Monkey Style Boutique Giveaway Winner

Thank you to all who participated in the Monkey Style Boutique giveaway. The winner as chosen by random.org is: lil misses' mama who said... "I love the Girl's Peasant Dress in Amy Butler Lotus Morning Glory--I've been eyeing this fabric for a long time!"September 17, 2010 12:20 PM 

A guest tutorial from Love, September

My good friend Bethany, from Love September, has written a great tutorial that she wants to share with Noodles & Milk readers. Bethany's shop has been on etsy for 3 years and her shop is super successful. Being the crafty type that she is, her shop offers all kinds of fun things. Bethany's shop is a little bare right now because she is putting her family first for a little while (good for her!). One of the coolest things that is still listed in the shop is her latest venture: fabric wall letters to decorate your home. They are super cute for nurseries and children's rooms. You should head over to her shop to check them out!

Every Season Banner Wreath TutorialSupplies for wreath and mini banner/bunting:

• grapevine wreath
• spray paint (if you want to spray your wreath, I kept mine natural)
• glue gun and extra glue sticks
• fabric scraps of 5 different fabrics at least 8" x 4"
• straight pins
• pinking shears
• pennant flag template (click to download)
• 14" ribbon
• sew in Velcro
• sewing machine

matching threadSupplies for fabric wreath hanger

• 1/8 yard of coordinating fabric
• sew in Velcro
• matching thread

Instructions for the wreath and mini banner/bunting:

1. Pin the flag template to one of your 8" x 4" fabric scraps.

2. Cut two flags out.

3. Repeat steps one and two with all 5 of your fabric scraps.
4. Now you should have 10 cut triangle flags in total.

5. Place each matching flags wrong sides together and pin at each corner.
6. Sew, using 1/4" seam allowance around each flag. Do not sew the top.

7. 
   
Using your pinking shears, cut around the two sewn sides of the triangle.
8. Take your ribbon (cut to 14") and pin the pennants you just created to it, leaving about 1/2" ribbon on either end. Make sure that the top of your flags line up with the top edge of the ribbon, without being visible from the other side. You may have to overlap the tops of the flags to make them all fit.

9. Sew down the middle of the ribbon, through the pennants and ribbon.

10. Cut two pieces of Velcro 1/2" wide.
11. Sew one side of the Velcro to each end of the ribbon (on the back side of the banner).
 
12. Position your banner where you want it on your wreath.
13. Using the glue gun, glue the other side of the Velcro directly to the wreath where you want the banner to attach. This makes the banners interchangeable!! Now you can switch the banner for each season!

Fabric wreath hanger

1. Hem all sides of the 1/8 yard of fabric by folding each edge about 1/2" and then 1/2" again. Pin and sew using 1/4" seam allowance.
2. Cut 1 piece of Velcro 4 1/2" long. This will allow you to adjust the height of your wreath on the door.
3. Measure 1 1/2" from the bottom of the long strip and pin Velcro (in the middle width-wise).

4. Sew all four edges of Velcro.
5. Measure 14" from bottom of hemmed strip and pin other side of Velcro (pin in the middle width-wise).

6. Sew all four edges of Velcro.

7. Attach the wreath to the hanger by looping the fabric around the wreath and Velcroing shut.

8. Hang your new wreath by a nail on the very top of your door (great for renters!!).

9. Cause major wreath envy in your neighborhood!

 

Seriously, how cute is this wreath? And such an easy tutorial! Thanks, Bethany!

Noodles & Milk Pattern Giveaway

Want a chance to win a free Noodles & Milk sewing pattern? Check out the giveaway at Train to Crazy here. Can't wait for the giveaway to end? There is also a coupon code valid until October 1st!

 

Tips for Etsy Success: Advertising

Advertising your etsy shop is so important but can also seem like a daunting task because advertising costs money, right? Well, not really. In today’s world of social media there are tons of free or super cheap ways to get your shop name out there to new customers. Let's take a closer look at free (or dirt cheap) ways to get your shop name out there.

Tip No. 7: Advertising

1. Venture into Blogland:

•  Start your own blog for your shop. Crafty people love to read about other crafty people. Your friends and family will love to read about your business progress. Plain and simple, people love blogs. Personally, I follow 50+ blogs a week (kinda ridiculous, I know). Starting a blog is free and relatively simple even for those of us with no web design experience. There are a few keys to making your blog a must-read for people which include: frequent posting, good photography, an appealing site and most importantly you have to be yourself.

• Seek out blogs that feature etsy shops. There are TONS of blogs out there that are dedicated to featuring etsy shops and handmade businesses. Search Google and look around the web and jot down site names. Then contact each site and ask how you can get involved with a feature article or giveaway promotion. When you contact these bloggers, you need to be prepared and have your shop in tip-top shape. They will review your shop and make sure it is something suitable for their readers. A word of caution, some of these sites want you to pay for a giveaway or feature article. In my opinion, that is ludicrous. Unless you are buying ad space on their site in addition to the giveaway or feature, don’t pay for this service. There are plenty of other sites that will do it for free. (The only exception for this is when the site is an extremely high traffic site- think 100,000 hits and above per month. The higher the traffic, the more likely they will ask for a small fee for their article). 

• When you create your blog, make sure to include a free sitemeter. It is a handy little tracking device that can help you to learn who your readers are and where they are coming from.

2. Facebook & Twitter:

• Start a Facebook fan page for your shop. This is also a really simple task that is free and can make a big impression. Facebook is a great place to advertise your shop and your shops blog. You can post coupons and sales for facebook fans only. You can post pictures of new designs, ask for opinions or advice and meet lots of other etsians.

• Like Facebook, Twitter is another way that you can stay in touch with your customers and family. You can do all the things that you can do on Facebook and you can frequently “tweet” about your businesses daily happenings. (Note: I don’t actually use Twitter but it may be in my future. The blog and FB and shop keep me busy enough right now!)

• The catch with Facebook and Twitter is similar to creating a blog. It needs to be maintained and used on a daily basis or it will be ignored.

3. Ad Spaces:

• Remember the crafty blogs that we discussed earlier? Well, many of those do offer paid ad spaces for really cheap. Create a list of sites that you would like to advertise on and contact all of them about their rates and availability. Expect the larger sites to have larger advertising fees and make sure that you are only contacting sites that your potential customers would frequent. If you are willing to spend a little money on advertising, you need to make sure you are getting your money's worth. The key to this is to watch to see if it is working for you. You can do this by using your Google Analytics (mentioned below) reports to see what sites your shop is getting the most hits from. If you shelled out $20 for ad space and after a month you only got 5 hits to your etsy shop then you might want to re-think where you are spending your advertising dollars. In general, there are plenty of blogs that you can spend less than $10 a month on advertising (including here at N&M!). 

• Once you have found a blog (or blogs) that you want to advertise on, then you need to have a web ad designed. If you can do a professional looking job yourself, then you can save a few bucks. If you are helpless with these things (like I am) then you can find someone on etsy to design one for you. This is a really inexpensive thing. You should not pay more than $5-$10 for a web ad design. Make sure the design includes your shop name and a great picture of your product. It is also important that the look of the ad be seamless with the design of your shop.

• A free alternative to having a web ad created is creating an etsy mini from your shop. Many blogs will let you do this instead of submitting an ad. For the simple instructions to create an etsy mini, look here.

4. Newsletter:

• Setting up a newsletter is another great way to stay in touch with your customers and potentially gain new customers. Shop newsletters often include special discount codes and sales that are just for readers. Designing one can be a little daunting, but there are sites like constant contact and mail chimp that can help with that. Most of these newsletter sites are free as long as you have under a certain amount of recipients.

• The catch with setting up a newsletter is that you need email addresses to do so. Etsy does not allow you to use all the email addresses from your past orders for a newsletter without permission from customers. So, if you have plans to create an email address list, you need to contact your previous customers and ask them if they would like to be included in your newsletter email list.

5. Join an etsy team:

• Do you know what an etsy team is? Etsy teams are groups of people that are established because of a common thread. There are teams set up by location, craft type, religion, etc. More information on etsy teams can be found here. Check out the list and see how many teams you would fit into then contact them and ask about membership. Most of them are free to join and have a lot to offer. Most ask that you be an active participant in their chats, blogs, fb groups, etc. The great thing about etsy teams is that they promote each other and offer one big support group. Once you join a team, you can add that team name to your items tags- this is great because many team members would rather support other team members above other shops on etsy. The regional teams often set up craft shows and opportunities to promote your shop in your own community.

6. Word of Mouth:

• Word of mouth is the absolute best advertising. Use great customer service and your past customers will promote you to their friends and family. Word of mouth also includes you talking about your shop. Don’t be shy! Did someone at the grocery store compliment your earrings (that you made)? Tell them about your shop and give them a business card. Did you give a gift at a baby shower that everyone loved? Tell them about your shop and give them a business card. See the trend? Be proud of your shop and promote it!

7. Advertise your advertising:

• Now that you have gone through the effort to create a blog, facebook page and newsletter, makes sure that your customers know where to find you! There are several ways that you can do this: 
• Create a unique convo signature to use for every purchase and sale. I typed up a convo signature in Word that includes all my "sites" and I copy and paste it into every convo that I have on etsy. It is surprising how many new followers I get from these convos.
• Set your email address(es) up to automatically include the same information.
• Include your “sites” in your etsy listings and in the message on your etsy homepage too!

There is a link to helpful etsy advertising tips here.

Etsy also provides a ton of applications designed to help grow your business. Check them out here.

I hope this article has inspired you with some new advertising ideas for your business. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to comment!

Featured Shop: Monkey Style Boutique

This weeks featured shop is Monkey Style Boutique. This etsy shop carries all kinds of cute creations for your little one. Ashley, the owner, is a super sweet person with great taste in fabric. The combinations in her outfits are beautiful.

Look at this gorgeous personalized dress! It would be super cute for back-to-school.

Here is what Ashley has to say about herself: "Monkey Style Boutique was created out of my desire to dress my own two daughters in the cutest clothes possible, and finding that it was cheaper, more fun, and more fulfilling to make those clothes myself than to try to buy them at boutique store prices. After having lots of interest from other mamas in the clothes my girls were wearing, and lots of encouragement in the direction of opening my own shop, Monkey Style Boutique was born. I love beautiful fabrics, fun patterns, and over the top cuteness, and my girls are my biggest inspiration. Although my shop is new, in it I hope you will find clothing that is well made, beautifully finished, and that will leave other mamas gushing and wanting to know where you bought it. I welcome and would love to create a custom order for you!"

Twirly skirts for your princess.

Love this! Matching outfit for brothers and sisters.

  

Pillowcase dress- love the side tie and the fabric combination!

Monkey Style Boutique has a giveaway for Noodles & Milk readers. Ashley is generously offering a $15 gift certificate for her shop to one reader.

Here is how to enter (in separate entries please):

• 
  
  Visit Monkey Style Boutique and come back here and leave a comment= 1 entry
• 
  
  Fan Monkey Style on Facebook and leave a comment here= 1 entry

Giveaway ends 9/20 at midnight.

In addition to the giveaway, if you use coupon code "noodlesandmilk" on your Monkey Style Boutique purchase, you will receive 10% off your total order. Coupon valid 9/16-9/23

 

Fun Etsy Finds: Techie Gear

I love technology. I really do. The first thing I do most mornings is turn on the computer and check my email. Sad, but true.

Anyways, etsy is a great place to find all kinds of fun accessories for your tech gear. Check out a little of what I found.

Berties Closet: Look at this gorgeous laptop sleeve! It has so much more personality than the solid colors you can find at the electronics stores.

Gift Chick: I LOVE anything monogrammed, so this cell phone decal is perfect for me! Oh, and this shop has tons of cute ideas for monogramming :)

Lucky Straps: Cute wristlet for your camera. Love that it is lined with super soft minky.

Puking Pastilles: Cd case for your car visor (shop also sells the sewing pattern to make your own!)

Elisa Lou: Padded carrying case for your Flip camcorder. We just got a Flip, so I think I have an excuse to splurge on this:)

Apple Jam Shop: Adorable decal for your Iphone

Ely Lane: Isn't this laptop bag beautiful? I love it AND the shop takes 10% off all profits and helps a friends mission in Haiti!

The Ferris Wheels: Adorable wrist support for your keyboard. Isn't this better than the boring grey one in your office!??!

Rogue Theory: Lovely ipod case

Elizabeth David Designs: Look at this amazing Ipad cover with pockets! If I had an Ipad, I would definitely purchase this!

LBG Studio: DSLR Camera strap. I love the color combination and that it has a pocket for the lens cap.

Michelle Christina: Laptop decal- this adorable design comes in several colors

Glam Baby: Love that this Iphone case has a wrist strap. Great fabric combinations!

Puppy Dogs N Polka Dots: Kindle Sleeve. This fabric is so beautiful!

Gilmore Creations: Isn't this mouse pad beautiful? I very well may order one for myself:)

Gypsy Rose Handbags: I have had my eye on this DSLR camera bag for almost a year! Really hoping Santa will bring it this year.

I hope these items brought you some inspiration. Do you know someone who would love one of these items for their next birthday or Christmas? Then, get shopping!