this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2026
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leathercraft

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bowreality@lemmy.ca
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Saying no (lemmy.ca)
submitted 7 months ago by bowreality@lemmy.ca to c/leathercraft@lemmy.ca
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I was wondering how you hobbyists say no to friends and acquaintances mostly. I have gifted a few small things and others just know that I do leather work.

I am getting inundated with requests and some are just way too much work. Of course they offer to pay but my time is limited and really I can’t even ask for a real hourly rate without out being prohibitively expensive. Especially when I have to design from scratch it takes me a ton of time.

I also would like to keep it a hobby and make when and what I want and not fulfill orders! I already have a side hustle I don’t need another one.

I was wondering how your experience is and how you handle this.

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[–] calliope@retrolemmy.com 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (3 children)

Practice saying “no thank you! I don’t need other work” or something similar.

You don’t have any reason to feel bad about saying no to people. It’s flattering of them to ask but it’s perfectly polite to just say “no thanks! This is my hobby not a business, I just do it for me.”

[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca 6 points 7 months ago

Yeah I think it comes down to that. I guess I just needed to hear it.

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That's basically what I say. Or some vacation or, "haha that's very flattering, thank you for taking note of my hobby, I appreciate your kind words"

And I just don't make it.

[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 months ago

I like that. It’s not a no (which can be hard to say) but it’s really not an agreement to make something either. Thanks!

[–] bufalo1973@piefed.social 2 points 7 months ago

Or "I'd like to do it but I'm very busy right now".