Copy and Sell Vintage Craftwork Patterns from the Public Domain

History repeats itself, especially in the fashion world, and many early 20th-century designs are popular today.  This means you can copy early knitting, sewing and other craftwork patterns and sell them any way you like. 

Alternatively, you could use public domain  patterns as the basis for a new design, perhaps incorporating several earlier patterns and including new features of your own.

These ideas will help you get started:

#  For sewing and craftwork projects based on templates and picture patterns, you can simply copy the original item, reword the instructions and sell the resulting pattern as your own. 

#  Compile a book of fancy dress outfits with patterns and instructions for mothers to make the clothing themselves.  As a book it could be marketed by direct mail or sold off-the-page in craftwork and parent magazines.  It could also be marketed to schools or sold through craftshops and novelty suppliers.  Online it should sell like hot cakes.

#  Compile knitting patterns for baby garments and sell to parents and craftworkers looking for unusual creations.  Early Victorian styles and Royal baby specials could be very popular today.

#  Compile a pattern book of early 1920s fashions: knitting, sewing, embroidery, etc.  (Other decades can be used as desired as long as the designs are in the public domain).

#  Plans for creating children’s toys like dolls’ houses and sledges are immensely good sellers on eBay, especially if you have an illustration of the completed item to go with your reproduction plan.  Again, if the picture isn’t there with the original out-of-copyright instructions, have a local craftworker make one up for you.

# The last idea also works well for plans to create large and small items for grown-ups too, such as windmills (for gardens and actually to live in), boats (to play with or travel in), and so on.