Category: handmade business

The Crafting Guide to Mindfulness

Posted by on May 4, 2018 in handmade business, Handmade Gifts Ideas

As someone who loves being crafty, you’re probably well aware of how relaxing crafting can be – the happiness of getting out a project bag or squirrelling away to a craft room for a few hours to lose yourself in your latest project. Focusing on a craft often puts us in a state of ‘flow’, having complete concentration on what you’re working on and being fully in the moment. When you’re thinking ‘how do I want to shape this, where does this stitch go, how do I want this to look?’ you’re not thinking the bundle of other thoughts that run through your head each day; crafting is a gift to ourselves to pause and just be.

This isn’t only conventional wisdom amongst crafters – studies by the American Journal of Public Health have shown that crafting reduces stress and anxiety and boosts positivity and connectedness.

So while I’m not going to suggest you eat a raisin (it’s a mindfulness thing) or hug a ball of wool (although that does sound kinda nice), here’s some ways you can actively encourage more mindfulness and relaxation into your crafting.

Use Your Senses

How to make a bath bomb

We’re working with our hands, and a huge part of what makes crafting so wonderful is the tactile connection we can have with the materials and tools we work with. The next time you pick up a project, take a moment to really feel the texture of the fabric or materials. How does the embroidery hoop or paintbrush feel in your hand? Use all your senses to appreciate what you’re creating with. (more…)

HOW TO GET REORDERS FROM YOUR STOCKISTS

Posted by on May 4, 2018 in handmade business

Editor’s Note: This post was shared with us by Etan and Emily from Wholesale In a Box. They offer makers a method to get into stores — and tools to make growth easier and faster. You can sign up for a free eCourse on their method for growing wholesale (without trade shows, hassle, or stress) here. -Nicole S.

Before they get their first store, most handmade business owners are focused on how many store accounts they want to get. They dream of having wholesale accounts around the country, with their products sparkling on hundreds of store shelves.

But after the first couple of stores are under their belt, many people realize that not all wholesale accounts are created equal. The store in Milwaukee that orders $800-$900 every quarter is worth so much more than the store in Tulsa that ordered $1,000 once and hasn’t placed an order since.

Sometimes stores don’t reorder because of something on their end. Some shops are struggling financially or changing business models and aren’t going to place follow-on orders with you for those reasons. But the majority of the time, a given store is placing consistent, large orders with some makers — and it is up to you whether you are one of them. (more…)

PODCAST EPISODE 69: GETTING HONEST ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS WITH LINSI BROWNSON

Posted by on April 28, 2018 in handmade business, Handmade Gifts Ideas

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast we’re talking to Linsi Brownson of Spark Collaborative. We talk about Linsi’s belief that everyone is born creative, how to tap into that natural creativity if you’ve lost your connection to it, what types of questions to ask yourself to see where you are, where you want to be and the steps you need to get there, what areas of your business and life you need to evaluate, the importance of starting small, exploring and experimenting when making big changes and we use Delilah as guinea pig and Linsi does some on the spot coaching with her that starts with the question, “What is your challenge right now?”.

AND…. As a Thank You for tuning into this episode of the Dear Handmade Life podcast, Linsi is offering 5 Free Laser Coaching Sessions. Laser Coaching is a 90 minute virtual session where you’ll dive right in to your latest greatest challenge, fear, idea or opportunity! To enter, apply for a session here and leave us a review on iTunes here. Good luck!

Things we mentioned during the episode: (more…)