…has taught me a few things.
I opened my Etsy shop in August 2010. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to sell but my work experience was in sales and retail. I had 2 small boys at the time and was looking for a creative way to work from home with a flexible schedule. I knew I loved fabric, bold color and decorating. Still, what should I make, what will sell, and how will I make money where all questions I had without a concrete answer nearby.
Enter… Amy Butler Design!!! I stared googly – eyed at her fabrics and designs. This was my first source of inspiration. I used her fabrics to cover art canvases to make wall art. I also branched in to using large scale prints for pillows and table cloths, also. These were all beginning to sell on my Etsy shop…very slowly…but selling. Below are a few homemade items I sold on my Etsy shop.
From there, I began to scour vintage, thrift and antique shops looking for piece of home decor I could flip and sell.
I started picking up small pieces of furniture and chairs I could recover.
Next came the overwhelming task of SHIPPING!!! Arrrrrgh…. sigh ….
That’s how I felt most days during the first couple of years when I had to ship anything over the size of my hand, no joke.
I made mistakes and I forgave myself for making them. Furniture busted and arrived to the customer damaged and broken, just like my heart. See those beautiful Italian gold and turquoise pieces above? Yeah, those all broke because I didn’t package them well enough. I returned the customer their money but my heart and ego remain shattered. Again, in due time, I forgave myself and kept pushing along. Here are a few earlier items I found and flipped.
I read everything I could about Etsy. I joined teams, started treasuries and tried to be a sponge for knowledge. Slowly, my selected items sold. YES!!!!!
My courage increased, my knack for selecting items broadened and I officially became an Etsy shop owner.
So naturally, the idea is to go bigger or go home. This is where the furniture comes in to play. I have always loved painting and decorating. The two went hand in hand in my world. So, I took the furniture makeovers to the next level. I put a dresser on my shop that I painted and adored so much. Here it is below.
