Visual Merchandising Tips + Tricks

Etsy UK Pop Up Shop

Whether you're a seasoned member of the Etsy NY team or a seller from another are it's that time of the year when sellers start ramping up for the holiday season! Having a strong visual merchandising game is critical for craft shows. Merchandising strategy is something I come across every day in my 9-5 as a retail interior designer. And believe it or not, there are a lot of things that Etsy owners can learn from big names outside of handmade like Saks Fifth Avenue, Verizon and Primark!

1. Be organized. 

Mobile Wine Tasting | RetailDesignBlog.com

This is the single most important key to success for your customers. If customers don't know where to find information whether it's the category of product, sizing or color you're not going to buy it. Having prices individually and clearly marked it important for shows where you will be extra busy. Often price lists are too overwhelming for consumers. The simpler the better. 

2. Encourage Discovery!

Jewelry Display Showcasing "Flip Through" Bins | Pinterest

While it's important that products are clear and visible, a controlled scavenger hunt can go a LONG way! Just think about when you visit your favorite discount retailer...there is a sense of excitement when you hit the racks and search for a one-of-a-kind find. The same principle applies here. Use bins to organize product for customers to "flip through". This principle is most effective when you have just one of each item on display. It makes buyers feel extra special when they find "the last one!". 

3. Promote Top Sellers

Riser Display | Pinterest 

Tell your new customers what your existing customers love! We all read reviews on Amazon AND Etsy! Be sure to highlight and feature these items on risers and with signage to call special attention to them. A little goes a long way!

4. Tell curated stories. 

Dads + Grads Signage | Google Images

We've all seen "Dads and Grads", "Back to School" and "Best Stocking Stuffers" at name brand retailers. That's because it's a simple way to communicate the best of the best and make shopping less intimidating and easy. Be sure to merchandise products not only by category but into some of these stories. Double exposing your product even in a small booth is typically a good idea. This means you can have the same shirt both on the mannequin under "Gifts for Mom" and hanging on the rack for another buyer to find. Give customers multiple opportunities to connect with your products. 

5. Be Unique

Hanging Display | Pinterest 

Be true to the product category you are selling and have a presentation and strategy that works best for your unique product. Whether it's food, home decor, clothing, jewelry or stationery Pinterest is a great resource. Telling your own unique handmade story is another opportunity to make an authentic connection. Be sure to thank your customers for buying handmade!

~Amberlee

Amberlee Isabella Home

Summer Tutorial: Beach Treasures Necklace

Oh, those perfect summer days at the beach: the warmth of the sun, the sound of the pounding surf, digging your feet in the sand! Bring home a little bit of summer with this necklace, so easy to make you'll be inspired to make more than one!

You'll need to collect some delicate little treasures from your day at the beach to include in your bottle.  And don't forget the sand! 

Materials:

  • miniature corked bottle with chain attached (sold in sets at local craft stores, or you can make your own by using an eye pin to attach your own chain to a small corked bottle)
  • DIY label with the name of your beach or favorite destination
  • tweezers
  • glue (super glue, glue stick)
  • sand, tiny shells, sea glass, etc., collected at the beach

Instructions:

  1. Pour or scoop some collected sand into the bottle, filling about half-way.
  2. You can use your fingers to drop the shells/small objects inside, or insert them with tweezers.
  3. Print out your own small label and use a bit of glue to attach it to the edge of the cork, with the words facing outward. This ensures that the label can be read and won’t be floating around covered by the sand.
  4. Optional: To close the bottle permanently, add a drop of superglue to the edge of the cork and close the bottle. 

finished necklace!

What other ideas might you have for the contents of the bottle? The possibilities are endless! How about: making a miniature time capsule, inserting a favorite poem, or filling it with tiny photos to preserve special memories?Share your creative ideas in the comments!

Have fun making your necklaces, and happy summer!

Post by: Nicoletta Siccone / ETSY Shop: ArtologieDesigns / Website: www.art-ologie.com

Nicoletta is a lifelong artist and art educator, with an M.A. in Art Education and Administration. She travels the world seeking cultural inspiration for her art, and has worked in fibers, acrylics, oils, and sculpture. Her current work is inspired by the reinvention of the mundane zipper, elevated to an art form into unexpected jewelry designs. Nicoletta’s artwork is shown throughout New York/New Jersey area and worldwide.

Protein Packed Green Smoothie

I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer. My summer has been pretty amazing full of adventure & lots of fun along the way. Even though we still have a few weeks left until labor day & a few more very hot days ahead, I've decided to try my best to get back into my healthy mindset. With all of the trips & celebrations of the summer behind me I can now get into the regular routine of things. For me this includes hitting the gym regularly & adjusting my diet accordingly.

The Summer season is filled with temptation from back yard bbq's, to an Ice cream on a hot day or a frosty glass of your favorite french Rose' paired with dinner Al fresco. These things are all irresistible in my book & It's a little to easy to get derailed from your healthy routine. On August 1st in attempt to get back on track I decided to cut out a few things from my diet for the next 60 days. Added Sugars, Dairy, & Alcohol, to name a few. No more Rose' & Ice Cream for me. 

Today I want to share one of my go-to nutrient packed smoothies. The USDA recommends about five servings of fruits & veggies per day. This is a perfect way to get a few of those servings in. I love a delcious & nutritious smoothie in the mornings or post workout + they are great for on the go. This smoothie is full of powerful antioxidants leaving you feeling healthy & nourished. 

The Recipe :

  • 1 Banana 
  • 1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk 
  • 1 Handful of Spinach 
  • 1 Tbs PB2
  • 1 Scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder 
  • A few Ice Cubes  

 

For more healthy recipes & fitness inspiration head over to MozieMo.Com 

Until next time :) 

-XOXO

Rachel Leigh 

Three Safety Tests to Consider while Designing Children’s Products

With the school year approaching for parents, back to school season is in full swing for many Etsy Sellers. If you are selling clothing or soft goods for kids, you may want to consider common safety standards required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC). I know what you’re thinking, “But I’m a small business not a giant corporation!” You’re right. You probably qualify as a small batch manufacturer, meaning you make less than 75,000 units a year, made less than $1 million in gross income last year, and therefore don’t have to go through rigorous third-party testing for CPSC requirements on flammability and lead. So why talk about regulations and limit your freedom to design? It’s simply to avoid risk. I’m no Quality Assurance or Compliance expert, but as a designer it’s good to be mindful of the use of your products to protect your customers and your business. So here’s an overview of three major CPSC tests and requirements to keep the wee ones safe.

1) Pull Test & Drawstrings

What's the Risk?

Buttons, bows, fringe and other embellishments can be pulled off by little fingers and go straight into the mouth, becoming a choking hazard! Cases of strangulation by jacket hood drawstrings on playground slides and waist drawstrings on jackets being caught in moving school bus doors and dragging children have also been reported.

What are the Rules?

  • No drawstrings on hoods and children’s upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 12

  • No toggles, knots, and other attachments at the free ends of waist drawstrings

  • No more than 3 inches of a drawstring outside of a casing when the garment is extended to its fullest width

  • Clothing made for children ages 3 and under need to be evaluated for potential choking hazards, such as small buttons, rhinestones or sequins

Design Suggestions:

  • Machine bar tack trim securely to garments and baby products so they can’t be easily pulled off

  • Leave ribbon belts untacked on garments in case they get caught in an escalator so a child can easily escape

  • Avoid toggles on drawstrings since they get caught in small gaps on playground equipment such as slides.

  • Use velcro, snap, and button closures on jacket hoods instead of drawstrings

  • Avoid pom-poms, sequins, and beading. I know they're cute! But save it for kids 4 and up

  • Screen print or embroider patterns and designs on fabric

Check out the requirements of ASTM F1816-97, Standard Safety Specification for Drawstrings on Children's Upper Outerwear "Standard."

2) Lead Tests & Phthalates

What’s the Risk?

Excessive lead in fabric dyes, trim finishes, and surface prints can poison kids! Phthalates are chemical plasticizers used in the production of plastics and paints. There are currently six types of banned phthalates in toys and child care articles that are used to facilitate sleeping, feeding, teething, or sucking.

What are the Rules?

  • No more than 100 ppm total lead content in a garment or soft good

  • No more than 90 ppm lead in finishes and surface prints

  • No more than 0.1 percent of DEHP, DBP, BBP phthalates in products used for sleeping or that can be placed in the mouth

  • No DINP, DIDP, and DnOP phthalates

Design Suggestions:

  • Use fabrics with organic and vegetable dyes

  • Use natural fibers

  • Check lead content of hardware including enamel snaps, buckles, and buttons

  • Check lead content in non-metal trim and embellishments such as puff prints and screen print

Check out www.cpsc.gov/lead and www.cpsc.gov/phthalates for more information.

3) Flammability Test & Sleepwear Flammability

What’s the Risk?

Loose fitting sleepwear, thinner fabrics(less than 2.6 oz), and fuzzy fabrics with a pile can ignite and burn quickly from small-open flames. With CPSC 1610 Flammability Standard, a fabric’s relative flammability is determined by considering its surface structure, weight, and content. Sleepwear for children 0-6 months+ and 7 to 14 years are further regulated by CPSC Standards for the Flammability of Children’s Sleepwear.

What are the Rules?

  • Plain surface fabrics(with no pile) over 2.6 oz are exempt from flammability testing regardless of fiber content

  • Plain and raised surface fabric made of acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester, wool, or any of those fiber combinations are exempt of testing regardless of weight  

  • Hats, gloves, shoes, and interlining fabrics are exempt from flammability testing

  • Children’s sleepwear must self-extinguish when exposed to a small open-flame ignition source

  • Size 9 months or smaller clothing that does not exceed 64.8 centimeters (25.75 inches) in length for a one-piece garment, or 40 centimeters (15.75 inches) in length for a two-piece garment is exempt from sleepwear regulations

Design Suggestions:

  • Use plain surface fabric over 2.6 oz such as cotton poplin or interlock

  • Avoid sheer fabrics such as rayon skirts and silk scarves

  • Avoid 100% cotton fleece and terry cloth fabrics

  • Use synthetic blend with natural fibers

Check out the details about the Flammable Fabrics Act and Flammability of Clothing.

Phew! That’s a lot of rules to remember. Let’s try to make it easier by focusing on what's important.

Keep in mind that the regulations to consider are determined by the use of your products. For example, hats exclude certain tests such as flammability because they can be removed fairly easily from a child in the case of a fire.  

Interpretation of CPSC guidelines is up to individual companies. Larger retail chains or department stores may have more testing guidelines or require use of approved testing facilities, because they are bigger targets for lawsuits than smaller shops. As a small business, the easiest way to ensure your products are safe is by taking precautions while sourcing. The United States have strict standards that keep dangerous materials from production and off the market, so it pays to source domestically. If your components are imported or manufactured overseas, ask your supplier questions.

Photos by Alex Velazquez

Markisha Velazquez is the designer and owner of Junior Baby Hatter, based in Weehawken, NJ. When she’s not making dapper caps for babies and toddlers she commutes to New York with her family and blogs about her adventures in the city.

 

 

Daytrips from NYC - The Hamptons & Montauk

Summer may be winding down, (boooo) but if you have a free weekend (a WHAT?!) and you get an early start, you can pack a whole lot of summer fun into ONE day trip. Nothing says Summer like a day at the beach, and the ultimate beach experience in the NY area? The Hamptons!

It's quite a ride from NYC, but there are a few stops along the way that will make the beach day even better. You know those amazing crunchy chocolate chip cookies we see in every Duane Reade? Tate's Bakeshop? The source of this deliciousness is right in the middle of Southampton! 1/2 mile from the train station, just off the main road. A quick detour (or not!) they offer varieties of cookies that don't make it to the shops, as well as cakes, cupcakes and ice cream sandwiches! You can stock up on treats to bring back for anyone who couldn't join you. No one can be mad at someone bearing cookies right?!

If you continue east into Montauk, the town centre is a mini vacay spot all it's own. Offering shopping, a tiny public beach that's off the beaten path, (we saw a bunny crossing from the park to the beach!!) a brew-pub, and tons of places to grab a bite, fresh seafood of course being prevalent, but my hands down favourite spot is La Brisa. A mexican restaurant with a laid back atmosphere and LOTS of outdoor seating. (if you stop in, I definitely recommend the corn esquites. it's SO good, that sometimes, we get it to go and eat in the car on the way home!) 

But the crown and glory of the east end, is of course The Montauk Lighthouse. If you're a fan of How I Met Your Mother or The Affair, you might have seen it on TV, but those shots can't do it justice. I just missed the sunset, so even my pics don't capture the majesty of it! If you can get there between 10:30 and 5pm (weather permitting) you can not only walk the grounds, including the boulder path around the tip of the island, but for $10 per adult, you can climb the 137 iron steps to the top of the tower and get an amazing 360 degree view of NY like you've never seen before!

There is so much to do out east that you may be glad there are so many beachfront inns, your day trip might turn into a spontaneous weekend!  If you can get some pals together and carpool, hop the Long Island Railroad, or the Hampton Jitney, however you travel, set aside a day to visit The Hamptons & Montauk before it gets too cold to lounge on the beach!

Post by Coleen Phoenixx

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Hawaii Part II

I’m back from Hawaii with lots of new goodies!

My Hawaii trip fabric stash.

Rather than buying the typical souvenir, I prefer visiting local fabric stores to pick out prints that inspire me during my travels.  Everything was so beautiful there that it was hard to not overload my luggage with yards and yards of fabric!  I knew for sure I wanted some bold island prints to make into crop-tops and dresses so I could incorporate the Hawaiian vacation look into my wardrobe without looking tacky.  Sadly, the Hawaiian shirts I see in tourist shops just aren’t for me. 

Koa wood turtle buttons.

And with the strong Japanese cultural influence in Hawaii, I was also pleasantly surprised to find a great selection of intricate Japanese print fabrics!

Unfortunately, with working full time as a dentist, I barely manage to keep my Etsy shop running, so I’m super impressed that my fellow Moobowy partner (etsy shop collaboration with My Cute Bow) managed to complete a gorgeous kimono robe with the fabric she bought in Hawaii.

Check out My Cute Bow’s awesome DIY kimono robe tutorial here!

For more fashion tips, cosplay and DIY, checkout My Cute Bow blog.

Post by Eugenia || www.moobury.com || Etsy || Facebook & Instagram @Moobury