Put the Spring back in your step

Take a deep breath in through your nose and aaaaaah, oh yes, spring is on its way! As the days become longer, daffodils wave their cheery yellow heads and birds sing heartily while building their nests, we can almost smell the change of season in the air. After the long dreary winter days and the heavy grey skies, these signs that the natural world around us is awakening are more than welcome. If you can make time, why not take a walk in your locality? Even in the midst of a big city, we can see signs of emerging new life. Look up at the trees and note the new buds forming, maybe some fresh green leaves appearing. Look down and between pavement slabs there might be tenacious weeds poking their heads up, determined to take up residence for another year. Look around and see jubilant displays of colourful bulbs, white daisies dancing on patches of green grass and maybe some early blossom preparing to make its blousy entrance. If you can get out into the countryside or a park, pause to take in deep breaths of the spring air, allow the warmth of the sunshine to soak into your bones and take some moments to do some cloud watching.

Spring is full of hope and new life as well as longer and warmer days, and with Easter falling near the beginning of this, we have a wonderful opportunity to go all out on some nature-inspired Easter gifts. Don’t hold back, let your creativity and imagination run wild, it’s time to celebrate the good things in life which are free and reliably gifted to us each year. Whatever our economy may be doing, those tiny green buds will still open up, and however troubled our world may be, the daisies will appear on cue each spring. So, pull out all the stops and create some inspirational designs which will sell like hotcakes this Easter.

One idea you might like to adapt to your craft is the concept of the ever popular Easter basket. These always bring a smile and encapsulate happy memories of childhood Easter egg hunts for many, thus having a nostalgic value of their own. Simply filling a small gift basket with some of your products can add an Easter twist and so add value to the products themselves. Those of you with chocolate businesses may already sell gift baskets as part of your Easter range, but if not, an attractive basket filled with your delicious chocolates is bound to be an eye catcher.

Baskets need not be confined to edible goods. Bath bombs or soap make a luxurious gift pamper basket, and the theme could be continued even further with egg shaped products. For parents wanting to keep a cap on the sugar content for their children, placing small toys in a  basket, nestled amongst a cloud of tissue paper would be a tempting alternative to a commercial egg. In fact, with a little imagination, many craft products can be packaged in a basket and marketed as delightful and unique Easter gifts.

There are a few practical points to consider. When it comes to choosing your basket, the cheapest is not necessarily the most cost effective. First impressions count so it’s worth choosing baskets which will show off your products to their best. Do some research, and maybe even have a range, from budget and pocket money items to indulgent gifts, which will tempt your customers to splash out and celebrate the season.

There are also a few regulations and laws on selling gift baskets. Some of these are only applicable if you are selling other people’s products alongside your own. It’s important to understand statutory rights too, in relation to customers’ rights to refunds. As specialists in craft insurance, we can help you with product and public liability insurance and the laws on selling gift baskets in relation to this.

So how can your gift baskets reflect the season? This is where you can take inspiration from the natural world all around you, which is so abundant at this time of year. It is almost as if nature is shouting out to us to celebrate and take delight and joy in the beauty all around. Take some time to immerse yourself in nature, whether this is a relaxing ramble in a peaceful location or sitting with a mug of tea in an outdoor spot, watching the clouds pass by and simply breathing in the fresh spring air.

As we observe the natural world more closely, we cannot help but be inspired by the intricate design we find and its subsequent beauty. Look closely at a flower; the geometrical shape, the blending of colours, and the smooth, soft surfaces. Look up and take in the sheer size of a tree, and then the intricacy of its buds and leaves. Immerse yourself in the vast spectrum of greens we see all around us. Green is the most restful colour and contrasts perfectly with the blue sky, which in turn contrasts impeccably with the white of the clouds. We’d all be exhausted if the grass was red and the sky was purple!

Many engineers take inspiration from nature for their designs. Did you know that the Fibonacci sequence, a mathematical number sequence used by mathematicians and economists is perfectly formed in each sunflower head? The order of nature is calming and pleasing to look at, even if you think in numbers!

So, as Easter approaches and spring is definitely in the air, get outside and soak in some natural inspiration from the world around you, check out the laws on selling gift baskets and design some beautiful Easter creations of your own!