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Disciples Cross is a very popular at-home assembly program that has developed a very strong reputation among work-at-home parents. Made popular by Pastor John from Survivor: Thailand, the crosses are pieces of jewelry that are specially constructed from nails, wire and leather.
Upon joining up with Disciples Cross, you receive a starter kit that contains enough materials (and instructions) to make 25 crosses. Once you’ve completed your first 10 crosses, you can ship them back and earn money with their Guaranteed Buy-Back Program. Skilled cross-makers report making as much as $2000 per month with the buy-back program (or $500 every two weeks).
The crosses are simple enough to make, and take about 5 minutes to assemble (with practice). As long as you participate in the buy-back program, there is no selling required. Simply complete the crosses, ship them back to the company, and wait for your cheque.
What’s great about this program, however, is that you are not required to sell the crosses back to the company once you have assembled them. If you’d prefer, you can increase your profits by selling them yourselves. Once you have signed up with Disciples Cross and receive your starter kit, you are officially registered as a Disciples Cross producer. This means that you can purchase your materials from craft and hardware stores (or from other Disciples Cross material providers online), construct the crosses, and sell them without having any further contact with the Disciples Cross company.
Note: As of 9/26/2007, I have purchased materials from four different online businesses in order to determine who offers the best customer support, prices and delivery time. I have been most satisfied purchasing my materials directly from Disciples Cross (They have very speedy delievery time and great customer service!) and Authorized DC Nailbenders. You can actually purchase great-quality pre-bent nails from Authorized DC Nailbenders, and their prices are quite reasonable. This company is run by a husband and wife team, so their delivery time can often depend on the size of your order. For my first order, I purchased enough materials to make 50 crosses. I received this order in less than two weeks. My second order was much larger, and I purchased enough materials to make 400 crosses. Due to my very large order, I had to wait a month before my materials were shipped. The customer service was great, however, and they let me know about the delay as soon as they were aware that it would occur. Overall, I have been very happy with not only the quality of their materials, but their pricing and customer service.
My Story
I became involved with Disciples Cross approximately six months ago, after reading about the company through a work-at-home discussion board. My curiosity piqued, I went to their website and learned as much as I could about the product, finally choosing to sign up with the company after discussing the opportunity with my husband.
Fast forward two weeks later. I had received my starter package and (rather clumsily) assembled my first three crosses. By the fourth cross, I had dramatically improved and was finally able to produce a product worth selling. I had to purchase some vice-grip pliers and long-necked needle-nose pliers, as well as some clear-coat to dip the crosses in after they completed- but for the most part, everything I needed was included in the starter package.
I, personally, chose not to become involved in the buy-back program, as I was not willing to wait for checks to be mailed to me. Instead, I started selling crosses at local church events, Christian bookstores and craft fairs. I sold crafts to friends, co-workers and family members. I even spent some time selling my crosses door-to-door! It takes a little more work to sell crosses this way, but my profit is much nicer than it would be had I participated in the buy-back program. Had I done that, I would have earned a measly $2.50 per cross. I make four times that selling them on my own, at $10 each!
Having ‘perfected the art’, I now make about 8 crosses every night after my son has gone to bed (3 or 4 an hour- I work at a leisurely pace). I do this while sitting on the sofa watching television, so it’s not exactly what I would call hard work. Before I go to bed, I dip the crosses in the clear-coat, and hang them to dry. By morning, they’re ready to be strung up and sold. Using this method, I clear about $1500 per month- but I only spend about 15 hours per week making and selling the crosses so that isn’t half-bad. Given the high demand for the crosses I know I could sell more if I wanted to- but I simply don't have any more time to devote to it!
I would definitely recommend Disciples Cross to anyone who is looking to earn a little extra cash every month with little effort. Keep in mind- this is a program that is best suited to people who are a little bit ‘crafty’. Also, your fingers WILL get sore making these crosses, so be warned! It’s also important that you invest in the right tools, or your crosses will wind up looking sloppy or the wire will get scratched.
If you’re interested in learning more, visit the official Disciples Cross webpage today!
Good Luck,
Lynne Whiteley
Disciples Cross Tips | | Before getting started, make sure to purchase two vice pliers (I recommend a 10" and an 11" as these work best for me), and a pair of long-necked, needle-nose pliersUse nylon-jaw pliers when securing wire ends, to prevent scratches in the colored wire. If you cannot find nylon-jaw pliers, wrap the jaws of your regular pliers in tape.Watch the instructional video once before starting, and again as you're getting started. This will help you prevent any little mistakes before they happen.Keep a popsicle stick handy. I use this to push the wire down and close any littlegaps without scratching it.Make sure to use a non-yellowing acrylic clearcoat to dip your crosses. Afterwards, use a small square of cardboard to collect any drips and keep a small piece of wire handy to pop any unsightly bubbles and to clear out the holes at the top for the leather stringThe 22 gauge wire (you can purchase from Authorized DC Nailbenders) is thinner and a little easier to wrap than the 20 gauge wire you get from the official Disciples Cross webpage. This wire creates a more 'delicate' look to the jewelry. The 20-gauge wire is thicker, harder to bend- but shows the color better. Make a variety of colors in different wire sizes, and your customers will have more to choose from.
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