Category: Tips for Crafters

Imagine for a moment…an autumnal afternoon is drawing to a close; dusk is gently falling and the skies are changing from a clear blue to a soft grey. Outside you can hear the chatter of children as they head back home after an afternoon of sport or playing in the park, soaking in the last rays of warm sunshine before the winter sets in. You make a steaming mug of tea and sink into your favourite old, comfortable, overstuffed armchair. Maybe you pull a throw around you as you settle into down-filled cushions. The chair enfolds you. Peace permeates your soul. This is your small space of comfort and restoration.

Many of us have a favourite chair. When we are invited into a friend’s home, we may well ask where we should sit, conscious that some chairs may be inhabited by particular family members. We may have childhood memories of curling up in a specific chair, reading, listening to stories or sitting on a parent’s knee. Or we may have memories of rocking or cuddling our babies or small children in a special chair. We might welcome a new foster or adopted child into our family by placing a small chair in their bedroom, a safe space that is just for them. At the other end of life’s rich spectrum, Granny and Grandad will almost always have their chair, complete with an ideally sized cushion and a small table at hand on which to place drinks, books, a crossword or whatever else will minimise the amount of walking required. Most of us will have fond memories of grandparents in their chairs. Whatever our own stories, chairs will often be woven into our history.

Upholstery in our modern era can be traced back to Elizabethan times when wealthier families began to have cushions stuffed with natural products such as hay or feathers which were laid upon a wooden chair and roughly tacked into place. It wasn’t until the seventeenth century that stitched edging appeared. This paved the way for the beginning of upholstery as we know it today with some elaborate and ornate designs, maybe as a reaction to the Protestant Reformation. Since then, we have followed a continuous and fascinating thread of fashion in furniture and upholstery design.

Much more recently, the concept of upcycling has become popular; not only making use of and recycling otherwise obsolete items but also increasing their value. The skillful craft of upholstery lends itself particularly well to upcycling and it’s an area where the concept is not new. Over the last couple of decades, as we have become more aware of our responsibility to walk more lightly on our beautiful earth, upcycling upholstery has seen a resurgence in popularity. It is also a way to breathe a new lease of life into items of much-loved family furniture, and to bring objects of charm into our homes; beautifully handmade in the United Kingdom.

What starts with a skill may turn into a passion and from there into a flourishing business. If you are considering this pathway for yourself, there are a few basic questions that might help to set you off in the best direction for your unique skill set, personality and location. Maybe the first consideration might be whether you want to market your skills per se or start your own upcycling business. If the former, you may think about offering a restoration service to places such as the National Trust, stately homes or antique dealers. If this sounds like a good fit for you, the next step could be to do some research; and find out what other upholstery restoration services are in your area and what prices they charge. Then make contact with some antique dealers, auction houses or organisations that take care of antique furniture.

Another avenue would be to start your own business to upcycle furniture; either items belonging to your clients or items you have bought, re-upholster and then sell on. There are various blogs and websites out there giving detailed instructions on how to go about setting up your own crafting business, but here are a few basic tips. Firstly, you don’t need your separate workspace; many businesses selling unique handmade products in the United Kingdom have grown from the humble kitchen table. You will need a basic set of tools and sources of fabrics, wax finishes, paints etc., so it is worth researching these to ensure you invest wisely. Check out what other upholstery businesses are in your area, what services they offer and their pricing.

Write down your vision. It is always good to have something to aim for and even though your business will inevitably change and adapt over time, having a written vision statement to look back on when you meet those “crossroads moments” can be very helpful.

You will need to set your new upholstery enterprise on a secure business footing, and part of this is ensuring you have the correct insurance. As a family-run business ourselves, we understand both the unique opportunities and challenges of small businesses and would love to hear about your business and talk you through the best policies for your requirements. Pick up the phone or send us a message and we’ll take it from there.

Maybe you already have a flourishing upholstery enterprise and are ready to expand your boundaries. It could be the time for a website and social media update. Be confident in what you do. You will be bringing life back into items of furniture that may otherwise have been cast aside; make sure your sustainability credentials are prominent on your site. Reach out to customers who might be looking to have some of their own family favourites reupholstered; if you take on commissions in this way, it’s a good idea to send photos and updates of progress. Finally, don’t forget to extravagantly populate your website with amazing photos of your stunning upcycled upholstery. Be bold as you promote your work, part of our ever-growing and spectacular lineup of handmade products from the United Kingdom.

Autumn brings with it a subtle change in the air; blue-skied mornings with a distinct chill that hits us as we walk out of our homes and embrace a new day. Autumn is traditionally the season of abundance, where hedgerows are laden, cottage gardens overflow with prolific produce and fields bear the satisfying stubble of recently harvested grain or hay. Early autumn brings a riot of colour to our flower beds, as purple and blue Michaelmas daisies stand tall amidst gaudy red and orange nasturtiums, deep pink sedum attracts a continuous bevvy of butterflies and late roses add their more gentle scent and colour tones.

Woodland walks are a forager’s joy, with nuts, berries and many other nutritious and delicious finds. It is the season for mushrooms and the variety of colour, texture and shape of these are a constant source of wonder. Orchards are laden with apples, again of infinite colour tones and variety. For those living near the sea, autumn tides and stronger winds add to the seasonal interest and constantly changing seascape. Autumnal walks are a delight for both young and old. For children, our wayside lanes, canal paths and woodlands are a natural playground, with blackberry-stained hands and mouths, and pockets filled with conkers bringing joy to modern-day children just as they have throughout the centuries.

Autumn is also a season of preparation, both in the animal kingdom where we may spy squirrels hiding away their secret stores of nuts or notice winter plumage fluffing up our garden birds. For centuries it has also been a busy time of preparation for our ancestors, too. When supermarkets could not be relied upon for a year-round supply of food, extended families and communities would work together to bring in and store the harvest, ready to keep them through the long winter months. This may sound idyllic now, but it was arduous work as men and boys laboured long hours in the fields and women and girls bottled fruit, made chutneys and jams, salted meat, spun honey and made cold storage clamps for root vegetables alongside all their other work. It is no wonder that the village harvest festivals were such a time of celebration.

While many of these skills are not practised regularly anymore, they are not lost completely and as we are arguably living in an increasingly unstable world, it may be that there is a resurgence in these homesteading skills. Alongside this, there does seem to be a desire to reconnect with the natural seasons and to build up community networks. From city dwellers to those living in the remote Isles of northern Scotland, we can all be a part of this gradual movement towards self-reliance, home and local community.

Also nationwide, autumn is the time we shift our focus from summer outdoor living into our homes, with cosy fireside or candle-lit evenings, mugs of tea and hot crumpets around the kitchen table and the warmth of friendship. And crafters yet again are placed at the vanguard of this shift. Crafters not only have the skills to provide products beautifully handmade in the UK with which to adorn our homes, but we can also provide the community networks to gather in. And, we can teach and inspire others as resourceful and resilient small business owners.

The abundance and variety of autumn has always been an inspiration for the cfreative crafting community. Whether it’s autumn-inspired front door wreaths, bursting either with finds directly from outside such as pine cones, dried fruit, flowers and berries, or with knitted or crocheted leaves, acorns and pumpkins. Using similar materials, mobiles are a beautiful addition not only to a child’s room but to anywhere in a home.

For those of us who work with ceramics, autumn inspires candle lanterns or holders that are rich in colour and texture? These are guaranteed to bring a warm and inviting atmosphere to our lengthening evenings. 

It can be fun to add an autumn theme to our home decor, and this can be done by pulling out rugs to sling on the back of chairs, inviting a guest to curl up and enjoy a cosy evening of company and chatter. The colour and texture palette of blankets inspired by nature offer infinite variety and appeal and will bring delight to your customers. Cushions too can be a delightful addition to a living room, bringing accents of the outdoors inside. Children as well as adults will enjoy the rhythm of pulling out a seasonal cushion of two; something to consider when making whatever textiles you work with.

For customers with a smaller budget, fun mushroom or pumpkin-shaped pincushions are a tempting buy, to encourage them in their autumn crafting. And as our focus shifts more to evenings spent indoors, maybe you could put together some craft kits to encourage your customers to learn or practise a crafting skill at home. For complete novices or those who want to refresh their skills, you could think about offering workshops alongside this.

With cooler, darker evenings, a warm bath may be very inviting and what better way to enhance this indulgence than with some handmade soap or beautifully scented bath bombs? Autumn scents and colours lend themselves to these, with rich pumpkin spice and cinnamon to add fragrance and star anise or fallen leaves to decorate. To continue this theme, handmade beeswax candles are a must during our autumnal evenings, enticing in both colour and aroma.

As well as adorning our homes with some autumnal accents, your customers too will need to dress for the cooler weather, and what better way to slip into this than with a few gorgeously coloured and textured seasonal items? Brown acorns, deep red berries, golden leaves, and orange pumpkins can all inspire an infinite variety of fun and elegant earrings. For those with knitting or crocheting businesses, shawls, jumpers and socks in autumnal shades are guaranteed to tempt and inspire.

So, amidst your busy lives, try to find time to get outdoors and be inspired by the stunning autumn landscape, ready to create your beautifully handmade UK products.

What would you give to be able to see into the future? Or, maybe, what would you give to slow down the pace of time? Do we want to see what’s coming, or is it in fact best that, however much we try, we can’t? Complex questions, but when it comes to planning new ranges for our craft business, a certain insight into future trends can be helpful. The movie industry has long thrived off producing films which delve into the future. Just as fascinating are those which throw us back to the past as well. The 1980’s blockbuster “Back to the Future” wove together past, present and future and its huge success indicated that the theme, as well as the characters and special effects, resonated with its audience. Simply looking at the aesthetics of the three films e.g. clothing, decor and car design is an interesting exercise in how, or even if, we can predict trends by studying the past.

Looking back over the last century, and each decade’s distinct trend, from the frugal make-do and mend of the wartime years to the wild abandon of the a-go-go movement in the 1960’s we can also see where a resurgence in vintage and retro styles has happened. Could we currently be heading for a throwback to times gone by?

Are we about to see a resurgence of some of these trends? We might be able to more accurately answer that question by looking to the past and observing the backdrop from which these trends took off. Some were born of necessity; both scarcities of finances and access to new products drove the ‘make do and mend’ wartime culture. With the huge and ever-increasing hike in prices for most of our daily living necessities, it would not be too far a stretch to see a resurgence in this. Crafters could be at the leading edge of a fresh movement of make-do and mend. Many crafting businesses use recycled products which not only keeps raw material costs down but also minimises the need to access materials from what might be a slow and complex supply chain. Crafters, by dint of being good with their hands, will have many of the skills needed to mend and upcycle clothes, furniture or other household goods.

Established crafting communities with regular meet-ups, such as sewing bees, group textile projects or more informal ‘coffee and catch ups’ in shared studios or workshops could become the engine houses for a return to crafting in these times, a place where young people can become immersed in this colourful, wonderful world. Could you offer sewing/mending/upcycling workshops, where for a given fee, local residents can come and receive some instruction on the basic skills needed to fix torn garments, knit a pair of socks or re-cover a kitchen stool? Incidentally, Instagram is currently awash with crochet patterns for bags and clothes, with many young people helping each other to discover the joy of making their own unique items.

While the actual reasons for the frugal lifestyle of the wartime years were horrific and caused many to suffer huge pain and loss, they are often now remembered with nostalgia as a time of community spirit, where neighbours pulled together and fast friendships were formed in the face of adversity over steaming mugs of tea. Could some of this be captured in upcoming product ranges? As many in our nation are indeed going through times of financial hardship and uncertainty, maybe a chunky mug or earthenware teapot might bring a ray of hope into some kitchens. Might there be a resurgence in the demand for knitted socks (with darning workshops available to teach this skill over warm mugs of tea and cosy chats). With this in mind, a make-do and mend theme, with the right balance of hope and camaraderie alongside could work well for window displays in independent craft shops UK.

Another area where crafters are uniquely positioned to be the vanguards is in the realm of bringing beauty into our homes. We all crave beauty, whether that be found in nature, in fine art, in a multi-coloured patchwork quilt or in a sturdy but delightful kitchen table. It is fascinating to observe how beauty is manifested in architecture during different periods in history.  One excellent example of this is in Krakow, Poland, where the plain and utilitarian buildings of the Soviet communist era stand out in stark contrast to the stunning and intricately adorned Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic structures. During the communist years of Eastern Europe, families and groups of friends huddled together, often in small rooms, to read excellent literature, listen to good music and appreciate any vestiges of a former, more aesthetically-minded era. Could it be that in an age of increasing anonymity, AI and digitalisation, our souls are being starved of beauty, simply for beauty’s sake? Crafters are in a prime position to bring beautiful objects into the homes of our nation. For managers of independent UK craft shops, your premises can be a treasure trove of delightful and elegant craft products, a visual feast and inspiration for each and every customer.

Vintage and retro have been trending for a couple of decades. It seems that as the rate of change in our world continues a-pace, consumers are increasingly hankering after products which root them to what they perceive to have been more stable times. If you manage or sell products in an independent craft shop in the UK, this could also be an eye-catching theme for your shop windows, inviting customers into your Aladdin’s cave of delightful, hand-crafted, long-lasting and totally unique products.

Finally, and linked to the fragmentation of many of our communities, might there be a resurgence in demand for regional crafts and foods? Owning a piece of knitwear or ceramics from a particular region of our beautiful nation can bring a sense of rootedness and belonging. As crafters, we are uniquely positioned to weave together the best of the past to bring hope and beauty into our present.

For any business to succeed it needs to have a thoroughly constructed business marketing plan. This business plan must be developed with key data analysis and research carried out carefully. One of the areas most focused on in modern marketing is that of search engine optimisation or SEO for short. All marketing has to be based on a data-driven decision-making focus and understanding of what customers want. It also looks at where the market is going and how best to operate at the highest efficiency. These are all included in such planning.  What can crafters looking to expand their business use in analytics to help them develop theirs?

A craft business plan is successful by using the following examples of data and information.  Firstly, market research plays a vital role in deciding how best to formulate a plan for a crafter.  Looking at demographics will enable the crafter to be able to shape what their target audience is.  This covers a multitude of areas within that target audience such as their gender, their age, where they are located, how much they earn and other factors such as what they watch or listen to for leisure – all this information can play a huge part in forming your plan. These chunks of demographic data are combined with the study of market trends. Seeing these trends develop will provide the analytics to show the crafter what they should be focusing their product range on for the coming seasons and the sales that they bring in.  Another useful element is looking at what competitors are producing and doing.  Understanding what their price points are should enable the crafter to be able to focus on their own.  This means that when crafters do produce work and put it up for sale, they will not be underselling their items compared to what others that are out there are retailing at.

If you have access to it, the data that you yourself have gathered about customers is of great value to you. You should be able to detect what buying patterns are being shown by your customers. A simple stock take for example will show what lines have performed best over others and how you should also be able to ascertain what are the seasonal favourites throughout the year. It should also give you the potential to see what upselling opportunities there are as you begin to build your craft business plan.

Don’t be afraid to gather feedback directly from people that buy from you. Maybe there is something that they particularly do not like about your operation, or conversely, something that they really do like. Knowing this enables you to integrate it into the plan so that you focus on it when you come to finalise how you are going to market overall. Using this data should also enable you to consider what new and adapted products are going to look like and where your focus should be when it comes to what you are going to produce in the future. In this way, you can return to the market selling lines that you are confident with in terms of getting a decent profit and return. This replaces the trial-and-error basis that you may have had when first starting out and exhibiting either at a fair or online. You can do this through the creation of either gathering anecdotal oral feedback or you could produce surveys both online and on the day of trade to give to customers for them to return. There is nothing wrong with offering a little incentive for people to complete the form and then either email or post it back to you.

Your own financial recordings should also be used.  From your sales data, a plan can be drawn up as to when your optimum performance months are and when you are making the most of your money.  This should enable you to learn exactly where and when you should produce and sell items.  This is usually done through stocktake inventories and turnover rates.  Armed with this data, you should then be able to see and build up a trading history throughout the year.  Another thing that you could use as part of the basis of your craft business plan is where you have interacted with compliance and regulatory bodies about your long-term existence as a trader and crafter. Use this information to be aware of where you must seek out new licences to build a long-term strategy and also map out when these are required again.

A long-term goal that can be achieved using these systems and strategies is for you to be able to see what your continuous improvement will be. Regularly looking through data provided by SEO, traditional feedback and surveys plus physical stock takes and chats with accountants will enable you to draw up a long-term growth plan so that you know that you are operating when and where you should be. Then you can keep your focus on what customers want and what they are expecting of your products and where you are going to be so that they can purchase them.

As you can see, data is such an essential part of business and how it grows and operates that you cannot simply ignore it or its functions.  As we have touched upon earlier, there is also a regulatory requirement to make sure that your business is healthy and financially sound so that should auditors come to inspect your accounting and financial dealings all should be in place.  Data is not something to be taken lightly but it can be an extremely useful ally in your continued striving to be the best that you can be and to produce good quality products that people will want to buy. It will also show the thoroughness of your business and its success.

What’s there not to love about crafted products which are of high quality, locally made and totally unique? Knowing that someone has poured their heart and soul and a good chunk of time into creating a distinctive brand encourages people to pay a little bit more for it. Crafters themselves know that their work is high quality and will benefit and bring pleasure to others; so, how to get the message out there?

Incidentally, there is nothing like human contact and face-to-face encouragement, so maybe this is a good place to start. Talking to fellow crafters at craft fairs or at your local arts quarter or hub is invaluable. Making a special visit to someone else’s studio or workshop and chatting with them about their business; we are all passionate about the products we have created and the crafting community is a friendly bunch, keen to share advice and simply to tell our stories. Each business is unique, but there are often tips that can be gleaned from hearing others’ journeys, contacts which can be made and encouragement to be taken to heart. Failing a personal visit, connections made via social media groups help us to garner invaluable insights from other crafters who are further down the path.

There are also numerous blogs and articles online which offer advice about starting up small businesses and marketing your goods. We thought we’d also share some tips here on other things you can do to get people to “fall in love with your brand”.

1. Build relationships with your customers

A brand which customers fall in love with revolves around the customers themselves. Without these, our businesses are nothing. So, do everything you can to build up mutual respect between your clientele and yourself. If you sell face-to-face, at craft fairs or within your own retail space, you will have the opportunity to engage in conversation with your customers. For those who have studios open to the public, for example, if you create handmade ceramics in the UK, you are able to take it a step further as you invite people into your space, either to watch a demonstration or to participate in workshops. 

2. Make sure that potential customers know who you are and what you stand for

Friendly customer service is a large part of a good reputation, upon which foundation you can then build your business. In an age of anonymity and our constantly busy lives, our yearning for human connection is arguably greater than it has been at any other time over the past few centuries. This is where small family businesses win hands down over large corporations. You have a story, you deal directly with customers yourselves, your business is locally rooted and you often have far greater ethical and environmental care standards than any large company. These are all things to shout loudly about! They are huge strengths that can be made much of. If you have a website, write the “about” section to your best advantage, emphasising how your business began, how it is expanding and what your vision is. If you can, use first names for yourself and your staff so that potential customers know who might be at the end of an email or phone call. Some pictures of your workspace as well as your products, maybe including a friendly dog or cat, will all add to that feel of a personal touch.

3. Listen to what your customers say to you (and about you)

Another important aspect of marketing your brand well is taking on board customer feedback. This sounds obvious, but may not always be easy if it’s something you’d rather not hear. While you will always need to filter bad feedback, once your initial reactions have subsided, it really is worthwhile sifting through a less-than-complimentary comment. There may be something useful in it, and, with a little wisdom and distance, some useful threads can often be disentangled and tweaks made to your brand or marketing.

As mentioned earlier, a great way to engage with customers and increase your profile is to invite them into your workspace. This not only offers an excellent way of demonstrating your skills but also gives good opportunities to chat about your brand, what your customers like about it and what they might like to see in the future. Textile workshops offer great opportunities for this, as, with a warm drink and maybe a biscuit or two, participants will enjoy the sense of community as well as learn a new craft. Pottery throwing may not quite adapt to this model, but it is a fascinating and mesmerising activity to watch, and open days where people can see the potter at work, and visually observe how lumps of clay are turned into beautiful handmade ceramics are sure to attract customers.

4. Answer a need.

For your brand to really take off, it has to fill a gap or solve a problem in a way which appeals to your customer base. Handmade soap or bar shampoo will be a hit with those who want to use more natural, chemical-free products on their skin. Handmade ceramics can be marketed as customised wedding gifts, as well as beautiful presents which will bring delight every time they are used; a chunky mug in tones reminiscent of the sea out of which to drink your morning tea, or a stunning vase in heathery tones which brings back memories of a restful holiday. (Sometimes, your customers might not even be aware that they have a certain need – it’s down to you to bring that awareness.)

Handmade, ethically sourced and locally produced craft items are good. Arguably, as we become ever more digitalised and impersonal, local family businesses offering high-quality products with longevity may well become more sought after. You are doing a great thing; have confidence in yourself and your product!

N.b. If you are considering holding workshops and demonstrations, you will need to ensure you have the correct insurance in place; pick up the phone and we can talk you through the best deal for your unique needs. If you would rather email, we endeavour to respond within twenty-four hours. We too are a family-run business and value our clients greatly.

Have you ever looked through a kaleidoscope? Maybe as a child? If so, you’ll recall that as you peep through the eye hole into its drum and gently turn the end segment, a multitude of brightly coloured “gems” meet your gaze, with their patterns slowly changing with each turn. It is fascinating and compels the gazer to keep turning, knowing a marvellously different set of colours and patterns will appear at each shift of the mechanism.

The huge variations in us as human beings, in the biodiversity around us and in the vast universe of which we are a part are mirrored in a minuscule way by a kaleidoscope. Details as apparently insignificant as no two snowflakes being the same, (a fact first discovered by Wilson Bentley as he examined thousands of snowflakes in the 1800s), or that many botanists, including Carl Linnaeus, often seen as the founder of the scientific classification system, only found similarities with plants, and no two ever identical. Or, on a grand scale, the Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light-years across (that’s six trillion miles x 100,000), and there are estimated to be about 350,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe. And none of those will be the same.

We live in a magnificently varied and wonderful world, with infinite variety all around us. It is no wonder then that each of us is unique, with our own set of talents and abilities, passions and dislikes, character traits and personalities. This should make each of us feel great about ourselves…there is no one else quite like you; you are the only one with your unique and complex mix of abilities and character and only you can fulfil the role you have in life. However, the fact that we are not clones, and are all so wonderfully different, can bring challenges, when it comes to working together as well as its strengths, to the same end.

To help employers hire the best mix of staff to create stunning and unique products handmade in the UK there are various personality tests which can be used to assess individuals and hence ensure a team works well together, to their best strengths. As crafters with small businesses, knowing personality types could be a help not only in employing staff but in allocating roles within your business as it and they develop.

It can also be helpful to have some insight into the wide variety of personalities you may encounter at craft fairs, demonstrations or workshops. Human nature is deeply fascinating and understanding a little about how we interact can both prevent fallouts and also enable us to get the best out of our team members, audience and workshop participants. Of course, we need to start with ourselves first, and becoming more self-aware will help us in many areas of our lives, including our relationships and the decisions we make.

As crafters, we produce a huge variety of products handmade in the UK and our unique creativity and personality will shine through each of these. The next step is to promote these amazing products, and understanding a little more about yourself can prompt you in the best direction for marketing strategies. A personality test which is much in use today is DISC. This is an acronym, with D standing for dominance, I for Influence, S for support and C for compliance or conscientiousness. A quick look on the internet reveals that many companies both offer and use DISC and that as there is infinite variety in our personalities, so there is some variety in how test results are both categorised and interpreted. It is possible to do this test online, but also a thoughtful self-study of the categories will illuminate some character traits of ourselves and others around us. Most of us will have elements of our personalities fall in all four categories but with more landing in one or two.

For example, a dominant personality (green or red zone) will generally be firm, direct and strong-willed. In a work situation, this person might be the most results-driven of the team, will push others forward and take risks but may also be impatient and not that aware of the needs of the rest of the team. Someone whose personality falls mostly in the I category (yellow zone) will be outgoing, enthusiastic and optimistic. They are often the visionaries, with ideas to bring your business forward and the optimism to help you over the hurdles. However, they might need to partner with someone whose feet are firmly on the ground! An S (green zone) is a supportive or steadying person who is a great team player, empathetic, calm and a good collaborator. They may be indecisive though and as they are often overly accommodating might need to be encouraged to express their own needs and opinions. Finally, a C (blue zone) conscientious person will be precise and analytical at work. They may be somewhat reserved but will be good at checking on detail and working systematically.

As we saw at the beginning, we are all so vastly unique and different that it is an oversimplification to put ourselves, our clients and our employees into one of four categories. DISC does not account for physical attributes (these may be very important in a craft which requires physical strength and endurance) or our spirituality (which will be shown in how we view and understand the world around us). However, a fuller understanding of our own and others’ personalities using DISC will help in our businesses and our lives in general.

Maybe we could consider our team and customers to be like a thoughtfully stitched-together patchwork quilt. Each of us is beautifully and wildly different with an infinite variety of combinations and talents, strengths and abilities as we work together to produce and enjoy stunning and unique craft items, handmade in the UK.

If you love the world of arts and crafts but don’t see a future for yourself as a crafter, there are plenty of opportunities to work in and around the craft industry. Although a primary career in the craft industry would be working as a producer of items, there are lots of options for working alongside talented crafters to provide them with the services that they need to be successful. Most crafters want to be spending their time crafting their products and, in some cases, they won’t have the necessary skills to be able to look for where to sell ‘homemade crafts uk’, or to market their products. There may also be elements of finishing off their products that they don’t have the time or the skills to complete. Here are just some of the careers around crafts that you could look into.

Photography

All product-based businesses need to have high-quality images of their products. These will help to encourage people to buy items on the business or other e-commerce websites as well as provide content that can be shared on social media channels. Product photography can differ from portrait or landscape photography and so it is important that if you look to move into this line of work you create a portfolio of items that you have photographed so you can share this with potential clients. Whilst you won’t necessarily need a private studio to be able to take product photographs, you will need access to lighting, light boxes and potentially some props that can be used alongside the products. It is also important that you can take the photos and edit them in graphics software to make them as commercially viable as possible.

Framing

This is an example of a finishing product. When artists produce landscape or portrait paintings or photographers make prints of their photos, they may need to be placed in frames ready to be sold. This is a job that can take time and it is often best passed onto someone else. There will be a need to research what types of frames are currently most popular as well as look for those frames that are most cost-effective to buy. When you have decided where to sell homemade crafts UK-wide, you can decide whether you are going to offer framing as standard for all your pictures and prints or whether you are going to offer it as an additional service. Working as a framer can be incredibly rewarding as you help to add the final touches to items before they are delivered or picked up by the customer.

Marketing

All businesses need to market themselves as this is how the products and services that are on offer become visible to potential customers. This is especially true for items that are made as a part of the craft industry. Working as a marketing specialist within the craft sector allows you to find ways in which to increase the number of customers buying products. This could be by sharing pictures of the products on social media channels and creating content that makes them want to buy the items. It could also be creating campaigns for specific times of the year such as the run-up to Christmas or Easter. It is important to understand the business’s audience, their product and what makes it appealing, and also to find where to sell homemade crafts uk-wide that will give the business entry into new markets.

Sales support

When crafters are busy creating their items or attending fetes and fayres, they often won’t have the time to deal with any sales enquiries that come in. This is where those people with sales support skills can help. This might mean working in an administrative capacity and answering any emails that come in and responding to enquiries based on current or potential sales. Other sales support jobs might include picking and packing items ready for delivery. This can include selecting the items that have been requested, packaging them up using the packaging materials most appropriate for the items, and adding in any personal brand touches. Printing shipping labels will also be necessary, before sending the items out for delivery.

Website

Having a fully functioning website that makes it easy for customers to buy items is extremely important. This could be a stand-alone website built using a platform such as WordPress, or it could be a site built on Shopify or a presence on Etsy. The type of site that is used will depend very much on the type of business, the products being created and sold and the size of the business. It is important to get support from a professional who can help you manage your site. This might mean updating your product listings, dealing with any enquires that come in via the website and adding in new products. The imagery that you use on your website will be incredibly important.

There are lots of other jobs that are related to the craft industry such as delivery couriers, event staff who can help you sell your items at fayres and also admin support jobs that might help you manage your enquiries and respond to any social media messages or comments that you receive.

The type of job that you choose to work in will depend on your skills and passions and the type of job that crafters need support with will also depend on what their skills are and how much time they have available to be working on all other aspects of their business. By working with others on areas that they are not confident in, crafters can free up their time to do what they love and also help to increase sales and then ultimately the profits of their businesses.

Careers in Craft (how a young person could make it their job)

Working in the craft industry is an incredibly rewarding role. Not only do you get the opportunity to create items that you can sell to others, but you can also spend your days crafting. What could be better than that?

There are lots of different ways that handmade crafts can be turned into a full-time job. This could be working as a crafter yourself or working in some areas that help support the craft industry such as photography and design work. Here are a few ways that a young person could start a career in the craft industry.

Artisan Crafts – Finding a niche craft with a specific theme can be a way for a young person to hone a product for the market. The creation of unique products is a great way of capturing trade and making a name for yourself. Taking an apprenticeship or mentoring with an established artisan will give any young person the chance to hone and learn the necessary skills to become adept at their craft. Two of the best examples of this are jewellery making, a perfect medium to make bespoke and commissioned pieces, and pottery. Both of these have a good online platform and focused attendance at regional crafts fairs. Ultimately, the main goal would be to have their shop or be able to open up a studio that they can work from and sell directly to the public.

Design Work – There are plenty of academic avenues via which young crafters can progress in the field of design work. The route to design work usually begins at GCSE Design and Technology. Here the student can learn the basics of design and get a foundation to start their career. It’s usual to combine this with GCSE Art. From here, the next step is to study both subjects at A-Level with a view to moving on to university and a degree in the subject. This will give the young person years spent being creative in which they can find the type of design they prefer to work in. Fashion and textiles may be an option but there is also scope for furniture design, taking a break from traditional styles for example. It also opens up the possibility of working for a design company and the chance to see their products mass produced. Over time, it may be that they may wish to start their own design company.

Workshops and teaching – The teaching of arts and crafts may be a better outlet for the young person seeking a career in handmade crafts. Gaining a degree in teaching is the best way to combine the two disciplines for a successful role in the field. Teaching others the skills required to be an artist or crafter can be a deeply rewarding experience. As well as being taught in schools, arts and crafting have also been used very effectively as a means of pain management and for creating mental health wellbeing. These kinds of courses can be conducted at colleges or in workshops in community centres as well as in schools.

Restoration and Upcycling – If the creation of new pieces is not something that the young creator finds appealing there is also the option of specialising in the restoration of older pieces. This gives them the chance to bring something that may appear damaged beyond repair, or needs a little love and attention, back to life. Restorers have an in-depth knowledge of the pieces from the past that they are working on, meaning that they have had to invest time in research of the history of the furniture, tapestry or art piece that needs a spruce. This also includes the conservation of the item with constant monitoring and care. Studies in art conservation and working with established conservators can prove to be an advantage. Conservation of this sort requires vital skills that can be used to make a long lasting and truly satisfying career.

Craft Entrepreneurship – Anyone with a business mindset can use their entrepreneurial skills to make craft related operation. There is a readymade market for the provision of craft suppliers. Opening up an online supply business with delivery and distribution can bolster the craft industry. Young entrepreneurs may also consider becoming a retail seller of the handmade crafts that people make. This will save them time and money plus allow them to concentrate on the more important aspects of actually making the crafts to sell as they can still add their own craft projects to sell as well. One of the more interesting ideas that has become popular of late is that of creating a subscription service where people receive a themed item every month. It’s clear that these young people who have embraced the world of the online marketplace are some of the most forward-thinking business people out there.

Whatever path the young person decides to take in the crafting world, either producing, selling or assisting in terms of sales, marketing and admin, they should make sure they are constantly updating and maintaining the skills they have. They can do this by joining online communities or creating their own with other likeminded artisans and crafters.

They need to be completely in tune to what is happening in the craft world. In this way they can be able to see what the shifting market trends and fashions are doing. Being adaptable and staying on point with what people want is the only way to stay relevant.

Finally, for a young person to be successful in the craft business they must make sure that they have built a strong online presence. Following the recent events of the pandemic and the rising costs in the retail outlets, this is a great way to make inroads into the market and sell to as wide an audience as possible.

For any countryside dwellers amongst our readers, the picture of a group of teenagers, slightly cowed under enormous rucksacks, huddled around a map or trudging slowly forward is a common sight in and around our national parks at this time of year. They are clearly walking with a purpose, not just out for an afternoon stroll. There is often not much laughter or needless banter until they reach camp, weary, at night time; their energy is taken up by carrying their heavy loads and their brain power focused on ensuring they are walking in the right direction; a wrong turn means extra distance to cover. This is good training indeed for our young people. It is, in fact, the expedition component for the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

However, D of E is not just the expedition. In fact, there are four components to it; volunteering, physical, skills and expedition. It is in the skills section that young people may find a way into arts and crafts which could continue to provide enjoyment and even employment throughout their lifetime. The Duke of Edinburgh award invites young people to develop a skill they already have, try out a new one, test their limits and through all this, grow in confidence. This last year has seen a record-breaking number of participants and at a time when adolescent mental health issues are also at a very concerning high, it offers a truly welcome programme to give our teens purpose, grow them in resilience and enable them to gain a fresh perspective not only on life, but on themselves and their abilities.

As craft business owners, there are formalised ways to partner with the D of E award scheme; take a look at their website if this is something you might be interested in doing. If not, there are always informal ways you can support a young person you know to learn a new craft for their skills section.  As we know, crafting and creating are very good for our mental health and our teens could surely do with some practical boosts in this area.

In an age when so much of teenage life can be focused around screens, the very present and sensory nature of crafting can be of huge benefit. It seems that an increasing number of teens have sensory processing issues in some area, and crafting can offer some wonderfully calming and regulating sensory projects. Working with clay is tactile and soothing and can be an effective way to channel frustration with the added benefit of a finished product! Choosing and mixing essential oils for soaps is a fragrance dream, while selecting and experimenting with colour can be a visual feast.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award has a very holistic approach to young people’s lives, with the aim that the activities in which they participate will allow them not only to grow in confidence but also to develop skills they need to successfully navigate life. Crafting requires of us and develops within us many character qualities essential for life. Perseverance and patience are required to learn and hone a new skill. Confidence is needed to share your finished product with someone, and then maybe take the next step to exhibit or sell.

It might be that what starts as learning a new crafting skill for a D of E qualification leads in time to beginning a small crafting business. This indeed would equip any young person in a manner in keeping with the the original vision of the late Duke of Edinburgh. And, with the  popularity of crafts handmade in the UK ever on the rise this could be a good step to take. For young people who may struggle to see the point of a maths GCSE, developing a business plan and budget will bring purpose to the maths they have been taught. And, it is not only maths for which light bulb moments may occur. Leaning a new crafting skill can bring fresh hope and vision into a young person’s life. It may be the first thing they feel they have excelled in, and the sense of achievement in creating an end product of beauty, which will bring benefit to someone else, will create a huge sense of pride. This in itself will lift their self esteem and provide confidence and motivation for the next step.

Being a part of the community of crafters is also good for their general well being. Friendships are often built around shared interests and the added bonus of being part of a community who produce crafts handmade in the UK adds a whole new level of self esteem and belonging. The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme is keen to draw young people in who might be on the margins of their communities, and as we know, crafting is an excellent way of integrating people into the community in which they live, through shared work spaces, community projects, fairs and celebrations. A young person could truly find a new sense of meaning and purpose in his or her life through learning a new crafting skill.

As crafters we all have our unique stories of how finding and honing our skill and eventually turning it into our very own business, has impacted our life. We can each testify to the sense of satisfaction we get as we produce crafts handmade in the UK. We know the friendships we have made, the communities we have become a part of and the sense of purpose our crafting business has gifted to us. For many of us, we may also have stories of how our craft has been therapeutic, maybe even life salvaging at times, and offered us not only an outlet for acute anxiety or long term stress, but a sense of purpose and and exciting vision for the future. In a world with so much greyness, we are fortunate indeed to have skills and businesses which create beautiful, praiseworthy products and provide us with so much enjoyment. Here’s to the next generation of young people creating products handmade in the UK and let’s keep our eyes open for opportunities to help them.

Although it may seem very strange, considering we have just finished one of the hottest Junes on record in the UK, anyone working in the retail craft industry will be already thinking quite seriously about Christmas.  Businesses that have craft stores online will already be looking to advertise products that could be used as Christmas decorations, table ornaments, gifts for loved ones and, of course, a comprehensive range of Christmas-themed cards.  It can be difficult to get into the mindset of what you are going to feature as a Christmas range in the middle of summer, but this is the standard time for retailers to be finalising their ranges for this period.  In fact, most will have been working on the basis of being a year ahead with their planning, focusing on a strongly themed seasonal approach to the production and selling patterns.

For the average crafter who is looking to get into the field of selling their products, Christmas can seem like a daunting prospect.  Admittedly, it may feel like you are straying away from your original intentions of turning your hobby into a business. However, you cannot ever discount the selling periods of Christmas and Easter.  For many retailers, Christmas in particular is the one period of time where they can make their best profits and continue to operate as a business. Whilst this can be a stressful time for a crafting professional, it can also be an incredibly rewarding time seeing your items being sold for gifts.

There may not be the same pressures to decorate areas of a store for those operating in the online space, but it’s still necessary to think about how you are going to present your products for the festival season. There is one distinct advantage, in that if you are selling online you can have a section on your website devoted to Christmas products all year round. This makes it essentially the choice of the person visiting the website whether they wish to peruse and browse the products available for Christmas.  For those who are heading out into craft fairs and market stalls then Christmas creation needs to be an activity that you are focusing on right now.  

For example, if you look at heritage organisations such as the National Trust or English Heritage you will see that they will already have begun placing out their Christmas card ranges at the start of the summer and, if not, certainly by mid-August.  It does seem unusual to see these kinds of products being available in the height of summer, especially when there is a heatwave! There is a certain logic to why they do this which might be something that you will want to apply to your own business. In fact, the reason the National Trust and English Heritage have such a wide Christmas range available during the summer months is that most of their shops and sites close after the October half term. Although this is changing and more and more of them are opening for longer, many are bound by restrictions and covenants that mean they must close at a certain time to ensure the conservation of the property. Therefore, the retail manager must take into consideration these special conditions for opening. So, if they have no customers from November through to March how are they going to sell their Christmas lines?

This is a principle that you may be considering yourself.  Are you sure that you want to be working over the winter months attending craft fairs and such like? It’s one of the reasons you may want to consider taking your products into the virtual buying world and get craft stores online.  This enables the customer to come to you rather than you having to go to them at outdoor events.  It may be that you enjoy the interaction that you get with your customers, and there is certainly a lot to be said for this as people do tend to buy from people.  However, many crafters have taken up this field of work so that they can avoid the nine to five grind! Also, many crafters use the winter months to work on new projects and produce new ranges and new items for sale at a future date.  It’s pretty fair to say that the crafting industry is a very seasonal operation, and you have to decide what you are going to get out of it.

Preparing your head for the Christmas months is essential.  Have a range laid out in your mind as to what you are going to sell and begin preparing and making them well in advance of October. You can launch a teaser campaign in your marketing to give people an idea of the items that are going to be available for Christmas. Some craft stores online will also offer pre-ordering so that you can start making items, ready for customers. This will also help to give you an indication of how many products you need to make and shouldn’t leave you with too much surplus that you’ll have to sell in the New Year.  Most consumers are already looking to buy Christmas presents rather than have a tremendous rush over November and December and the crafter can take advantage to this.  

There is a very strong argument for retailers and craft producers to be at least 12 to 8 months ahead of themselves in what they are producing and planning to sell.  While you may not be able to plan ahead as far as some of the major retailers are, you can be sure that they are already planning out Christmas ranges for 2025 as we speak!

Everything else aside, planning 3-6 months ahead for Christmas gets us in the Christmas mood! Let the Grinches say what they want, there’s nothing like Christmas and crafters can play a key role providing unique, personal gifts to enhance this most wonderful time of the year!