Guides

Written for makers who already know their craft, and for the people who live with what they make. Every claim links to its source.

Finding clients

Running commissions

Running a workshop

For makers · 10 minChoosing software for a made-to-order workshop: a buyer's checklistTool categories for commission work, what each covers and misses, and how to judge client view, offline use, data export, data location, pricing and lock-in.Read more For makers · 8 minLead times and waiting lists for makers: estimating, buffers and datesHow to set a realistic lead time from your workload, add buffers, run a waiting list, take deposits to hold a slot and communicate dates, with research on planning.Read more For makers · 9 minA materials register for makers: recording what goes into each pieceWhat to record about materials for each commissioned piece, why it helps with repairs, provenance and rules such as the EUDR and GPSR, and simple register formats.Read more For makers · 8 minSpreadsheets vs workshop software: when a spreadsheet stops being enoughWhen a spreadsheet is enough to run commissions, where it breaks, what research says about spreadsheet errors, and how to move your data out cleanly.Read more For makers · 7 minTracking time on commissions: a simple method for better quotesWhy makers should track time per stage, simple ways to do it, how to compare estimates with actual hours, and what research on the planning fallacy shows.Read more

Pricing & deposits

For makers · 10 minHow to price handmade work: costing, margins and wholesale for makersPrice handmade work from materials, time, overheads and profit, then set wholesale and retail prices, price commissions differently from stock and raise prices.Read more For makers · 8 minHow to write a quote for a commission: structure, wording and examplesWhat a written quote for a commission should contain: scope, materials, options, exclusions, price, validity, payment stages, lead time and revisions, with examples.Read more For makers · 6 minHow much deposit for custom furniture, and how to set a payment scheduleWhat a deposit on custom furniture is for, the ranges makers report, staged payment schedules, refund questions under consumer law and what to put in writing.Read more For makers · 7 minHow to price custom furniture: a pricing formula for small studiosA pricing formula for handmade furniture: materials and waste, shop rate, overhead, risk and margin, with worked examples for a table, sideboard and chair.Read more

Passports & provenance

For makers · 11 minCare cards for handmade objects: what to include, craft by craftWhat a maker's care card should say for furniture, jewellery, ceramics, textiles, instruments and knives, how to write it plainly and how to keep it with the piece.Read more For makers · 7 minMaker's marks, serial numbers and QR codes for furnitureHow to mark and number handmade furniture: branding irons, stamps, plates and laser engraving, where to put the mark, and how small an engraved QR code can be.Read more For everyone · 8 minProvenance records for handmade objects: what to keep and whyWhy provenance matters for resale, insurance, repairs and authentication, what auction houses and insurers ask for, and how makers and owners keep records for decades.Read more For makers · 7 minCertificate of authenticity for furniture, with a free templateHow furniture makers can write a certificate of authenticity: what to include, how to number pieces, paper or digital, and a free plain-text template to copy.Read more

Care & maintenance

For owners · 8 minHow to care for a carbon steel knife: patina, rust, oiling and sharpeningDaily care for hand-forged and carbon steel knives: washing, drying, oiling, patina versus rust, storage, sharpening and wooden handles, from makers' own guidance.Read more For owners · 8 minHow to care for handmade ceramics: dishwasher, microwave, oven and crazingCan handmade mugs and plates go in the dishwasher, microwave or oven? Thermal shock, crazing, unglazed bases, gold lustre and when to retire a piece.Read more For owners · 10 minHow to care for handwoven wool: washing, felting, moths, storage and rugsCare for handwoven wool throws, blankets, kilims and rugs: washing without felting, preventing and treating clothes moths, storage, and when to call a specialist.Read more For owners · 7 minHumidity and wooden instruments: safe ranges, warning signs and fixesRecommended humidity for guitars, violins and other wooden instruments from Martin, Taylor and violin makers, with the signs of a dry instrument and what to do.Read more For owners · 9 minHow to care for leather goods: cleaning, conditioning, water and storageCare for leather bags, belts, wallets and shoes: cleaning, how often to condition, drying wet leather, storage, mould and colour transfer, from makers and conservators.Read more For owners · 8 minRepairing broken ceramics and glass: conservators, kintsugi and what is food safeOptions for a broken mug, bowl or glass: a conservator, urushi kintsugi or a resin kit, what each means for food use, and how to find a conservator.Read more For everyone · 8 minRing resizing: what can be resized, how far, and what it does to a hallmarkWhich rings can be resized and which cannot (eternity, tension, titanium, tungsten), how many sizes jewellers will go, the hallmark rules, and UK letters versus EU sizes.Read more For owners · 7 minHow to care for silver and gold jewellery: tarnish, cleaning and storageWhy silver tarnishes, how to store and clean silver, gold and plated jewellery, which gems must not be soaked or cleaned ultrasonically, and when to check claws.Read more For everyone · 9 minHardwax oil maintenance: Rubio Monocoat vs Osmo vs General FinishesHow to clean, refresh and recoat Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C, Osmo Polyx-Oil and General Finishes Hard Wax Oil, with cure times from the makers' data sheets.Read more For everyone · 8 minSoap finish on wood: how to care for a soap-finished tableWhat a Scandinavian soap finish is, which woods suit it, daily care, how to re-soap a table, handling stains, and how soap compares with an oil finish.Read more For owners · 9 minWhite ring on a wood table: diagnose the finish before you fix itWhite vs dark water marks, how to identify oil, hardwax oil, lacquer, shellac, wax or soap, which fixes are safe at home and when to call a restorer.Read more For owners · 9 minHow to care for an oiled wood table, and how often to re-oil itDaily care, re-oiling intervals and fixes for white rings on oiled, hardwax oil, soaped and lacquered wood tables, with makers' and manufacturers' guidance.Read more

Materials

For everyone · 9 minVegetable-tanned vs chrome-tanned leather: process, time and how they ageHow vegetable and chrome tanning work, how long each takes, how the leathers differ with water, heat and light, and what the EU chromium VI limit says.Read more For everyone · 10 minSolid wood vs veneer furniture: how they differ and which to chooseHow solid wood and veneered furniture are made, plywood, MDF and particleboard cores, wood movement, repair and refinishing limits, and what to ask a maker.Read more For owners · 10 minWalnut vs oak for a dining table: hardness, colour, movement and finishWalnut or oak for a dining table? Janka hardness from the USDA Wood Handbook, dent resistance, colour change, wood movement, finishes and what drives the price.Read more

Rules & regulation

For makers · 10 minDigital product passports for furniture: what small makers need to knowWhat the EU ESPR and digital product passport mean for furniture, what is decided, what is planned for 2028 and what small makers can sensibly do now.Read more