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Make & Sell your Craft Online
SO… YOU LOVE MAKING CARDS OR GIFTS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BUT HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HANDY TO MAKE A LITTLE MONEY FROM YOUR CREATIVE TALENTS?
words: Mindy Cook
Tracy Baker started making cards for friends and family, like these gorgeous Christmas cards and bows. She wanted to give beautiful, unique cards that would be cherished. She soon found herself collecting more paper, embellishments and ribbon for card making, and with encouragement from those around her she began designing cards to sell to work colleagues and others. While she also wanted to make her creations available in the online world, creating her own website seemed just too hard, costly and time-consuming.
Tracy explains:
“I’m not sure who told me about etsy.com.au, but for me, it was a great option for the limited amount of items I wanted to sell. I created a profile and paid a small fee for each item I posted in my Etsy shop. I wish I could say that my designs were an instant success with orders flooding in as soon as posts went up, but it didn’t happen. There are many online shops by creative and talented designers all vying for my customers’ attention.
As a buyer, I like to pick up an item, feel the texture and look at it from all angles. Online we must rely on pictures to help us decide if we want to buy it. So over the years I have learned a few important lessons about selling items online and these include:
What I also want to say is if you’re thinking about selling your designs – don’t be discouraged if you don’t make online sales immediately. Although I have had limited success selling online since opening my Etsy shop in 2011 I consider it a great opportunity for my designs to be seen by people I may never meet and perhaps inspire someone with a dream to take the next step.
Another benefit to having an online presence is that there are plenty of customers who won’t necessarily buy online as they prefer a more personal, tactile experience. But they still search online. If they like what they see of your designs there, they will seek you out at the markets or exhibitions you attend, and buy from you there.”
These are great tips from someone who is experiencing it first-hand!
Take a look at Tracy’s designs in her online shop, Paper In May and if you have any questions for her, just pop them into the comments box below. |
And finally, if you’re about to leap into the online selling world with your creative idea – we wish you success, fame and profit!
TIP: If you are making craft to sell, make sure you are only creating your own original designs or you may be contravening copyright!