The age-old lemonade stand got kicked to the curb, and kids today are finding more creative and effective ways to make money. Many Milwaukee kids supplement their allowances by selling their handmade items, either at art shows with their parents, through word-of-mouth or online at sites like Etsy.com.

Beth Eaton Knepler is a professional ceramicist, and her 7-year-old son, Charlie, sells his pottery on Etsy.com and alongside his mom at shows like the indie market of handmade wares, Art vs. Craft.

"Charlie loves to be in the studio with me, and he works hard for hours at a time, so naturally he was accumulating a lot of pottery," says Knepler.

Charlie started selling his pottery on Etsy a few years ago under the name "Charlie Pepper." He selects the pieces he wants to sell, photographs the items himself and then Knepler posts the info and photo on the site. After he sells a piece of his pottery, Charlie and his mom package and ship the sold items.

"I do a few open house shows at my studio and art shows, and Charlie has been welcome to participate in them," says Knepler. "He is more likely to participate in a show if other kids he knows will be there or if it's not a beautiful summer day with the possibilities of swimming."

Most of Charlie’s pottery sells in the $1-20 range. Knepler lets him decide what he wants to do with his money. At his first show, he sold a lot of pieces, but ended up spending more than he made. This is a common mistake made by adults, too.

"I did the same thing at one of my first shows," says Knepler. "On the good side of it all, he bought his little sister Christmas presents. Who could be disappointed in that?"

Sky and JJ Reed, the daughters of Milwaukee artist Anita Reed and musician Dan Reed, sell their cards and magnets at Art vs. Craft and a variety of other summer and holiday shows. Most of their creations are priced between $2 and $4.

"We agreed that some of the money goes to good, like church or a special cause, some of it goes into savings and the last bunch goes pretty fast on candy and toys," says Reed.

Reed says making and selling art teaches her daughters how to interact with adults and how to be self-sufficient, something she believes is an important skill. Reed says her older daughter, 9-year-old Sky, is a saver, but 5-year-old JJ is quicker to spend her earnings.

"JJ's cash burns a hole in her pocket, especially if she hears the bells of the little man pushing around his freezer of tasty treats," says Reed.

Anneke Knauss, 11, sells baked goods like brownies, pumpkin bread, chocolate chip cookies and Christmas cookies to friends and relatives. She is saving up to buy a puppy from the Wisconsin Humane Society.

"Anneke was asking almost every day if she could make brownies or banana bread. It just so happens she had also been asking for about six months to adopt a dog from the Humane Society. So, I put two and two together and suggested that if she likes baking so much, and really wants a dog, she could try to earn one by the spring, which is when we'd consider getting one," says Sonya Jongsma Knauss, Anneke’s mom.

Anneke sells her baked goods for $7 for a full loaf of sweet bread, $3 for a mini loaf and $15 for a large pan of double chocolate brownies. She charges various amounts for cookies, depending on the amount. At least half of the ingredients in Anneke's baked goods are organic.

Anneke created a logo for her bakery business and she has a Web site, annekesbakery.com.

"The math part of it has been challenging and good practice for her, but I also appreciate that she gets to spend time doing something she likes and making other people happy with good food. That's a satisfying kind of work," says Knauss.

Indeed, the lessons learned by these crafty, entrepreneurial kids are priceless, but Charlie sums it up from a kid’s perspective: "It’s fun making money."