With ever-increasing numbers of users shopping on mobile devices, getting started with selling craft online is more important (and more straightforward) than ever before. If you’ve never tried it, then it is not too late to start. Why not use this short guide to throw yourself into it today and make up for lost time!

The first thing you need to do is be aware of which platforms and tools would work best for you in order to simplify the process. Here are some of the easiest and most popular ways to start selling craft online:

1. E-commerce Marketplaces

Often a starting point for online sellers, these platforms take away the complexity of having to maintain and market your own website or organise taking payments.

• Amazon is used by both new and experienced sellers alike and it has a vast customer base. There are a number of different methods for selling on Amazon, you can start with individual listings or open a professional seller account.
• eBay: Many people start their online sales journey with eBay. It’s great for auction-style listings and fixed-price sales, catering to a diverse audience. After you’ve gone over your free amount you have to pay fees which, on average, amount to between 10% and 15.55% of the final selling price.
• Etsy: The crafter’s choice, it’s user-friendly and it’s perfect for handmade, vintage, and unique items giving you access to thousands of customers. Drawbacks of using Etsy are the number of different fees that the platform takes and that sellers must comply with strict policies to avoid shop closures.

If you choose to use an ecommerce marketplace it is a wise approach to calculate what your fees would be for each and how much of your profit margin the fees would eat up. Then you can work out which price point to choose for your goods.

2. E-commerce Platforms

These platforms allow you to create your own online store without needing extensive technical knowledge. You won’t have to pay fees as you do with a marketplace but there will be a subscription fee to pay every month/annually. Calculating the cost of using an e-commerce platform is thus more straightforward.

• Shopify: A comprehensive solution with customisable templates, secure payment processing, and robust customer support. It’s known to be easy to use. A downside of Shopify is the pricing structure – for analytics features you have to pay more.
• Wix: Offers drag-and-drop website building with e-commerce functionalities, making it accessible for beginners. Creating and customising your own website could not be simpler. The main downside to Wix is that if you ever want to leave the platform you can’t take your website with you – you’ll have to rebuild from scratch.
• Squarespace: Known for its elegant design templates and easy-to-use interface, suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. Squarespace’s downside is that third-party integrations and tools (known as plugins) are limited.

3. Social Media Selling

You can utilise social media platforms to reach customers directly with the advantage of not having to pay any fees for listing products or transactions.

• Facebook Marketplace: Allows you to list items for sale in your local area or to a broader audience if shipping options are enabled. It’s very, very easy to use, so ideal for digital refusers or sellers of large items (such as sculptures) but will entail meeting with a stranger to exchange merchandise.
• Instagram Shopping: Instagram is a highly visual platform that allows you to showcase products from multiple angles – great for artists, content creators and designers. Integrates with your e-commerce store and allows you to tag products in your posts, making it easy for followers to purchase directly by redirecting them to your website or another external link to complete payments.
• Pinterest: With Buyable Pins, users can purchase products directly from Pinterest posts. The great thing with Pinterest is that you can get started for free, see if it has a benefit for your brand, and move away from it without much of a financial investment if things don’t take off for you.

4 Shopping apps

Unfortunately, shopping apps that handcrafters were able to use, such as Poshmark and Mercari, are no longer available in the UK, although they are still going in other countries. Both were free selling platforms that let you sell just about anything, including handcrafted items, allowing you to run an online shop for free. On top of that, Mercari eliminated the need for in-person meet-ups by offering shipping or local delivery instead.

!! Perhaps there is a gap in the market here for UK app builders to provide a free space for selling craft online!!

However, you choose to sell online, make sure that you use relevant keywords to optimise your listings, attractive images, and comprehensive descriptions to make your listings stand out. Also, it’s important to treat your customers as well as you would if you were meeting them in person. Providing excellent customer service encourages positive reviews and repeat business. Finally, learning how to use analytics will help you to understand what’s working and what isn’t, and then you can improve your strategies.

Please drop us a line if you need help to get started with your craft insurance for online sales, we’d be delighted to assist.

Changes in our circumstances can bring about some of the most wonderful opportunities in our lives. This was the case with Akua Wood, the founder of the Shea Butter Cottage company who we are proud to name among our clients at Ian Wallace Craft Insurance. Shea Butter Cottage is an organisation that devotes itself to ensuring that its products are ethically sourced and created to strict, environmentally safe practices. For Akua and her company, whilst profit is an important consideration, it should never take precedence over the main aims of the organisation’s stated philanthropic work. Shea Butter Cottage’s way of approaching business is dictated by a set of firmly held ethical beliefs which Akua has held from the very origins of Shea Butter Cottage and were what originally drove her to undertake it.

Being of Ghanaian heritage, Britain’s cold and wet winters were a shock to Akua Wood, who first came here in 2002. Before coming to the UK, Akua spent a year studying in Italy, where the climate is milder and more welcoming. However, on arrival in the UK, Akua found the moisturiser she had brought with her was inadequate when it came to dealing with the harsh winters.

Akua wasn’t satisfied with any of the products that were available on the market at the time and did not feel that women were being given the protection they needed. She was also unsatisfied with how the skin care was being produced and tested. Convinced there was a better way, Akua first created Cioccolatina, a toiletry brand, in the late autumn of 2002 to address the need for natural skin care products on the market and start to address the lack of ethical practice in creating these kinds of products. Using her knowledge, she began to craft moisturisers that contained one of the most used in Ghana, the famous shea butter.

Shea butter is a natural ingredient and an excellent moisturising agent as well, so when Akua Wood founded the Shea Butter Cottage company in 2004, it was a natural decision to use this as the main ingredient. Time proved her decision to be a wise one, as the company would go on to win many awards for its products.

Apart from Shea Butter Cottage’s products’ excellent properties, perhaps the most interesting facets of the company are the ethics at the core of the company’s operational model. Akua was determined, and still is, that the Shea Butter Cottage company should remain steadfast in its ethical beliefs. All the materials are sourced and produced environmentally and ethically, and not only that, the company ensures that the producers of the ingredients are paid fairly for the raw materials they farm. The view is that everyone should share in the company’s success regardless of where they sit in it and the farmers who supply them are all part of community projects. That’s just a brief overview of the central ethics, but to understand the strength of the basis under which the company operates, a deeper dive yields some very interesting results.

Firstly, the company is sworn to only use ethically sourced products and ingredients to put in the moisturiser. Shea is the main component, and it is vitally important that this only comes from sources that do not damage the environment in which they are produced. Good ingredients should never cost the earth, and sustainability is paramount.

Secondly, these good products must also be natural. Akua was concerned about how many additives and chemicals were in regular moisturisers and was determined that this would not be the case with the products of the Shea Butter Cottage company. In addition, there would be no testing on animals at any stage of the development process.

Thirdly, Akua was determined to ensure that child labour would not be involved anywhere in the production process. Although other companies were allowing it in certain areas such as storage and packaging, Akua was set on prohibiting this practice in her company. This diligence shown by the Shea Butter Cottage company is remarkable and has become a benchmark for others.

Fourthly, Shea Butter Cottage would also have the highest standards of labelling, and this is a significant factor in its presentation. They are determined to show the whole of the ingredients to the customer so that they can make a completely informed choice.

Lastly, and above all else, the main ethical consideration driving Shea Butter Cottage is that everyone should earn a fair wage from the product and its production. This means empowerment for the men and women in Europe and Africa, where the products’ main components are grown. This kind of commitment to ethical trading supports the growth of local communities in Africa. For Akua Wood, philanthropy rather than profit is the key pillar of what Shea Butter Cottage company does. As they make abundantly clear on their website, the company exists to make poverty history.

To show how serious they are about making this their reason for existing, the Shea Butter Cottage Foundation was created to help and assist those in Ghana who need it the most. The foundation is an NGO and it’s Akua’s way of giving something back to the country that taught and gave her so much. Its primary goal is to assist autistic children in Ghana and to bring together artisan farmers under a collective so that they can work as one to produce the shea seed and the butter produced from it. The foundation represents a beacon of hope for everyone involved in the products that make up the Shea Butter Cottage range.

The approach that Akua Wood and the Shea Butter Cottage company take should be applauded. It is the ideal that we as crafters should all look to try and emulate. The idea of a business taking such a socially responsible note is one of great promise for the future, and it can only be hoped that others, including those in large industries and commercial concerns, start to follow suit. We have learnt a lot from our association with Shea Butter Cottage and are proud to have Ian Wallace Craft Insurance associated with such a fabulous company whose range of products achieves so much good.

The world of high fashion is renowned for its strategic foresight, with leading designers unveiling their collections months in advance to set trends and captivate the market. Fashion is an ever-evolving set of products and styles, and each is very different from the other. Women’s and men’s outdoor and indoor wear require meticulous planning even before a needle contacts the cloth. A fashion designer has to have lashings of vision and foresight when it comes to their upcoming collection and this proactive approach isn’t exclusive to the realm of runway shows. While this may be the most impactful and widely publicised element of fashion marketing, there are also minor shows and couture launches in larger chains and boutiques to consider.  Marketing teams, both in-house and external, use the perfect mix of vision and experience that will push their client’s looks to the forefront.

All of this is also an invaluable blueprint for craft businesses aiming to elevate their marketing tactics. Whether crafting bespoke jewellery, furniture, or artisan soaps, businesses can harness the rhythmic strategy employed by fashion houses to ensure their brand remains in the spotlight throughout the year.

Fashion designers are adept at planning and executing their collections precisely, ensuring they stay ahead of consumer trends. The process begins with anticipating trends, where fashion houses analyse upcoming style directions and materials informed by various forecasting sources. They do this by looking at the historic movements of products that have gone before and relying on what the designer feels will be the next big thing. Errors can occur, which is why you’ll need craftinsurance to cover yourself.

Following this, designers create their collections by selecting appropriate materials and defining unique styles that resonate with the forecasted trends. The marketing phase is critical, involving meticulously planned campaigns that leverage media, celebrity endorsements, and exclusive previews to generate buzz. Collections are launched well before the season starts, allowing time for the trends to permeate the market consciousness. Post-season, fashion houses reflect on their successes and areas for improvement, adjusting strategies to optimise future launches.

Although typically operating with smaller budgets, craft entrepreneurs can replicate this model by utilising accessible resources for trend forecasting. Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are excellent for capturing emerging trends, while direct customer interactions through surveys or craft shows can provide deeper insights into consumer preferences. Seasonal changes also offer a rich source of inspiration, influencing the aesthetic mood and design choices for new collections. There is no reason why the crafter cannot seek to tailor their work in this way. Few crafters are in a position where they produce works that are incompatible with a seasonal period. As with the fashion industry, working a year or six months in advance with what you will make can also bring you considerable peace of mind. Such a marketing and production organisation can take the stress out of the work. Fashion houses work bi-seasonally with a Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collection feel. With the backup of craftinsurance, the crafter can focus on just Christmas lines, Easter lines and a colourful summer range moving into the warmer autumn colours. 

With a clear understanding of upcoming trends, craft businesses can begin the creative process. This involves detailed planning with mood boards to visualise concepts and scheduling production to ensure all resources are aligned for timely completion. Prototyping allows for early feedback, essential for refining products before a full-scale launch. The marketing phase is then initiated, focusing on generating excitement and anticipation. Businesses should plan their marketing activities around critical dates, using teasers and pre-launch offers to create buzz. Whether held online or in person, launch events should be memorable occasions customers eagerly anticipate. For the crafter, using smaller shows to trial and test out a series of products is one way of copying what the fashion industry does to refine and define its product base. Online also offers a brilliant approach to new ranges or even bespoke pieces that you intend to be trailblazers in the craft world. Of course, you will need craftinsurance in place to have a high degree of coverage for your products when they are out into the market. 

Strategically, releasing products ahead of the season, like a fashion show, can set a craft business apart as a trendsetter. Introducing products in phases, such as a limited edition release followed by the primary collection, can maintain customer interest and drive continuous engagement. Aligning promotions with crucial shopping periods and holidays can also maximise sales opportunities.

Finally, craft businesses should thoroughly review each season’s outcomes akin to the fashion industry’s reflective practice. Analysing which products were well-received and understanding why certain items did not perform as expected is crucial. Customer feedback is invaluable, providing insights that can be used to tweak products and marketing strategies. An ongoing commitment to improvement based on these evaluations ensures that a craft business remains dynamic, responsive and competitive in the market.

By adopting these strategic principles from the fashion industry, craft businesses can transform their approach to planning, marketing and selling their products. Embracing a forward-thinking mindset helps stay ahead of trends and engage customers year-round, ensuring the business remains vibrant and successful in a competitive market. Whilst it may seem, on the face of it, there are few similarities between how the craft industry and the fashion industry operate in terms of marketing. However, there are many things that both sides can learn from each other. The fashion industry might seem overly flamboyant to the regular crafter and their line of work, but the principles of getting the best from marketing are pretty similar. 

Nothing seems to pull our nation together like an international sporting event, and football must be top of the list for all in engagement. Even for those of us who are not avid sports fans, we can’t help but be swept up in the football fever we see, hear and feel all around us. It’s excitement on overdrive! For those who play football regularly from Sunday league through to semi-pro, those who are retired and all devoted fans, the expectation for the Euros is rising. Watching any professional sport is inspiring; the skill, character and sheer hard work of the sportsmen and women are astounding to see, and the games are exciting to follow.

Sporting events also offer opportunities to bring local communities together. This is usually informally, as friends gather in clubhouses, pubs and individual homes to watch the game together. In a world where there seems to be increasing division and polarisation, it is hope-restoring indeed to see so many individuals gathered in one room, most of whom are cheering on the same team, commiserating the losses and celebrating the wins together with one voice. Total strangers become passing friends as they ride the roller coaster of emotions during the highs and lows of the game. The local economy is boosted as food and drink are consumed and merchandise purchased to join in the general merriment.

It is also a time when, all across Europe, national fervour and pride are let loose as flags are waved, bunting is strung across our high streets and our team’s football chant is pelted out at full volume. We know that there will be a lot of focus on the upcoming Euros in June, so are there ways crafters can jump aboard and make the most of the opportunities this tournament provides? We think there are. Here are a few of our ideas.

Flags will be purchased in abundance. Most will likely be mass-produced elsewhere, but to support an English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish team, it would be great to fly a flag made in these particular countries. If yours is a textile business, this could be a great theme for a set of products. Individually produced flags and bunting which will have a longevity that mass-produced ones will not, could be a win. Make sure you advertise your ethical, local and environmental credentials as well.

It is also a time for machine embroidery to take centre stage. Shirts, shorts and hoodies will also be bought in abundance each with a unique crest. You might consider branching out into caps, bucket hats, beanies and even baby clothes, while at the lower end of the price spectrum, scarves could be a good memento.

The Euros could also be a springboard for some flag-themed workshops. While much of our population will be gathering to watch the matches, there will be others who, while enjoying the general euphoria, are not football fans and won’t be viewing the games themselves. A free crafting workshop might just fill this space, especially if the participants can return home with a product sporting their national flag, or even a flag itself to wave. (Even if you run the workshop for free you can use it as an opportunity to sell your products). Whether you set up a free workshop to tie in with the Euros, or at another time this year, be sure to advertise well. For those in your locality asking “Where is a craft workshop near me?”, their first port of call will probably be an internet search. So, it is worth ensuring that your event is advertised online so that when they type in the words “craft workshop near me” they will come straight to you.

The Euros, and indeed any international sporting event, are a great opportunity to celebrate our nations; our food, our music and of course our art and craft. We Brits tend to be rather unassuming when it comes to our own culture, yet there is so much to celebrate. For instance, each region of the U.K. has its unique food from Cornish pasties and Yorkshire puddings to Neeps and Tatties and Welsh Rarebit. Not forgetting Irish Guinness, cider from Somerset and many regional ales. Out of our shared history, some dishes have become synonymous with our nation; fish and chips and steaming mugs of tea come to mind. Amid the shock of a bombed-out street in World War II, a pot of tea was always rustled up, and seaside holidays in the Victorian era gave rise to the popularity of fish and chips today.

Any crafter knows that each region of our wonderful nation has its distinct crafting history and its products which we enjoy today; willow weaving of Somerset, ceramics of Staffordshire and Fair Isle knitting to name but a few. Other crafts are found nationwide and have enjoyed a resurgence in recent decades, as we have delved into our past to explore and discover our roots. One example of a tradition that has enjoyed a resurgence in our nation is the art of bodging (otherwise known as woodturning), with bodgers’ clubs now being found all across Britain. If you type up a search “craft workshops near me” you too could have a go at the ancient craft of bodging and celebrate a historical craft which is so deeply connected with the land in which we dwell.

We have a rich and unique cultural heritage, with a fascinating history behind many of our ancient crafts. A surface glance may not reveal much which links football to crafting, but dig a little deeper and we find that football fans often share an appreciation of what is good in our country, region or city. At a time when life is challenging for many, it does us great good to celebrate (the mere act of shouting for our team can be cathartic in itself) and the football and other sporting events might just give us the excuse to do so! So, whether we are cheering for Team GB or our national team, let’s wave our locally and ethically made flags and shout for our team along with the best of them!

As crafters, we know the numerous benefits of creating something beautiful and useful with your hands; the calm the process brings and the sense of achievement when your project is completed. Many of us have also seen how crafting has helped someone near and dear to us; maybe a child who struggles to concentrate and learn in a traditional setting but lights up when given a foraged stick and a craft knife and patiently whittles away for hours; maybe an elderly neighbour who begins to glow as, over a mug of tea, she demonstrates her knitting skills; or perhaps a friend who is going through a rough patch and begins to relax as you snip and glue to create stunning gift cards around the kitchen table.

Many crafters are using their talents and skills to benefit others in a community setting. We know that our own sense of well-being and mental health is boosted as we turn our attention outwards to encourage or support someone else. In this post, we’re going to take a look at some inspirational ways in which crafters have found a need and have put their time and talents into filling it. However, before we start, a quick word for context. We have different seasons in our lives and for some, maybe with a growing craft business, a young family and other commitments, this might not be the time for pouring yourself into a new project. Our intention is not to load on the guilt, but to inspire you and to recognise those who are doing amazing things with their crafting. Enjoy and be encouraged!

There are many cited benefits of engaging in arts and crafts. Some of these are physical; the development of fine motor skills in young children and maintenance of dexterity in the elderly. Some of these are cognitive, for example increasing problem-solving abilities, concentration and patience, helping with organisational skills and aiding in the management of emotions. Some will be emotional, offering an outlet for emotional self-expression and reflection and the resulting improvement in confidence and self-esteem. Yet others will be social. We have often talked about the benefits of sharing your craft with others in your community, and we must not overlook it here, too. Loneliness is still a major factor in the mental well-being of many here in the U.K. and the local Craft centres, Arts Quarters, workshops and groups in which many of our customers are involved in will be doing much to tackle this and change lives.

Some crafters have taken this a step further and have initiated community projects, such as those in partnership with Scrap Stores. In the physical space such a store provides, sessions for parents and toddlers, young children and the elderly can all be run, offering not only a creative outlet but a space to chat over a mug of tea. The nature and values of the scrap store initiative engender a caring working environment and we know of one store East Kent Mencap which is run by members of the local Mencap group, each of whom live with a learning disability.

Maybe some of the most grassroots ways in which crafters are using their skills to reach out to others are through local community initiatives run in churches and community centres. Buildings which provide a warm space, a hot meal, a shower and a postal address for those living without a permanent home often also run sessions such as “Knit and natter” or “Art for Well-being”. In these most un-ostentatious of settings, service users are offered respect and given dignity as they learn a new skill or develop existing ones. We each have our own story to tell and in a group where the focus is on the art and craft, not directly on the individual, stories can be shared in a gentle way, a small step towards healing and moving forward.

There are also an increasing number of business initiatives set up by entrepreneurs whose aim is to bring regeneration to deprived communities and hope to those whose lives need rebuilding. For example, one social enterprise SCT trains up those recovering from an addiction in woodworking and upholstery skills and then they use these newfound skills to upcycle vintage furniture. Another small business Lovewell sells high-quality beauty products handmade by women recovering from trauma. There are many more fantastic initiatives all across the country.

If you have been inspired by some of these stories, you might want to consider using your craft business to benefit some of the more vulnerable people in your local community. Or, you might decide to give a percentage of each sale to a local charity. It’s great to dream and to then hold on to and test these dreams, but we also need to look at practicalities. Most craft businesses either sell online or at craft fairs and markets, and for this you will need craft stall public liability insurance. If you are just in the initial process of turning your hobby into a business, you will need to know what craft stall public liability insurance entails. While it is not a legal requirement, most event organisers will ask for it. It covers you for all the completely unforeseen events which could lead to a member of the public making a claim against you. Here at Craft Insurance, we have had several decades of experience of working with crafters to ensure they have the correct cover. The easiest way to find out more about craft stall public liability insurance is simply to drop us a message or pick up the phone and either Naomi or Sam will be here to help answer your questions.

We hope you, like us, have been inspired by some of these stories. We cannot shift all the bad things in our world, but we can make a difference in the lives of those around us, brightening up their days and bringing hope and creativity, one small beautiful handmade product at a time.

What is the first page you skip to, when you come across a website that interests you? Most of us will click on the “About” page because we are curious to know about the people behind the product. Are they likely to be trustworthy? What experience do they have? What are their values? And, because most of us are naturally curious, how did they get to this place and what is it like doing what they do? Here at Craft Insurance, we’ve had several decades to hone our marketing skills and we know that having an “About” page which draws customers is a must. We’re happy to share our top ten tips with you, our wonderful crafting customers, and hope they will provide the springboard you need to create your own awesome “About”  pages which will shine out brightly from UK craft selling sites. 

 1. Introduce yourself.

In a competitive market, building trust is important and if customers can see you as a real person and can get a glimpse into your life this will go a long way to building a good secure seller/buyer relationship. A short paragraph will do; you could include your name, any relevant family connections, your rough location eg rural south of England, or in the middle of a buzzing city, and a couple of fun facts about yourself. Just share what feels comfortable to you, but with the aim of enabling your customers to feel they know you a little. 

2. Tell your story.

One thing AI can’t do is write your story. Your journey is completely unique to you and is what customers buy into. You could talk about how you started your particular craft, maybe your first steps at selling to the public, any light bulb or significant moments and how you have arrived at your current business footing. If you have been going a while, mention this along with any awards you have won or community projects to which you contribute. 

4. Next you could include a paragraph with your business values and ethics.

These might be that you use locally sourced products, fairly traded raw materials or processes which have a low environmental impact. This is where, as a small business, you can win over large, global organisations, so be bold about promoting the uniqueness of your products and your ability to trace their origins. 

5. Now it is time to turn the focus onto your customers and suggest a need they might have.

For example, they might have children or grandchildren who would love some handmade wooden jigsaw puzzles which will have longevity as well as providing them with a learning opportunity. Or, they might be weary of using cosmetics which often react with their skin and be pleased to have a natural alternative.   

6. Once there is an unmet need, you are able to bring your product to the forefront and show how it will best meet this need.

As the summer is approaching, your stunning range of sun hats made with organic cotton could be the perfect answer to both offer shade from the sun and a completely individual and stylish look. Or, your stunning hand-crafted ceramics will make the perfect and distinctive wedding gift. 

7. Now you have engaged your potential customers, you need to make the buying process as straightforward as possible.

If you are a small company you will have an edge on providing a personal service; you could assure your customers that their orders, whether online or via phone, will be dealt with by yourself or a staff member, and that they will generally be met within a specified time frame. You could name the people who will be dealing with orders, whether yourself or a team member, as this too highlights the individual care and traceability that each order receives. 

8. Next, you could troubleshoot any potential problems before they arise.

You could state your returns policy, that you are fully insured and your record of satisfied customers. 

9. By now you have hopefully gained a new customer, and you want to ensure that you keep them!

With such a vast array of craft selling sites UK, one way to do this can be to offer a window into your own life as a business owner, thus building rapport with them. You could mention a couple of the aspects of your job which you enjoy, how you juggle with other commitments, or how you nurture your own creativity. Or, everyday fun facts like your “go to” lunch or how you relax at the end of a busy week. 

10. In a web space filled with craft-selling sites UK you need to attract a potential customer before they have even begun to read.

Presentation and photos are a key element in this. Have a think about what atmosphere you are aiming to create when people visit your site; carefree and relaxed, homely and cosy, chic and elegant? Are you wanting to evoke memories of windswept moors and coast, of snug evenings around a fire or of sophisticated and stylish pampering? The layout, type set and photos you use as well as the wording will all contribute to this theme. 

Finally, let your own enthusiasm shine through! You yourself are totally unique with a blend of talents which are completely individual to you. In a world which is increasingly moving us further away from the sources of the products we use and the people who work hard to produce them, your small creative business will be a breath of fresh air to those who find it. We can all become weary of dealing with impersonal services and institutions and of endeavouring to interact with AI,  and the real-life, human connection you offer will be a real attraction. Be confident in your product and in yourself and enjoy sharing your story, knowing it will encourage others! 

  

If you are a crafter and you are looking to find out how to make soap to sell, perhaps as a sideways move from your usual crafting habits, we are going to walk you through a list of equipment you may need and the steps you can take to start creating your own beautiful soaps.

With the growing trend of switching to more ethically sourced and created products, handmade soaps have become a popular choice for many households. Making your own soap allows you to add your own personal touches and designs to every bar. When you combine this with high-quality photography that you can take yourself, it can significantly boost your sales.

If you’re new to soap making, you should start with a soap base – a pre-mixed combination of soap, glycerine, and add-ins like plant butter and extracts for skin benefits. This is one of the best ways to get started, as creating soap from scratch with ingredients such as lye can be problematic and potentially hazardous to your health if you don’t follow the right safety precautions. Soap bases can be found in transparent and opaque options, so you can create an entire selection of soaps to your own specifications.

The melt-and-pour process for soap-making is one of the easiest steps to get started. All you need to begin making soaps is a melt-and-pour base, the essential oils or fragrances that you wish to add, colourants and a few pieces of equipment. Please note that some essential oils are banned and all are restricted on the amount you can use. You will also need a chemist’s report, and when you have obtained it, you’ll need to register all your soaps on the government website. Once you have done all this, you will be able to show others how to make soap to sell.

Before you start your soap-making, gather all the tools you need – a heat-safe container to melt the base, a stainless steel wire whisk to stir in your fragrance and pots and pans (old ones that you no longer use). It is useful to also have a hand mixer if you’re thinking of adding extras to your soaps, such as colourants, exfoliant powders, glitter or dried flowers. Silicone moulds are a must-have as they make shaping the soaps and removing them from the moulds so much easier. You can find them in all sorts of shapes, for example, you might want to use a heart shape for Valentine’s Day or for bridal gifts and snowman and star shapes for Christmas.

Your first stage is to melt the base, and most melt-and-pour bases can be in the microwave or on a hob in a double boiler over low heat. Both techniques work well. Microwaves can be quicker, but you get more control over the melting when you use a double boiler on the hob. If you decide to use a microwave, you should place the melt-and-pour base in a microwave-safe container and heat it on high for one minute. Check to see if the base has completely melted, and if not, continue to heat in intervals of 20 to 30 seconds until it has fully melted.

If you decide to use a double boiler, you should fill the pot with a few inches of water, place the soap base into the container, and place it on top of the pot. Put the hob on medium-low heat and continue to heat until the base has melted completely. Try not to stir the base whilst it is melting, as it can cause air bubbles to appear.

Once you have melted the base, remove the container from the microwave or the hob. With your wire whisk, you can add any fragrance oils or essential oils. Do this gently to ensure that the fragrance is spread out evenly and to prevent too many air bubbles from occurring. Where possible, try to get cosmetic-grade fragrance oils for use in your soaps.

If you want to colour your soaps, you can also add in your colourants at this point. Again, you should use food or cosmetic-grade colourants for this. Mica powders are a great option, and they can be found in a wide range of colours. Including metallic and glitter colours and shines.

Next, you can pour your fragrance and coloured soap base into your chosen moulds. Make sure that you fill the moulds as close to the top as you can, as soap does not expand as it cools. Place the moulds on a flat surface and allow the soap to cool at room temperature. The time it takes for the soaps to cool will depend on the mould shape and size, as well as the temperature of the room. In some cases, the soaps may be set in just over an hour, or it can take up to 24 hours for them to solidify completely.

Once you have removed your soaps from the moulds you can start to think about how you can photograph them to give you some great marketing images. A light-box can be a good investment when it comes to taking photos of your soaps. These often come with different coloured inserts for effect.

Another great way to make your soaps stand out is to utilise the world around you as a canvas. This might mean heading out as the sun starts to set and placing your soaps on the grass to get some beautiful imagery. If you live near the beach, you might also want to consider taking some photos of your soaps on the sand.

Lighting is a critical factor in product photography, and natural light is often the best choice. The “golden hour” – the beautiful time just after sunrise or before sunset – offers the perfect lighting for photography. This light is soft, diffused light, which can help the colours and details of your soaps shine on the page.

When photographing your soap, be sure to use a neutral background that doesn’t distract from the product. A white or light-coloured background works best. You can use a tripod if you need to help keep your camera steady and to help avoid blurry photos. If you want to take detailed shots of your soaps, you can use a macro lens feature on your phone. Now that you have found out how to make soap to sell and how to photograph them you can set about planning your designs!

Colour is all around us. Everywhere we look, our brains interpret the world in the fantastic hues and tones it represents. Colour is essential to how we understand the world and has shaped everything, including our understanding of science and its relationship with light. The world would be a very dull place if it were not for colour. It’s why artists and artisan crafters have always tried to capture the best, the most vivid and the deepest colours they could find for their work. From the earliest cave painters of prehistoric life in Lascaux in France to Van Gogh’s Starry Night, they all seek to capture the colour of the world in some representative way. The world of wax melts is no exception to this rule either. There are numerous opportunities to use colour to the wax melt makers’ advantage in terms of product and ideas, as long as the Wax melt insurance is up to date to avoid any issues.

We are naturally attracted to colour. For many of us, this is a personal preference that begins in childhood. It is now widely accepted that certain hues and tones of colour are directly linked to our psychological state or can be seen as a representative of our feelings. Who hasn’t heard the phrase “I’m feeling blue” when talking about feeling low or sad? Another example is when one is “seeing red”, meaning they are angry or being “in the pink” as a sign of good health. Using the colours means that the person we are speaking with can conjure up an image of what we have said to enhance their understanding of how we are feeling at the time they talk to us.

These are examples of our everyday speech where colour is used descriptively. As we have discussed earlier, colour psychology is vital to understanding a marketing or advertising campaign. The use of colour should also influence the production of wax melts for the public. When you are designing a new range of melts and scents, you should always ensure that it speaks to and conveys to the customers a joined-up theme with the description.

General colour psychology holds to a few set definitions. Many of these are dictated by the way a society has developed culturally. How a civilisation has evolved is also essential. One historical example is how the Roman Empire used a lot of red in its armies’ uniforms and regalia. It is not a surprise then, for example, that red is seen as a colour that conveys power and vitality, but it also conveys danger. Blue, on the other hand, is one of calm and tranquillity. Trust is also associated with the colour blue, but, as touched on before, it might suggest sadness. Green becomes the colour of nature, the environment and rebirth. White, not strictly a colour, is seen as purity. Purple is the colour for spiritualism and creativity, and yellows and oranges are full of hope and can bring about feelings of optimism in a person. With this in mind, the wax melt maker should consider structuring their products around understanding what the potential customer will expect.

Colours also come in and out of fashion. Teal, a greenish-blue, has suddenly risen to become a very popular colour in home decoration. However, the wax melt maker should always be aware of the colour of the year as set out by Pantone. This year, it is Peach fuzz. Peach fuzz is a combination of orange, yellow and white. It is a beautifully warm colour and is generally regarded to produce a feeling of happiness and contentment. It is also seen as a very young colour that conveys a sense of youthfulness. Therefore, you could name and create a melt using this colour around childhood pursuits to try and capture the market. You will need to have Wax melt insurance on hand in case of any issues with those to whom you sell the melts.

Whatever colour you choose for your wax melts, they are the better option over the scented candle. For a start, wax melts take longer to dissolve, and they give off a steady scent that slowly fills a room and lingers longer. They are very much the safe option as the naked flame element of the melting is located in the ceramic wax melter itself whereas candles have an exposed naked flame. Even so, it’s a good idea to have wax melt insurance in place in case something should go wrong.

The other advantage of wax melts is their versatility. We have already looked at the use of colour, but the scent can be used to great effect as well. As with colour, some scents evoke feelings and memories. The wax melt expert can therefore even colourise and personalise the melt to the customer’s choice. It can also be said that certain senses provoke certain colours in our minds, a phenomenon known as synesthesia. Certain people will see colours or shapes when they see a colour or smell a particular scent. The ocean may produce blue or cut grass with a sense of green. The innovative wax melt creator may want to look into this phenomenon as it may provide an interesting selling point to prospective customers. A colour works in the same way with a red or an orange reminding someone of a sunset. This is particularly true if they are looking for a scent and colour that reminds them of a particular time or if they want to recreate a particular scent in their home.

Finally, there is the question of waste. With a wax melt, there is very little waste created, unlike with candles. The wax collects in the melting dish and is not as messy as what is left after a candle has burned down. As the wax melts come in handy cubes, they can be added to the wax melter easily, and they take up less room in your cupboards. The sheer scale of options means that anyone purchasing wax melts has a whole host of choices in terms of scent and colour options and they can easily accessorise them to the home, safe in the knowledge that it has not cost the earth to do so.

Whether we live in the middle of a big, bustling city, in a windswept, remote settlement or somewhere in between, one of the signature sounds of this time of year is the chirping and chatting of birds as dusk falls. With the start of British Summer Time, our evenings are beginning to stretch out and as they do so they invite us to step outdoors, breathe deeply at the end of a busy day, and allow the scents, sights and sounds to order our scattered thoughts and bring calm to our souls.

Birdwatching is becoming ever more popular as numerous initiatives reveal. For example, the RSPB’s annual big garden bird watch encourages us to take note of the birds which visit our small patches, and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust provide tranquil places of sanctuary not only for the great variety of birds which land within their unique wetland ecosystems but also for those of us who can take some time out to slow down and simply immerse ourselves in watching from one of their many hides. As well as these national organisations, there are numerous ornithological clubs and sites ideal for birdwatching all across the nation and even a visit to a local park to feed the ducks offers rich pickings in terms of imaginative inspiration.

If you can place a bird feeder, fat balls or even a nesting box in easy view of a window, you will have the fascination of watching a slowly increasing variety of birds come to feed. If too, you can get hold of a pair of binoculars, it is well worth taking some time to observe these incredible creatures; not only do their wings themselves offer inspiration, but their whole bodies are designed with flight in mind. They have very strong yet lightweight bones, many of which have hollow spaces within to make them even lighter. They can digest food fast and while flying. Their wings have provided inspiration for many artists and inventors over the years; they are shaped like an airfoil, forcing air to flow more quickly over than under them. They have three types of feathers; fluffy down feathers to provide insulation, contour feathers which cover the body and flight feathers, designed with a hook and barb system, on their wings. Feathers provide both an excellent subject for detailed still life drawing and also act as a springboard for many other pieces of art and design work.

Nesting birds have also been the subject of many artists. Van Gogh painted a series of five still-life paintings using nests he had collected once the young had fledged and flown safely away. He was fascinated by the texture of the materials used in their building; clay, moss, dried grass. Birds and their nests lend themselves perfectly to stunning textile and mixed media creations; appliqué, both hand and machine-stitched embroidery and a limitless variety of threads and base materials all join together to produce the most exquisite pieces.

A fun project to do with children that helps them and us to gain extra depth to our understanding of the innate creativity and skill birds have is by having a go at making a nest ourselves. You may be able to find an empty nest later on in the season, but if not, simply choose a bird and look up what type of materials it uses to build its nest. When you have a list, go foraging, and once you have collated your pile of grasses, feathers, leaves etc have a go at putting them together to make a nest! It’s harder than it looks, especially considering that our feathered friends build them with their beaks and feet!

Insects too have offered inspiration over the centuries. Possibly one of the most popular is the humble honey bee. It seems we cannot get enough of bee designs on clothing, textiles and homeware. They are incredible insects, and their hexagonally shaped wax combs in which they lay their eggs and produce and store honey are a design feat in themselves. Add to this their furry texture and intricate design of their body and wings and it is no wonder they continue to be an inspiration for so many crafters.

Heading out into nature benefits us in many ways; amongst other advantages, it reduces our stress levels, helps us gain fresh perspective and boosts our mood. If, alongside all this, you can come back from your ramble in the woods or stroll in the park with some new ideas for your next project, then it seems a win all around.

Once back indoors and bursting with ideas for new products to sell, you could well find yourself thinking “How much does insurance for craft businesses cost?”. With several decades of providing bespoke insurance for crafters, this is a question we can answer! It will depend on several factors and the best way to work out how much does insurance for craft businesses costs is to drop us a message or pick up the phone and talk to us. Either Naomi or Sam will be here to reply; we value our customers and communicate with each of you individually. You will not have to be in a long queue and we will answer your question of “how much does insurance for craft businesses cost?” with reference to your unique business requirements, thus saving you time and money.

We hope you can pull on your boots, grab a flask of something warm and head out into the beautiful, natural world around you. Try to find time each day to take a moment to listen to the birdsong around you, to look up at the immensity of the sky above and down at the intricate detail of the ecosystem beneath your feet. As you become inspired by the remarkable colours, design and textures, we’ll look forward to hearing about the business you are building.