Did you know that you can make a variety of clothing accessories from fleece, not just blankets? You can make scarves, polar hats, neck warmers, mittens, socks, etc and even sweaters, cardigans, shirts, ponchos and pants. All these would make lovely Christmas gifts, don’t you think? They are quite inexpensive to make, and can be enjoyable if you are a needle person. And better yet, you can make money out of it.

You can start with a few items, master the art, and create unique designs that will catch the eye of many. It is ideal for a stay at home mom, who wants to work from home and have a good balance between work and family life. It is a great way to make an extra income, right from home. You hardly need to leave home, definitely not on a regular basis, and if you decide to sell online, even less so.

Polarfleece is fast becoming a very popular fabric, replacing natural fleece, as it is cheaper, more durable and serves the same purpose. Although made out of polyester, it is very comfortable and soft, a good insulator, durable and quick drying, and has created a revolution in cold weather clothing. You can find many stores selling this wonderful material, in unique colors and designs that will give you many innovative ideas to work on. With a little bit of imagination, you can go a long way with your creations.

Read a few success stories and get motivated:

Susun Terese and ‘Minikins’
http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/~sharkey/telling.terese.htm

Scott Jones and ‘Beyond Fleece ’
http://www.score.org/beyond_fleece.html

Even catering to a specific market, rather than overall items, will help you achieve a special ‘niche’ for your products. For example, if you like to create kids clothing, kids sweaters, mittens, hats, etc. people will identify you on your specialty, and come to you for your special needs. You can even create a unique range of fleece clothing exclusively for men, or for elderly people
(e.g.: http://www.nicencozy.com/aboutus.html) or
kids (e.g.: http://www.fleecefarm.com/).

How to provide a good, unique service:

• Timely delivery
• Personalized service (tailor-made to requirement)
• Reasonable pricing
• Secure ordering portal (if selling online)
• After sales service (money back guarantee)

Means of selling are numerous in today 's technology driven world. You don’t necessarily have to own your own regular store. A few inexpensive methods you can apply to your own business include:

• Virtual Craft Malls - Readily available on the net, where you can have your own customized page for a nominal set up fee.
• Consignment Stores - That will do the selling for you, for a monthly fee or percentage. You will be paid once the sale is complete.
• Classified Adds - Either on a newspaper, or on the internet. Inexpensive marketing for your products.
• Craft Booths - At a local fair or crafts exhibition. Great way to find new clients.
• Retail Stores - Talk to your local retail stores and ask them to display your products. You can pay them a commission for the sales.
• Exchange - Give away a few samples for free online or to your local newspaper (as gifts for contests they host) in exchange for advertising space.
• Articles - Write an article for your local newspaper so you can advertise your craft in the author by-line. Make sure it reaches your target audience.

Weather you decide to sell online or retail, as long as your products are ‘top quality’, success is around the corner. Dedication, enthusiasm, creativity, and independent business spirit are the core characteristics for victory in such an enterprise. If you have the kind of spirit that drives you to carve something out of nothing, then you are a definite winner in this trade.

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