words of wisdom for today. image by natalieannclark. discovered via natalie lynn borton.

wrap up: {chance} {inspiration} {tags} {take at least one} {today} {widsom}

one of my favorite things to do each year is choose a gift wrapping theme. one year it was recycled newspaper, the next was huge glittered initials for each package. last year i used kraft paper and made pretty bows, and this year’s supplies will be arriving shortly (maybe later today!). i’ll be sharing with you the theme for this year next week, but for now here are my favorite picks for gift wrap from around the web.

what will you be using this year?

1) ceramic gift tags – $8 | 2) good tidings wrapping paper – $12 | 3) peach berries – $7 | 4) woodland animal gift tags – $9.60 | 5) black woodgrain gift wrap – $9 | 6) 10 letterpress gift tags – $10 | 7) mustache gift wrap- $5.25 | 8) stripes wrap – $12 | 9) etoile velvet ribbon – $8 | 10) pink posies – $4.95 | 11) ecofriendly dots wrapping paper – $7 | 12) seersucker wrap – $8

wrap up: {christmas} {gift guide} {gift wrap} {holiday} {round up} {tags} {wrapping paper}

 
#1: wish i could buy 100 sheets of this vintage paper

#2. circle circle dot dot! 100 kraft paper tags

#3. santa clause and stag deco tape? yes, please!

#4. i love this pretty kraft tissue paper, to go with the natural/woodsy theme

#5. does this candy cane gift bag resemble chevron?? i think so

#6. i’m using this tape bundle to wrap this year- as i still love bold contrasts

#7. i’ll wrap things up in red baker’s twine till i can’t wrap no more

#8. cute cute cute idea – sewing ruffled crepe trim

#9. so affordable and so easy to spruce up: brown kraft paper

this year, i’m wrapping with #1, 6, 7 & 9. plus, using these gift tags.
 

what are you wrapping with?

wrap up: {christmas} {gift} {paper} {supplies} {tags} {tissue} {twine} {wrapping}

hello, friends! i’ve been making our christmas gift cards this week, and just thought i would share them with you! you can download each of them by clicking below the picture (see instructions at bottom).

>> download the acorn christmas gift tags <<

>> download the stag christmas gift tags <<

>> download the striped christmas gift tags <<

>> download the pennant christmas gift tags <<

hopefully these will make your presents a little merrier! you can print them on heavy cardstock and cut them out, OR they also fit the avery template 8163 sticker sheets (they are 2″ x 4″ each).

i’ll be working hard this weekend on putting the final touches on celebrate mag, as it will be released early next week!  have a beautiful weekend! love, bonnie

wrap up: {christmas} {downloads} {free} {gift} {holiday} {presents} {printable} {tags}

hello sweet ones!  we haven’t touched on the subject of item tags very much but we’re going to skim the surface today!  we’ll go further into the subject in the future, but i recently found this very helpful website called craftweasel, have you heard of it?

vintage chartreuse gingerbread coat

i find that tagging my items can sometimes be the hardest thing of all. i’m really good until around tag #9 then my fingers get stuck!  we’ve read  how important it is to use all 14 tags, but is it really helpful when all i can come up with is ‘yellow, yellowish & yellowy’ to finish the last 3 of the tagging task?

rise and shine jojoba sugar cube scrub

well, good news! craftweasel‘s tag finder tool is here to help!  by giving the tag finder a couple of tags to start with, it can give you a list of suggested tags that related to your original ones.  it also lets you see the average number of views per day of each suggested tag- so you can always choose the tags that produce the highest number of views! here’s just a sampling of the results you can find.  for my tags- i typed in ‘felt pillow eco applique’- and here’s what i got:

Distribution of Price

Mean price: $52.22

Median price: $47.00

this graph shows that according to my tags, this is the number of products that fall into a specific price category.  for example, there are 11 items that fit my tags in the $2-$22 range.

Graph of related tags with most views/day

i love this graph! it shows how many views specific tags get at specific price points.  for example, the tag ‘recycled’ gets around 180 views with at an average price of about $60.

now for the real goods- if you’re stuck on tags- check out this table.  it shows which related tags get the most views and even includes their average price.  thank you craftweasel!

have i taken you back to high school algebra yet?

lemon treasure bowl

of course, craftweasel doesn’t just stop there- they offer quite a few more resources.  they have a shop stats tool that generates a graph showing the price & views per day of your items. it also show you the price and views per day of the tags that you often use- all by typing in your shop name and clicking ‘get stats’!

solstice flat

next on the list is the personal shopper tool.  craftweasel will look at your favorite items and shops to get an idea of what you like- then search through all the items that have been listed in the last day to find ones it thinks you’ll be interested in most.

Maybert COLA beverage antique 1937 label

next, is the similar item search tool. this is where you can enter up to five item ids. craftweasel then scans the tags and materials from those items and searches etsy to find similar ones. i’m thinking there are numerous ways to use this one.  not only could you use this to find items to purchase, but also to do some market research on your own items. finding similar items will help you see what you’re up against, what their price points are and what your consumers may be finding when they search for a specific set of tags.

after the rain

does this give you a few things to keep you busy?  i feel like i always struggle with tags- especially with trying to figure out what tags will really help the consumer find what they’re looking for.  craftweasel has already given me lots of ideas and will hopefully make the task of tagging easier in the future!

heart me fine art

what are your suggestions for great tags?

xoxo! bonnie

wrap up: {etsy} {handmade} {items} {shop help} {tagging} {tags}

country winter

hello lovelies!  this week etsy released their goals and expectations for december!  just in case you haven’t taken a look already- i’m going to sum them up for you.  there’s a lot of great information that will help you and your shop succeed this holiday season!

mourning dove in snow

i thought these points were so helpful- that i giving them all to you! coming straight from etsy- these are what they specifically want you to keep in mind as you prep for the holiday hustle and bustle:

• Seasonal Holiday Gift-Giving: Find our full list of seasonal gift-giving thematic topics in the newly released Holiday Gift Guides. Reevaluate your line and describe why your items make great gift ideas; take the time to photograph your items in a way that shows the potential uses it could have.
• Seasonal Home Decor: Winter and holiday home decor accents, displays, accessories, centerpieces, ornaments, and all the home accoutrement that make us think of a cozy dwelling.  Think candles, baskets, wreaths, garlands, furniture, tabletop, quilts, blankets, pillows, storage solutions, rugs, windows, lighting, bedding, and bath.  Rich materials and fabrics remain at the forefront of styling options.
• Entertaining: Celebrations including dinner with the family, holiday parties, and those notorious over-the-top New Year’s galas abound. We’ll be looking for creative and unique seasonal tabletop solutions, dinnerware, glassware and bar, table linens, food for your feast, centerpieces, place settings, place cards, invitations, menus, favors, and hostess gifts.
• Winter and Holiday Fashion: Vamped up holiday, formal, and party fashions along with warm layers, winter coats, winter accessories, boots, bags, and jewelry all sparkle this season.
• New Year’s Eve: Ring in the new year in style. We’ll be highlighting party options, celebration accessories and party fashion. Keep in mind with New Year’s Eve, resolution time is right around the corner. January sneek peek: Health and wellness, relaxation, detox, reorganization, and all that emphasizes a fresh new start.
• Calendars and Paper Goods: Thank you card sets, stationery sets, 2010 calendars, and gift wrapping elements.
• Shopping Local: With online shopping, comes shipping deadlines. As we near these deadlines, we’ll be looking to promote the Shop Local Etsy shopping feature along with other location-based highlights. Make sure your location is up to date in order take advantage of last-minute shoppers in your area.
• Boxing Day: Boxing Day is a recognized day of rest in many countries, originating as a day of extending goodwill to those less fortunate. Over time, it has traditionally become known as a shopping holiday for sales and promotions. For many retail merchants, this marketing strategy has become their highest revenue driving day of the year. We’ll be hosting a special Boxing Day extended promotion for sellers interested in participating. Stay tuned for details as we get closer to December including how to participate as a seller.
• Winter Weddings: Attire, decor, invitations, favors, and gift ideas.
• The International Vacation: Global adventures, features on warmer weather destinations, highlights of spring/summer fashion in the Southern Hemisphere.
• December trends: The all-encompassing forest imagery including holly, branches, berries, pine cones, acorns, and related animals (deer, squirrels, chipmunks). Boots, pumps, Oxfords, and ballet flats. Winter accessories. Statement jewelry, metallics and sequined clothing and accessories.  Gem tones, deep berry, plum, forest green, and classic combinations of red, white, black, green and royal blues. Vintage decor, eco-friendly options, and tribal motifs continue to top the trends this season.
• Turquoise is December’s birthstone, and December’s astrological signs are Sagittarius and Capricorn (November 23 – December 21: Sagittarius and December 22 – January 20: Capricorn).
• Promotional Opportunities for Sellers:
  • In preparation for our Turquoise Gift Guide, we will be looking for community suggestions and nominations for what items you’d like to see in the guide. Suggest your favorite turquoise-related items in this nomination thread.
  • Suggest and nominate items for Etsy’s Holiday Gift Guides in this Forum thread.
  • Stay tuned to the Selling section of The Storque for additional promotional opportunities through December.

winter snow wreath with cardinal

so, what should you do with all this info?  translate into something meaningful for your shop.  that means update your listings, photos, shop announcement, descriptions, tags and titles.  this way, etsy will be able to find and promote you- and your consumers will be able to find and purchase from you.  also, try to keep in mind the holdiay rush- because who doesn’t wait till the last minute? by building up your stock- you’ll be able to ship more quickly and appeal to all those last minute shoppers.

duikers in red pillow cover

one last thing to remember is that etsy often curates their homepage themes by holidays and special events.  so- here’s a list of dates to keep in mind during december.  if you can fit any of your products into one of them- tag them as such- and you may just find yourself on the front page!

• November is known as Real Jewelry Month, Peanut Butter Lovers Month, and Aviation History Month.
• December 1: World AIDS Awareness Day
• December 6: Spain’s Constitution Day
• December 6: Saint Nicholas Day
• December 9: Christmas Card Day and National Pastry Day
• December 10: Final safe date for international shipping deadlines (save for express and overnight)
• December 10: Nobel prizes presented
• December 11: Hanukkah begins at sundown
• December 12: Poinsettia Day
• December 12: Feast of Our Lady Guadalupe in Mexico
• December 17: Hari Raja Puasa
• December 17: South Africa’s Day of Reconciliation
• December 18: Final safe date for online shipping deadlines (save for express and overnight)
• December 18: Muharram
• December 21: Winter Solstice — shortest day of the year
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 25: England’s Constitution Day
• December 26: Boxing Day — also known as the Day of Goodwill
• December 26: Saint Stephen’s Day
• December 26: Kwanzaa begins
• December 31: New Year’s Eve

fabric tubby

do you have any advice? experience? xox, bonnie

do your homework :: {customer service virtual labs} {colors to focus on}

wrap up: {descriptions} {etsy savoir faire} {etsy shop help} {holiday} {tags} {titles}