Texture is one of the first things that can make or break a design. The weight and stretch ability can create a comfy textile all while creating a sewing nightmare. It was not until recently when I sewed minky fabric for the first time that I realized we would have a love hate relationship. If you have ever touched pinky it is a luxurious plush with either a dot texture, a cute design or solid. Basically it is a cuddler’s dream and quite popular in the baby industry.
Starting a small business is obviously a roller coaster, so let’s talk about what I’ve learned about shipping. Although I am very much an amateur in the small business community some may call it a side hustle but I’d rather poor the energy out there that it is a small business. Either way let’s not get off track, being an amateur means learning as you go and while some may decided to skip past the icky parts I would rather document my journey to help others. Also it doesn’t hurt that sometimes mistakes can make amusing stories too.
The candy store otherwise known as the fabric store is my kryptonite. I love looking up and down the aisles for unique prints and characters. Although I often purchase fabric with the intention of a project there are those spur of the moment deals that I cannot pass up. If you see it, you like it, you best get it while you can. Yes, there are those fabrics that will always be in stock but there are also some that are rare gems. For example, rummaging through the clearance fabric there are items that will not come back to the shelf. Needless to say I have accumulated a lot of fabric over the past few years.
After editing this video I’ve come to the conclusion that I really should pause on buying anymore and instead use up what I have. In order to accomplish this I shouldn’t even browse but I’ll let ya’ll know if I cave in and splurge on something new. Prior to editing I was going to share what my intentions were for each piece of fabric from pajama sets to blankets, however, I underestimated how much I had and it became a bit out of control. If you are curious on a particular scrap project and want to know what I made with it let me know and I would be more than happy to share with you. I hope you all enjoy peeking at my stash and let me know which fabric is your fabric from my collection. Of course if you have any crafty or content ideas please also leave me a comment. (:
While I do not have a “successful” Etsy shop yet I have been learning as I go. At this stage I am learning a lot so rather than be ashamed of having the few orders I do I decided it was the perfect time to share my knowledge to help other new Esty shop owners or those curious as to if Etsy is a good place for them to sell their crafts. In the video today it showcases how I package an order which in itself is always fun to see how people do it and what they include in their packages. Also discussed today is the actual stats for this listing meaning what the profit margin is as well as where the rest of the money actually goes when selling on Etsy. Shop owners usually say that they are “successful” and that Esty takes a portion of the money but I’ve yet to see someone share the raw data. I know I was curious before opening up my shop and yes Etsy gives a full description and calculator on its site, however, I did not find it helpful or accurate. It is very misleading which is why I am breaking it all down for you so you can do the math to figure out how to properly list your items.
*The simplest way to calculate your portion is to calculate 78% off your listing price. Yes that means the other 22% goes stickily to lovely Etsy fees. Keep in mind this is a rough estimate to simply help guide you to create your proper pricing. From the 78% you will also need to dive in a little further by subtracting all material costs. Next subtract your personal labor cost and then you will have your profit total.
Example: A handmade blanket listed for $50 without free shipping. The item cost $7.95 for the customer to ship to their residence and the tax rate is 7.5%. The customer paid $61.75 total.
| Fee | Fee Amount | Running Total |
| Processing Fee: 3.0% of the order total plus $0.25 | $1.85 + $0.25 = $2.10 | $59.65 |
| Shipping Cost | $7.95 | $51.70 |
| Transaction Fee for Shipping: 6.5% of shipping total | $0.52 | $51.18 |
| Transaction Fee for Product: 6.5% of item total | $3.25 | $47.93 |
| Sales Tax | $3.75 | $44.18 |
| Listing Fee: $0.20 | $0.20 | $43.98 |
Let’s break down our profit into our expenses.
| Material Cost | $12.00 | Fabric Cost |
| Labor Cost | $15 | Your Portion |
| Retail Price | $50 | Listing Price |
| Profit | $16.98 | Back into business |
Over the past year I have tried my hand at reselling clothes and various items. Currently, I’ve sold over sixty items! As time has progressed so have my strategies of creating quality listings. Below are my top tips for creating listings that leave viewers with all the information they need in order to purchase your items with confidence. One thing I would not recommend wasting your time with is creating a fluffy description. Instead fill the description section with essential information. I have created a cheat sheet list down below of what I recommend putting in the description section. Also use these tips to up your photography skills for flat lays and more. If you would like to see how I edit my photos for listings please let me know. (:
How to: Create a Larger than Hoop Embroidery Project
When I first started exploring machine embroidery it wasn’t until my first couple projects that I realized that the hoop size really mattered. With a 4X4 hoop machine it can seem like a creative jail so today I am going to show you how to escape. In the video below I will be demonstrating the tips I am discussing here which is the method I used for today. For those that are not aware I currently have the Brother PE550d embroidery machine which is a 4 X 4 hoop machine.
Continue reading ➞ How to: Create a Larger than Hoop Embroidery Project
Since it has been awhile, I thought a life update was well over due. A lot has happened or rather not happened depending on your perspective. Whenever I start to compare my progress to others my age or just in general it can be a real downer since the expectations I’ve put on myself are based on societial guidelines that ,have yet to be met. You can’t be too far ahead or too far behind and it’s a constant battle that is impossible to win. Perhaps everyone feels this way yet from the outside it looks like others have it all figured out. Let me know in the comments if you feel like you’re on track or if you’ve never thought about it? Not sure how you couldn’t think about it as people question when you’ll get married, when you’ll have a kid and the list goes on and on.
Stains can be annoying and somehow thrilling whenever you find the perfect cure all. Either you walk around cautiously or only wear dark clothes to lower the percentage of ever coming into contact with a spot that ruins your favorite outfit. Although I have reviewed stain removers in the past I wanted to see which one was the absolute best. I’m constantly trying new spot removers for items I’m selling on Poshmark as well as for items I love such as the sweater in the video below with several mystery spots. In the tutorial below I will be testing: Zout, homemade paste, Grandma’s Spot Remover, and Clorox Bleach for Colors.
While this is far different from any content I have done, I wanted to document this occasion and share with you all my first official tea party. As part of a fund raiser a group was throwing a COVID tea party. Usually they would do it in person, however due to regulations in our area it was not possible. Although we had not participated in the past we thought it would be fun thing to try. For the past two years a lot has changed so it was fun to try something new and break out our mom’s fancy tea set for the first time. As you can imagine the set was coated with dust. After we washed up two dish settings we decided to take out a three tier dessert tower and really make the experience special.
If you are a fellow crafter I’m sure you can relate to the fact that not every if any project goes exactly perfectly. The custom couples shirt project as I mentioned last week was far from an exception which is why I decided it would be good to share with you my top tips for Cricut iron on projects. A fundamental part of shirt project is using the correct materials. Apparel items with cute designs are only a fraction of why they are purchased by consumers the other two parts are fit and most importantly the feel. No one is happy to put on a shirt that is scratchy or insanely think during the summer. Make sure to factor in the use of the item before choose your materials. Recently, I switched from using Cricut vinyl to other brands my favorite is Siser because it is cheaper, it weeds better and it feels like quality too.
MaddieAutumn 