Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Bunting Sells

Who would of thought that rainbow bunting would be my fastest handmade sale?

Two weeks ago I attempted some bunting, and listed them for sale in my Etsy shop.  This was a complete, random attempt to make and sell something.  As I mentioned before it seems like my handmade items are pretty stale, as in they don't move from my shop.  However, I'm determined to sell stuff I make, and a year into this thing called Etsy I'm still trying.  From coin purses, to purses, to aprons, to bunting.

I understand vintage sheets may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm attempting to be frugal on my end and cost friendly to shoppers.  I'm hoping eventually those who are not weirded out by reclaimed sheets will eventually find my shop, and maybe bunting will be the trick.

In under two weeks I sold two (the only two I've ever made) buntings.  The crazy thing is that they sold on the same day.  So now I'm in bunting mode to list some more in my shop. I got a pile of flags cut and ready to sew, turn inside-out, and iron. 

This all started with the rainbow.  One day I was creating an Etsy treasury featuring members of a craft group I'm in, Austin Craft Riot.  When thinking up of what items to select for a treasury I figured the quickest way to create a list was to go by the colors of the rainbow.  So I was easily able to narrow down products, and created this treasury  .
Rainbow fat quarter bundle

After creating the treasury I still had rainbow on the mind, then thought I should attempt a vintage sheet listing with rainbow fat quarters.  This went over well, I've sold four rainbow fat quarter bundles in the last three weeks.  Guess bundling helps, it takes the thought process out when shopping.

So with rainbows flowing, and unable to think of which colors to combine for bunting I went with rainbow, again.  I did worry that these color choices may not work, but you'll never know until you try, and what do you know they worked.  :-)

My mom didn't even know I had made these until I received notification of my second bunting order.  We were watching TV and I said "yay just got another order, and sold my second bunting today."  She questioned what was bunting, then was confused on what the purpose of bunting would be.  Then even more perplexed on my choice of colors, that someone liked my random choice of colors and patterns.  "Ugh it's not random....it's rainbow."  Yeah, in all reality it is random, but there is a method to my madness. 

Now, lets see if these bunting sales were a fluke.  I've got some more bunting in the works, along with some fabric nesting bowls (I'm hoping these will be quick makes after the initial slow pattern run through...well see).

Here is the first of the fabric nesting bowls, the smallest one.  I'm really happy with the way it came out.  


I sometimes wonder how productive I would be if I wasn't all over the place.  You know, having multiple projects in the works really slows things down.  I pick up one thing then start another thing...then get on the computer and read blogs, Facebook, job search.  Is there a medication that makes you work on one thing at a time?  If so then maybe....hmmm I don't like pills I wouldn't take it anyways.  :-)

So Etsy sellers do you see certain items move quicker then others in your shop?  Or have sold things quickly that surprised you?

1 comment:

  1. Too funny! I was once checking out somewhere trying to get the exact change and I said to the clerk, there's a method to my madness to which she replied, or is there madness to your method! Either works for me, Susanne.

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