This is part 10 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop! You can find the entire list of days, in order on our Setting Up Shop Index Page. I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.
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{branding with materials}
Narrow it down. There are millions of craft supplies out there, but it should not be your goal to use them all for your shop. Find what you already know how to use, and start there.
When I was first starting out, I thought I had narrowed it down enough. I decided to only use fabric with natural fibers.
So, for Lasso the Moon, I made it my tag-line: cotton, linen, and wool -- three of my favorite fibers.
No plastic, no vinyl, no acrylic felt.
But I started to notice that lots of other sellers were using the same fabrics that I was. We shopped at the same two big chain stores, so we were naturally choosing the same designs. I had to find a source of interesting material that would also work to identify my brand.
For me, it was the thrift store. I continued searching out my favorite basic fibers, but now I had access to a whole new set of patterns and colors that no one else had. And the prices were better, too!
These days, I rarely step foot in a fabric store, and my designs are all the better for it. Narrowing down my materials forced me to stretch myself creatively.
My signature materials:
linen fabric salvaged from skirts and pants
felted wool sweaters
and of course, vintage sheets.
How will you hone your materials so that your line is cohesive and recognizable?
