with builders, businesses and government.

Promoting Your Woodwork

Whichever channels you sell through, people need to know your work exists. An online presence is one of the cheapest ways to reach people, even if most of your sales happen in person.

Start With Good Photos

Good photos are used everywhere: in listings, on your website, on social media, in a lookbook for shops and on flyers. Take clear, well-lit photos of every piece you make, including close-ups of the grain, joinery and finish, and photos of pieces in use. Keep them organised so you can find them later. See how to build a woodworking portfolio and product photographs.

Social Media

Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube all suit woodworking, because buyers like to see how pieces are made. Short videos of a piece coming together, before-and-after finishing shots and photos of finished work in a home all work well. Start with one or two platforms you can keep up with, rather than spreading yourself across all of them. See social media for business using Facebook and the Pinterest business guide.

An Email List

Buyers who sign up for your emails have asked to hear from you. An occasional email about new pieces, upcoming fairs or holiday order deadlines can bring repeat sales. Unlike social media, your email list is not affected by changes to a platform’s feed. See email marketing for business.

A Blog or Website Content

Writing about your work, posting build photos and videos and explaining your materials can bring visitors from search engines over time. A blog can also become a source of income in its own right. See how to start a WordPress blog for business.

Paid Advertising

Paid ads on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google and Pinterest are the fastest way to reach new people, and they let you target by location, interests and other details. They also take some learning. Start with a small budget, measure which ads lead to sales, and increase spending only on what works. Ads work best when you sell something specific to a clear group of buyers.

Printed Material

Business cards, flyers and small cards packed with each order remind buyers where to find you. Include your website or shop link and your prices or price range where it makes sense.

For more ideas, including a Google Business Profile, reviews and local groups, see free and low-cost ways to advertise a woodworking business.

Sell in a Niche

Selling is easier when you make something specific for a clear group of buyers. A niche, such as walnut serving boards for wedding gifts or cedar planters for balcony gardens, makes your marketing more precise. Your photos, listings, flyers and ads speak directly to the people who want that item, and the people who respond are already interested in buying it. Targeted online ads also cost less when you know exactly who buys from you. Making the same type of item repeatedly is faster than making many different ones, too.

For how to choose a niche, see how to find a woodworking niche. For choosing and designing products that sell, see how to create best selling wood projects.

Payments, Sales Tax and Records

Taking Payment

Online marketplaces and store platforms handle payments for you. For fairs, markets and local sales, a card reader that links to your phone lets you take card payments. Card readers charge a fee per transaction. Made Urban gives an average of about 2.5% plus $0.10 per transaction. Many buyers no longer carry cash, so being able to take cards can make a difference at a stall.

Sales Tax

In the US, Etsy collects and pays sales tax on qualifying orders placed on Etsy. For sales you make yourself, such as at fairs, from home, through your own website or wholesale to shops, the rules depend on your state. Many states require you to register for a sales tax permit and collect tax on taxable sales, and some fairs ask vendors to show a permit. Check with your state’s department of revenue before you start selling.

Keep Records

Record every sale with the channel it came from, the price, the fees and the cost of making the item. Over a few months, this shows which channels earn the most after fees and time, and which products sell best where. Keep receipts for materials, booth fees and other costs for your tax return.

Track What Works and Adjust

Selling takes some experimenting. A channel that works well for one woodworker may not work for another. Try a few, track the results, and put more time into the ones that earn the most for the effort they take.

• Compare channels by profit after fees and costs, not by sales alone.
• Count your time, including travel, packing, messages and fair days.
• Note which products sell best in which channel. A board that sells slowly online may sell well at a farmers’ market.
• Review your prices, photos and descriptions when items get attention but do not sell.
• Start small, and add channels as your production and confidence grow.

You do not need to start everything at once. The most important step is to start selling, then learn and grow from there. For the wider picture of running a woodworking business, see how to start a small woodworking business from home. For product ideas, see the top 10 woodcrafts to sell.

Sources

• Etsy, Fees & Payments Policy
• Etsy, 2024, Etsy’s Share & Save Program Terms
• Etsy Help Center, How US State Sales Tax and Fees Applies to Etsy Orders
• Etsy, Etsy’s Creativity Standards
• Amazon, Amazon Handmade
• ChannelX, 2022, Online Marketplace ArtFire Closes Its Doors
• Made Urban, 2024, Selling Handmade Consignment vs. Wholesale (Which is Better?)
• Made Urban, 2023, 10 Costs of Selling at Craft Fairs
• FestivalNet, Craft Shows