How to Sell Crafts During the Holidays: Maker feature
Working as a handmade artist over the holidays is a little like walking into an accounting office a few days before tax season ends.
In a word: busy!
Making it full time as a handmade artist in general is no small feat. And come the holiday season, things can get intense!
If you’re new to selling your crafts during the holidays, or just curious about what goes into this process, take a look at some of these makers from around the world who are currently living this reality, and see how they prepare for the inevitable chaos of the holiday season.
Mr. Bowl Ceramics
Vilnius, lithuania
1. When do you start getting ready for the season, and what do you do to prepare?
We are two best friends, Rasa and Indre who work under Mr. Bowl Ceramics brand. So we have 4 hands only to do all the work. Usually, our preparation for the season starts in the summer.
The first thing we always do is a Christmas theme photoshoot of our products. It's the most lovable part of our work. As soon as we get photos - we upload them in the listings on Etsy. Also, we make a plan for social communication so our fans will get all the info on time.
Since then we try to make as many dishes as we can, so we had some stock ready to be shipped. We want to avoid Christmas madness when you have so many things to do and prepare for that intense period in advance.
This is why our December always becomes the best period of the year - we have enough time for family and friends, we can enjoy preparation for the holiday, decorate our home, see all plays of our kids in the kindergarten, and drink a glass of champagne with each other.
2. Do you run any special promotions during the holidays? For instance, discounts, gift wrapping, or new seasonal products?
We have a special promotion running at the moment for white speckled dishes which are perfect for Christmas dinner table. It is one of the most popular color among all our fans who already bought our dishes.
We always dream about beautiful gift wrapping for the season too, but the truth is we sell fragile ceramics, our dishes travel all over the world, so the biggest priority for us is safety. And we still didn't find a way how to make gift wrapping beautiful and safe at the same time, so we choose safety first.
Therefore we always think of some small gifts we can add to the package - a magnet teddy bear, small handmade candle, or an addition dish matching the order.
3. What’s been your most successful holiday product to date?
Well, it's definitely the black dinner set. Of course some people choose a set of dinner and dessert plates only, while others prefer to have soup bowl and small dipping bowl as well. But in general black dishes will be placed on many Christmas tables this year.
4. What’s your best piece of advice for new makers going into their first holiday season?
From our experience we can say that you have to know your weaknesses first, then make a plan how you will handle them and stick to the plan as much as you can.
And we always say - love your job and be grateful for every person who comes to your shop. If you manage do this - you will find a solution for any kind of challenge you will face during the season.
5. What’s your favorite part of selling handmade during this time of year?
It may sound funny but we feel like we are two Santa Clauses who pack presents for Mr. Bowl Ceramics fans. During this period people usually write us that they ordered our dishes as presents for themselves. So we do make Christmas gifts after all! :)
What is more important is that we always try to emphasize the importance of being with a family, spending more time together, slowing down and living the moment.
So we hope our dishes will help them to that not only during the holidays but also daily, every time they sit at the dinner table with their family and beloved ones.
CeramicSense
Burlington, Ontario
1. When do you start getting ready for the season, and what do you do to prepare?
Christmas season preparations start early October at CeramicSense studios as my gnomes , ornaments, planters and “marry me “ porcelain houses are big sellers and I never have enough at the end so I start making them in fall to be able to meet the demand.
2. Do you run any special promotions during the holidays? For instance, discounts, gift wrapping, or new seasonal products?
Yes, I offer free shipping to US for orders over $35 and run discounts during cyber week and also boxing week.
3. What’s been your most successful holiday product to date?
My gnomes, I love making them...
Also my planters , Maya, Ema, Luna, and Baby Maya, all my customers tell me my planters make people so happy. They make thoughtful gifts for plant mamas.
4. What’s your best piece of advice for new makers going into their first holiday season?
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t sell as much as others. The first 2 seasons are tough on new makers but keep trying because every little experience in the creative world teaches you something and that helps you create your own line of unique designs which will bring you success in the coming years. Just keep pushing.
5. What’s your favorite part of selling handmade during this time of year?
I believe the objects made with love, care and good materials bring those qualities with them wherever they go and I also believe good design increases quality of life. Knowing that something I made out of simple mud is making someone happy is priceless for me.
Studio Nom
Alkmaar, The Netherlands
1. When do you start getting ready for the season, and what do you do to prepare?
Actually I don’t really get ready for it. I like to treat every season like “the” season. I don’t keep any stock, all my fibre art pieces are made after ordering, which gives my customers the opportunity to request for a special color option or to make a custom piece.
It's a really busy season which means shipping companies are really busy too, so I have to calculate. It could take longer than normal to get to my customers.
Which means I need to get the fibre art pieces out as fast as I can. I think I will be sleeping through xmas dinner.
What I did do is prepare a DIY kit! For a fringed wall hanger which I made beforehand with my daughters help, so when an order comes in I can ship out the same day ;).
2. Do you run any special promotions during the holidays? For instance, discounts, gift wrapping, or new seasonal products?
I don’t take part in Cyber Mondays, Black Friday, and such. My goal is to always make an honest product with an honest price. My work is not seasonal binding at all, what I love about it.
3. What’s been your most successful holiday product to date?
By far the best product during this season has been the wall hanging, with a close second to the DIY kit.
4. What’s your best piece of advice for new makers going into their first holiday season?
Stay true to yourself and your product all year long, don’t feel pushed to participate in all the big sales going on around you. Keep your eye on honesty and quality.
5. What’s your favorite part of selling handmade during this time of year?
Getting messages from customers which had one of my fibre art pieces on their wish list for awhile, and decided to treat themselves this season. Absolutely honored to be on that wishlist. Making those pieces are extra joyful!
Thank you to all the makers here for sharing a little behind the scenes look of their handmade businesses, and how they sell their crafts during the holiday season.
Share your thoughts on holiday selling below!
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