Hello there Sea Changers. Welcome back to my series of program lists to assist those of you looking to fund your sea change with affiliate marketing. Today we are going to sharpen the needle to look at my 10 sewing affiliate programs to thread this year.
Sewing is an extremely popular pastime and whilst it falls nicely within the lucrative hobby niche where we know people will spend money, there is also the professional use element as well. There are a number of sub niche possibilities here also so with a little work, this could be one that can be turned into quite a nice little sea change funding online business.
- SewingMachinePlus.com
- Home Sewing Depot
- Sulky
- fabric.com
- Boo! Designs
- Connecting Threads
- Wardrobe by Me
- Itch to Stitch
- Rebecca Page
- BurdaStyle Academy
That's right! Get your very own online sewing business started here with all of the tools and training you need in the one place!
And you can try it all out for free so you really have nothing to lose!!
Before we begin however, I am conscious that there are a number of different areas or sub niches within this subject hence the quantity of affiliate programs to choose from may be just as large. So how have I picked my best 10? Well… I really just wanted to give you a good cross section of what is out there so I did some searching around and checked a few out and chose them by looking at:
- What they offer
- Commission rates
- Payment terms
- Cookie duration
- Application processes
- Affiliate/Marketing materials provided
Sewing Affiliate Programs
As above, sewing falls neatly within both the hobby and professional niches meaning people will spend money on sewing equipment online if it can make their lives easier so as long as you are meeting their needs and solving problems, then you are on the right track. And to give you a boost, let's have a look at 10 programs that I have found below:
1. SewingMachinePlus.com
Let's start with an all in one sewing site in SewingMachinesPlus.com. This is a massive site providing access to just about everything to do with sewing including:
- Sewing Machines
- Sewing Furniture
- Quilting Robotics
- Embroidery Software
- Presser Feet
- Thread
- Hoops and Stabilisers
- Trolleys, Totes and Cases
- Bobbins and Bobbin Cases
- Needles
- Foot Controls and Cords
- Fabrics
This is a great site for affiliates as it allows you to cover all aspects of sewing, embroidery and quilting in the one spot and could definitely be utilised to base an affiliate marketing business on. They stock all of the most well-known brands and a mountain of accessories and tools in addition to the categories listed above.
Commission Rate: 10% ($20 bonus for first sale)
Payment Terms: Monthly
Cookie Duration: Not Stated.
Application required?: Yes, the SewingMachinePlus.com affiliate program is managed by Share-a-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account then for the SewingMachinePlus.com affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.
Marketing material provided: Banners, text links
2. Home Sewing Depot
Next we look into the home decor & decorating side of the sewing niche with Home Sewing Depot . They offer “everything you need to create your own custom decor at a fraction of the retail cost” including:
- Drapery Supplies
- Drapery Hardware
- DIY Cornice Kits
- Roman Shades
- Upholstery Supplies
- Grommet Supplies
- Sewing Supplies
- Home Decor
- Irons, Steamers, Sewing Machines
There is definitely enough here to build an affiliate marketing business around and the site includes a fantastic range of instructions and DIY videos providing extra post ideas for affiliates and information for their readers.
Commission Rate: 8%
Payment Terms: Monthly
Cookie Duration: 90 Days
Application required?: Yes, the Home Sewing Depot affiliate program is managed by Share-a-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Home Sewing Depot affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.
Marketing material provided: Banners, text links, deals and coupons
3. Sulky
Sulky is another large online sewing tool and accessory site offering a range of products aimed to assist with all things sewing, quilting and embroidery including:
- Thread
- Stabilizers
- Tools and Supplies
- Seasonal Shops
- Gifts for Sewists
- Designer Boutiques
- Projects & Kits
- Embroidery Blanks
- Slimline Thread Storage Boxes
- KK 2000™ Temporary Spray Adhesive
- Puffy Foam
- Iron-On Transfer Pens
- Books
- Embroidery Design CDs
- Long Arm Quilting
Again there is definitely enough here to base an entire affiliate marketing site around as there are good options for both the new and professional user. There is also a nice range of patterns, instructional videos, webinars and free online training programs to assist sewers of any skill level.
Commission Rate: 20%
Payment Terms: Monthly
Cookie Duration: 30 Days
Application required?: Yes, application via phone number or email address on affiliate page.
Marketing material provided: Banners, text links
4. fabric.com
As the name suggests, fabric.com stocks more than 500,000 yards of fabric at 40% or more below retail price. There are fabrics for just about every use imaginable including:
- Quilting
- Apparel
- Home Décor
- Notions
- Upholstery
- Curtains
- Baby & Kids
- Bridal
- Outdoors
- Handbags
- Blankets & Throws
- Utility
- Yarn
- Crafts
This site could definitely be utilised to build a generalist business around if you were looking at the use of fabrics and sewing as well as a great addition to the arts and crafts, home decor or clothing niches. There is also a great range of patterns and templates to assist with the fabric use and products can also be selected by colour as well.
Commission Rate: Not Stated
Payment Terms: Monthly
Cookie Duration: Not Stated
Application required?: Yes, fabric.coms affiliate program is managed by CJ Affiliates. You will be required to apply for an account then for the fabric.com affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.
Marketing material provided: Text links, banners
5. Boo! Designs
For this next site we take a look into the pattern side of things with Boo! Designs. Boo Designs is a great site to add to any sewing niche due to its huge array of online patterns and templates covering such needs/uses as:
- Skater Dresses
- Dresses
- Tops
- Swimwear
- Dancewear
- Leggings/Joggers
- Skirts
- Overalls
- Pinafores
- Nappy Covers
In addition, they also offer a small range tools and accessories including:
- Fabrics
- Zips
- Elastics
- Glues
This site is could possibly be one that you would build an entire affiliate marketing business if you are within the home clothing niche however it would also be a great companion/add on to just about any sewing related niche possible – and maybe even for those dealing with sporting clubs etc. as well.
Commission Rate: 30% (on patterns only)
Payment Terms: Monthly
Cookie Duration: 30 Days
Application required?: Yes, You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.
Marketing material provided: Text links and banners
That's right! Get your very own online sewing business started here with all of the tools and training you need in the one place!
And you can try it all out for free so you really have nothing to lose!!
6. Connecting Threads
Now we head into the world of quilting with Connecting Threads. Connecting Threads provide access to everything to do with the home quilt making hobby including:
- Fabric
- Precuts
- Kits
- Thread
- Batting
- Patterns
- Supplies
- Books
They also offer a small range of sewing machines and supporting furniture as well.
There is maybe enough here to base an entire affiliate marketing business around is your site focuses on the quilt making niche however their offerings would certainly be a great addition to any sewing, crafts, home decor or home business sites as well. There is also a fantastic range of free instructionals and a blog to assist you with post ideas and reviews and well as extra information for your readers.
Commission Rate: 10%
Payment Terms: Monthly
Cookie Duration: 14 Days
Application required?: Yes, the Connecting Threads affiliate program is managed by Share-a-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Connecting Threads affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.
Marketing material provided: Text Links
7. Wardrobe by Me
Here we head into self-made clothing arena with Wardrobe By Me. Wardrobe By Me offers a large range of sewing patterns and templates to assist with the making of clothing types such as:
This would make a great addition to any sewing site aimed at professionals and hobbyists alike as well as a baseline for those looking to assist their readers to monetise their passion into a nice little business around making and selling clothes online.
Commission Rate: 15%
Payment Terms: Daily
Cookie Duration: 30 Days
Application required?: Yes, You will need to enter personal and email information to apply.
Marketing material provided: Text links, banners
8. Itch to Stitch
Itch to Stitch is another site offering a large range of patterns for those who wish to make utilise their sewing shoes to make clothes. They offer a massive range of patterns in all shapes and sizes including:
- Tops
- Dresses
- Bottoms
- Pants
- Shorts
- Skirts
- Jackets
- Jumpsuits
- Woven
- Knits
Patterns are available for all aspects of skill level as well from beginner to intermediate to advanced.
As with the previous site above, this would make a great addition to any sewing site aimed at professionals and hobbyists or those looking to on sell. And as added assistance to your readers, there is also a good range of instructional, tutorials and even some sew along options as well.
Commission Rate: 20% (10% for coupons)
Payment Terms: Monthly
Cookie Duration: 14 Days
Application required?: Yes – You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.
Marketing material provided: Text Links, banner, product feed
9. Rebecca Page
Rebecca Page is the last (but not the least) in our list of pattern based sites offering another large range for beginners to advanced skill levels for all manner of apparel including:
- Bottoms
- Cardigans
- Coats
- Dress Up
- Dresses
- Rompers
- Skirts
- Swimwear
- Tops
Added to this there are also patterns for other sewing based pastimes such as toys and decor (cushions etc.) too.
Obviously this site would again work best as an add on to any home made clothing related site although it could also work well within the home decor or even toy based niches. There is also a fantastic ‘how to' blog and sew alongs allowing for some great post ideas and/or bonus information for your readers.
Commission Rate: 20%
Payment Terms: Monthly.
Cookie Duration: 60 Days
Application required?: Yes – You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.
Marketing material provided: Text links and banners
10. BurdaStyle Academy
And finally we look into training and tuition side of things with BurdaStyle Academy. The site offers a large range of innovative courses and sew alongs to help sewing enthusiasts to develop their skills in design, drafting, sewing, and much more. There is also a range of certification course available for those looking to solidify their education and potentially step into the training avenue themselves.
If you are in the sewing niche you would probably not be able to base an affiliate program on this one however there are obvious add on opportunities for all use levels and needs.
Commission Rate: 10%
Payment Terms: Monthly
Cookie Duration: Not stated
Application required?: Yes – You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.
Marketing material provided: Text links, banners
Amazon Associates
Alternatively, should you wish to set up your site up with a range from a few different brands or companies on the same site then you can do so via Amazon. Amazon provides access to a good range of sewing related products and has a fairly good affiliate program as well. So if you wish, join the Amazon Associates program, locate the best products relevant to your site within Amazon itself and you can post links on your own site as well.
Amazon's commission rates are not too bad and some prefer this avenue due to the sheer amount of traffic and trustworthiness that comes with a company site of this size.
What do we mean by sewing?
When we think of sewing, we tend to picture of the old needle and thread being used to put that button back onto a shirt – well I do anyway. Now there is obviously so much more to it than that so for the purposes of this post, I am going to focus on all aspects of needle and thread use. Added to that there are over 28000 of searches undertaken online per month for the term ‘sewing' covering many of the subjects below:
- Sewing machines
- General equipment
- Accessories
- Sewing patterns
- Quilting and embroidery
- Courses
And of course anything else you can think of when it comes to selling the sewing side of arts and crafts online… So, if you are looking to set up an online business with sewing and fabric affiliate programs, this is a niche that could work for you.
What can affiliate marketers promote?
There are essentially no real barriers to what affiliate marketers can promote when it comes to sewing, fabric or sewing machine affiliate program options. There are however some things to be aware of as you run your eye over sewing and needlework related affiliate program possibilities that may suit your site. These are:
- Know your audience, some are looking for specifics and want the best whilst others are hoping to just get their sewing machines on a budget. Choose your affiliate sites accordingly.
- Hard core sewers and/or professionals will not take risks if they don't trust you or your affiliate site. Make sure the programs you choose are reputable and have good recourse options if the purchaser is not happy.
- Those purchasing as a new hobby etc. will want to know exactly what they need and that the products you are promoting will fit in with their requirements. Make sure your programs can provide the products to back up the information that you are covering.
How to find your own affiliate programs
As stated earlier, by outlining the sites above I have really just tried to give you a good cross section of the types of programs that are out there by listing the really good ones in each ‘category'. That does not mean that you cannot find affiliate programs that better suit what it is that you are trying to do within this space especially as I could never even begin to cover every sewing related requirement or sub niche in the one post. Luckily for us, there is a simple way to find these programs online.
All you need to do is enter “affiliate: niche type” into your search engine (substituting ‘niche type‘ for whatever product it is that you are choosing to sell).
There are sewing related affiliate programs for everything else that we have listed at the top of this page as well – you will just need to have a look around until you find one or two that suit your site. Once you have completed your searches, you can look through and find programs that:
- Relate to your niche/problems that you are solving.
- Have quality products – your brand can be severely damaged if you promote poor quality products.
- Have solid payment and customer service arrangement.
- Pay decent commissions.
- Have good testimonials covering commission payouts and quality of product.
In most cases, you will need to apply for the program before you are allowed to promote their products – don’t take this step lightly or you will be rejected. Affiliate programs will generally want to know:
- Your website name.
- Traffic levels.
- Why you want to join – (so I can make money by selling your dress patterns is unfortunately not generally a good enough answer).
- How you plan to promote their products.
Conclusion
So… There are 10 of the best sewing affiliate programs to thread this year. I hope it has been helpful for you as you commence your own sewing based affiliate marketing business and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share. Oh, and especially comment if you have any experience with these, or any other programs as well.
Until next time
Have fun
Paul
Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via Wealthy Affiliate.
Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own sewing based website?
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