NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
Craft Magazine craft
Do’s and Dont’s of Custom order 10 Tea cup ideas Teen Room Decor your space
Yarn
wrapped Fun things to do with Burlap
Let’s Be Social How to Promote Your Crafts on Social Media
Craft Magazine
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CONTENT November / December
05. Craft
Do’s and Dont’s of Custom order
27. Back to Basics
38. Bold Blue Patio Refresh
49. 3 Steps to Styling a Sofa
30. Outdoor Rope Coasters
40. My Fall Home Tour
51. How to Colour Coordinate a Room
Yarn & Felt Wreath
Boho Stool Foyer Addition
12. Let’s Be Social
How to Promote Your Crafts on Social Media 15. Cheerful Pops of Colour
Pretty Pastels 22. Fresh & Eclectic
Cool & Vintage 24. Rustic Charm
Vintage Dream 26. Sweet Sewing Corner
31 Embroidery Art
Weaving Basics
42. Sed ut perspiciatis
Do’s and Dont’s of Custom order
34. Yarn Embellished Cards
Mini Tassel Fringe 36. How to Make a Boxwood Wreath
Mini Framed Weaving 36. Coffee Table Decorating Tips
55. 10 Tips for a Lovely Living Room Layout 56. Craft Corner Dreams
8 Wall Decor Ideas 45. 8 Wall Decor Ideas
Make a Basic Loom 47. Cubby Wall Display, 4 Ways
Agate DIYs to Try 48. Make a Basic Loom
Agate DIYs to Try 2
Bold in Black & Gold
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Magazine
Craft Welcome to Craf!
Craft Magazine is designed to be playful in how it engages a public audience. Craft Mag looks to contribute towards a better understanding of continuity and change within the discipline. We all have a connection to craft in some way, through the products we consume, through the cultural traditions passed down from generation to generation or through the items and objects we encounter on a daily basis. What draws people to contemporary craft is authenticity, originality, creativity and the tangible experience of an object that creates meaning and value beyond its’ physical form.
Craft Team
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As crafters
,
we’ve all been there. Someone contacts you for an order. Great! But it just so happens they want it monogrammed, in a color you don’t have, three times larger than you usually make it, and they want it by tomorrow. Taking custom orders is rarely a flawless process, but here are some do’s and don’ts to help keep your crafting experience running smoothly.
Do Practice Ahead of Time Whatever you make, it’s always a great idea to make a couple of practice runs. This has several advantages: you’ll have samples for photographs, you’ll know exactly how long your craft takes you, you’ll know the exact amount of materials you need.
Don’t “Experiment” on New Orders
“it makes it so much easier to add notes, scratch things out, and make things how I like it.” She also noted that she uses social media messaging to crossreference her orders.
Do’s and Dont’s of
Custom orders
Although it can be tempting to try something new to fill an order, it is more beneficial to you and your customer to stay within your comfort zone. In the long run it will save you time, money, and keep your customer satisfied.
Do Keep Your Orders Organized Lubbock crafter Theresa Harlan of Painted Faith Creations stresses how important it is to keep track of your orders.
“I love classic pen and paper,” she shares,
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Don’t Overwhelm Yourself With custom orders, there are so many ways to get in over your head. The cost of raw materials, time it takes to finish your projects, and other responsibilities can quickly add up. Keeping your life balanced is extremely important for your wellbeing, even if it means turning down orders.
Do Keep Lines of Communication Open The most effective way to ensure that your customers are pleased with your creation is to talk about it! Whether you use phone calls, text messages, social media, or any other forms of communication, make sure that you let your customer know if there are any changes in the order. Also, be sure they know how to reach you to communicate any changes they would like to make.
Don’t Undervalue Yourself Deciding what to charge for your items is oftentimes the hardest part of crafting, but don’t sell yourself short! If you were applying for a job, how much would you expect your boss to pay you per hour? Crafting is a great way to be your own boss, but be sure to treat your employee (yourself!) well.
Do Accept Down Payments One of the best ways to avoid wasting your time and talent is to ask for a deposit prior to starting a project. This will reduce the number of customers that you have “change their mind” or “no-show”. Your time is important and should always be treated that way! Remembering these tips will not only keep you from getting frustrated, but will also help you and your business be successful.
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T
he social media world of tweets, likes, favorites, and comments can be overwhelming.
However, when it comes to crafting, it can also be your go-to tool in your advertising arsenal. As a crafter, the most beneficial part of promoting your crafts on social media sites is it’s FREE! While some social media sites offer paid advertising in the form of sidebar ads and promoted posts, we’re going to focus on the more
Let’s Be Social:
How to Promote Your Crafts on Social Media
wallet-friendly aspects of social media advertising. The first step to getting your feet wet in the social media pond is to create a variety of accounts specifically for your crafts. Look into the Big Four (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Etsy), but don’t be afraid to branch out into Foursquare, Vine, YouTube, or even starting a blog. Even if you already have a personal account on these sites, make accounts solely for your products. While personal statuses and photos are great to share with friends, customers don’t want to sift through pictures of your family vacation and Fido’s first bone just to get an example of your work.
Craft Magazine
After you create your accounts, the next step is to share them! Many platforms allow you to invite friends to be involved with whatever account you’re using through the webpage itself or via e-mail. The more people that see your page, the more likely it is that someone will be interested in your products. Asking others to share or “tag” your pages is another great way to gain friends and followers. Now that you have people looking at your social media page, it is important to have things to share with them! Pictures are the best way to catch attention on most social media platforms. Be sure to include descriptions (and pricing if applicable) of the product. Although there is not a formula for to how
many posts you should have, a good rule of thumb is to post 1-2 pictures per week in order to keep your page fresh and interesting. Once your pages are up and running, it’s a great idea to get involved with various online crafting communities. “Like” other crafting pages on Facebook and Etsy, follow other accounts on Instagram and Twitter, and be supportive of other crafters who have entered into the digital age. Not only will this help your sites to continue to grow, but you may find yourself inspired by the work of others as well. For more information or tutorials on social media promotion, contact customcorkery@gmail.com
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Social media is a wonderful marketing tool. It’s also pretty crucial in this day and age. Most customers use social media as a way to connect with the businesses they love, so it’s important to have a presence across at least some of the platforms available out there.
Mini Guide To Facebook
Variation is key! Yes, do post about your latest item listings, shop updates etc, but don’t limit it to that. Include behind-the-scenes photos of your studio or works-in-progress shots.
You could try offering shop discounts to page likers, or ask buyers to post photos of themselves with your wares for a chance to win something special.
This will help personalise your brand. Share links to things that are currently inspiring you, or something you’ve found online that could be helpful or useful to your readers.
WHAT Keep your Facebook content fresh and interesting. Take note of the kinds of things that are posted on pages that you admire and try to emulate that. Craft Magazine
Let your readers know when you’ve updated your blog by sharing a link to your post. Create some Facebook-specific promos to keep people coming back to your page and to entice new fans. 7
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WHEN Keep your posts consistent and regular. Try experimenting to figure out when your readers might be tuning in and give yourself the best chance of being seen. Try posting 3-4 times a day across the whole day (before work, lunchtime, in the evening) and take note of where your readers interact with you the most. Don’t spam! Endless posting can clog up peoples’ feeds and get annoying. Try your hand at scheduling your updates. Sites like Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, and Sendible allow you to pre-write updates for Facebook and Twitter and schedule them to post at certain times. This leaves you free to keep crafting! WHO If you’re struggling to get readers to ‘like’ your page, don’t despair! We think the key is quality over quantity. ‘Likes’ don’t neccessarily translate to interaction, or sales for that matter. Focus on fostering quality relationships with the fans you do have so that they’re regularly interacting with you, commenting,
Craft Magazine
and sharing your updates. This is more valuable than someone clicking once to like your page and never looking at it again. Respond promptly to comments left on your page and ask your fans questions (about what they’re making, what they’re up to, or about your products) to get them talking. This is also a great way of being able to tell what your customers like and don’t like about your products! Use the ‘Mention’ function to tag other pages so they know you’ve been talking about them, it’s a great netwoorking tool. They might in turn mention you, sending more readers your way. Whenever you meet someone, collect a new business card, find a blog or shop you like, look for their Facebook address and add them! They may add you back and before you know it, you’ll have formed your very own network of like-minded creatives (and potential customers!)
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