Welcome to Episode 39 of the Craft Seller Success podcast – Greener Means More Profit Plus! How having an ecofriendly shop can increase your profits as well as other benefits.
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Welcome to the Craft Seller Success Podcast – helping craft sellers sell their crafts
Hi, I’m Deborah Richardson from Tin Teddy.
This is the Craft Seller Success podcast from Tin Teddy. Episode number Thirty-Nine – Greener Means More Profit Plus!
Introduction
This podcast is about sustainability and eco-friendliness for craft sellers in general. I will look at ways to improve how eco-friendly your shop is, and how this can benefit your sales and save you money, as well as help the environment.
So let’s get started.
Three BIG Reasons to Have as Eco-Friendly a Shop as Possible
1 – The biggest reason that ALL craft sellers should consider being as eco-friendly as possible is simply that doing so can save them a lot of money. Saving money means more profit for you.
You may not agree with the two reasons coming up, that’s your prerogative. But increasing your profits is something that most, if not all, craft sellers want.
2 – Helping the planet. By using less resources, recycling and switching to sustainable options, you really can help make a difference to the growing issues that face our beautiful planet.
I am not going to talk much about this, because I am pretty sure that if you are listening to this podcast, you are already aware of the situation.
Sure, some people say that one person can’t make a difference. But the actions of many individuals really ARE changing things.
For example, people complained about the plastic packaging on their groceries. So more and more companies are switching to paper and card packaging, reducing how much is used or trying to find other, better ways.
3 – Your customers care about this. There are lots of people who are looking to reduce their carbon footprint, move towards a waste free life, be more minimalist or embrace sustainable and eco-friendly options. A LOT of people. And this number is growing every year.
Having a greener shop is unlikely to put any shoppers off buying, but is very likely to make you more attractive to this growing customer-base.
These are, in my opinion, three very powerful reasons.
So, let’s look at various areas of your business, and think about what you can do.
Supplies
Of course, as you are all selling different types of crafted items, you all have very different supplies!
Nowadays, there are many supply companies offering greener alternatives. Sadly, these are sometimes more expensive, but at least they are becoming more commonly available.
However, some sustainable and eco-friendly supplies may be at a very similar, or even lower, price point than you are paying for your current supplies.
Every year, more and more craft sellers are looking at changing to use recycled, recyclable and sustainable supplies. Not just because they want to help the environment, but because doing so can save money and help their business.
For example, many paper and card sellers are now offering recycled products. Modern recycled paper looks just as good as virgin paper and comes in a vast array of finishes, colours, patterns and weights.
I have also seen quite a bit of yarn that has been made with all or partial recycled components. There are also new yarns being developed that avoid the use of plastics.
Some craft sellers are repurposing yarn from damaged or out of date clothes to use for creating new products. This is not only a great selling point, but repurposed yarn can work out much, much cheaper than buying new balls.
I have personally seen sweaters and other knitwear in charity shops that is made with expensive mohair, angora and other wools. The designs look old fashioned, so the sweaters are just a couple of pounds. But the yarn could easily be washed and used again. Vastly cheaper than buying a new ball of “posh” yarn.
I am surprised I haven’t seen more jewellery sellers announcing that they are using recycled beads and components.
When I used to make jewellery, I bought lots of necklaces and earrings from charity shops and jumble sales. Just one necklace might supply a big pile of lovely beads at a fraction of the price I would have to pay for “new” beads. They can be reused in all sorts of new products.
As well as being a cheap way to get beads, you can find some amazing beads, charms and other little components this way. Things that your competition will probably not have!
I am currently wearing earrings that I made from a broken Victorian necklace. They are therefore unique!
Of course, it is difficult to make multiples of the same product if you only have a limited supply of beads or accents. But on the plus side, “one of a kind” and Limited Edition pieces can command higher prices.
There are lots of craft lines where you could try using second-hand items as your supplies.
For example, you could repaint china, porcelain and pottery products.
Or cut up and repurpose the fabric from second hand clothing, bedding and curtains.
One quilt cover will give you far more fabric per dollar/pound/Euro etc. than you could ever get if you were buying new fabric by the metre or yard.
I’ve picked up brand-new fleece blankets in charity shops. For just a couple of pounds, you get a nice big piece of fleece. Ideal to make pyjamas, bags, cushions, toys, pet products and many more items.
Wooden boxes can be repainted, or otherwise decorated. You can add fancy linings, change the fastenings and embellish them so that the end result is a wonderful new creation.
You may already have seen people who get second-hand furniture, often in a poor condition, and do it up to make wonderful new pieces. There are so many pieces of unloved furniture out there, just waiting for someone to give them a new lease of life – or use their valuable wood for a whole new project.
Have a look for “upcycled” or “repurposed” on YouTube or Pinterest to see many wonderful examples of how crafters are turning tired old second hand items and waste into amazing new projects.
Tools and Sundries
Many crafters use a variety of tools in their crafting. And there are a few ways you can do so in a more sustainable or eco-friendly way, and save yourself money too.
Buying second hand is one such way. When my grandmother passed away, I was given her big bag of knitting needles, crochet hooks and other accessories.
Most of the knitting needles still have the old British sizes on them – and they were phazed out 50 years ago! But of course, they are still fully functioning knitting needles. There are plenty of conversion charts online and in old pattern books. So there is no reason to think they couldn’t still be used for another 50 years, and many more besides.
I often see bags of knitting needles or crochet hooks on sale in charity shops. And they are vastly cheaper than buying new ones!
I also use a 1940s pair of pinking shears, 1960s vintage hole punches and staplers, and quite a few of the art supplies that my father bought when he was a student back in the 50s.
You don’t always need the latest sewing machine, for example. Sure, if you want to do complex embroidery with it, you may need something very up to date. But for basic sewing needs, an older second hand sewing machine may well be fine.
My very first sewing machine was a Singer, made in… 1903! It was hand cranked, but worked just fine. I made many clothes, cushions, toys and bags on it. Later on I was gifted another Singer – this time a 1970s electric model which I used until about 2010. That machine could sew anything you threw at it, ridiculously sturdy beast. Just very heavy!
I now have a lightweight sewing machine from Lidl. It is about 16 years old, and still going strong. And my 1970s Singer? It has a new home, and is still being used.
I rather hope the 1903 Singer is also still going strong somewhere, too!
Many people swear that the older machines are more reliable than the new ones and I quite believe it!
I am sure there are lots of craft machines and tools where older, second hand versions are going to work just as well as a brand new one.
A one-hundred year old hammer will still drive a nail into wood as well as a brand-new one can.
If you are considering second hand, though, please bear the following things in mind.
Firstly, be sure you can still get any necessary consumables. So, if you buy a second hand printer, you need to be able to get ink cartridges for it, and, ideally, for a few years to come. It is not a saving if you buy it and can never refill it.
Secondly, be sure that the tool or machine is not damaged, and is definitely still safe to use. This is especially important for anything electrical.
Thirdly, if you are going to use this for your craft business, be sure it is going to be up to the task. Of course, this applies to new products too.
There are tools that are perfect if you only use them now and again. But if you are using them over and over, every day, they may not be able to take that strain.
By the way, you may be able to get second hand industrial machines that are not only cheaper, but also a lot more reliable than similar items made for the crafting market.
For example, A Cricut or Sillhouette cutting machine is great, and they are sturdy. But for the same price you may be able to get a second-hand industrial cutter which might cut larger sizes, handle thicker materials and/or be far more long-lasting.
Please, try not to be seduced by new, fancier versions of things you already have.
Sure, those scissors in the craft shop have beautiful flowery handles. And golden coloured blades! They are adorable. And they would indeed look lovely hanging in your craft room.
But you have plenty of scissors already. Scissors that work just fine.
Buying the new ones just because they look pretty makes little sense for a business. You are basically just wasting money.
Yes, we all get seduced like this. I am certainly not immune to the lure of yet more “must have” rubber stamps, or a pack of “oh my god they are sooo beautiful” scrapbooking paper.
But reducing your buying has so many more benefits to you, and your craft business, than the short-lived thrill of a new purchase.
Buying only what you really need means you spend a lot less. Well doh! And the more you save, the more profit you will have in the long run.
Buying only what you need also means less clutter, and a studio, craft room or crafting area that is much easier to keep clean and organised.
And buying only what you need lessens the demand for new items and helps the environment in multiple ways.
Yeah, the scissors are indeed cute. But put your serous Craft Seller CEO hat on and think about the long term. You will feel proud of yourself later on, I promise.
Generally, buying new tools in sustainable materials such as wood and paper is preferable to plastic.
But continue to use your existing plastic tools as long as you can. Throwing them away to get new, greener alternatives is tempting, but then you are potentially adding the plastic to the environment earlier than you needed to. Keeping it out of land-fill as long as possible is the best option.
Besides, your business will save money if you keep using what you already have rather than buying something new.
Packaging
Many small businesses are now reusing packaging supplies. This is not only good for the planet, but also can save you a lot of money!
Amazon and other boxes can easily be turned inside out, so you have a clean outside to use.
Be sure to cover up all addresses etc that may be visible. You want to ensure the products go to the correct recipients!
If you are going to reuse packaging supplies, you need to warn your customers in your product listings and shops. Be sure to clarify you are doing so for green purposes and that their product will be packaged properly to reach them safely. I have seen a couple of sellers on the Etsy forums saying a customer complained about receiving an Amazon box. Warn them in advance, and try to thoroughly cover other company’s branding. A broad black marker is good for this.
You can now find a growing number of companies that offer recycled and/or recyclable packaging materials.
I would definitely recommend mentioning in your shop and product listings that you are using these supplies. There are a lot of shoppers who will appreciate it.
Look into more sustainable options for hard to recycle packaging, such as bubble wrap.
Obviously, you need to package your products very safely, but there are new options coming out all the time.
Ask on a craft selling forum or subReddit for ideas of eco-friendly packaging. You may well find something that is not only better for the environment, but also cheaper for you.
I recently saw a post from a lady who sold very delicate blown eggs, in other words, literal eggshells! She was asking for ideas on how to improve her packaging as she had had a few breakages. She was given some great alternatives to her current expanded foam system. The lady later reported back that she had given some a try, and found a solution that perfectly protected her eggs in a much smaller space than before. This enabled her to use a smaller box for shipping, which in turn saved her money on postage.
Label Printer
Nowadays, many of us buy our postage online. This means we need to print labels with barcodes and QR codes on the parcels. It is often not an option to write the customer’s address directly onto the product’s packaging.
For a while, I was printing my postage labels on a standard ink-jet printer, using sticky-backed paper. I had to trim the labels to fit my parcels. I wasn’t happy with this set up, as it wastes paper, and uses a lot of expensive printer ink.
I used the waste sticky paper from around the labels to seal the envelopes instead of sticky tape, but it was still not the best solution. So….
I have recently got a thermal label printer. Although there is an initial cost, it should save me money in the long run – and be better for the environment too. I got mine when it was on sale, saving quite a bit up front.
A lot of craft sellers use these small, thermal label printers. These don’t need any ink, so there are no plastic ink cartridges to worry about!
You just buy thermal paper label rolls in the size of the postage labels you use – usually 6” by 4”, so there is very little waste.
Thermal printers also use less energy than a normal-sized ink-jet printer.
It is also very quick, and doesn’t waste any labels with set up etc. And I can print my labels from my phone or my tablet, so I don’t need to turn on my large, more power-hungry, desktop computer when I just want to print one label.
You can also use thermal printers for printing receipts and other inserts.
Money saving tip – if you buy the rolls of thermal paper that are intended for use in supermarket tills etc, for printing receipts, they are often a LOT cheaper than rolls sold specifically for the little thermal machines.
Obviously, you will need to look for rolls that are the same width as your machine, but you may find that they are also too long to fit in your printer. You can rewind part of the roll onto an empty inner tube to solve this problem.
Lights and Power
Turning off unused lights and machinery will save you money as well as help the environment. But do make sure your working area is well lit – or your eyes will suffer.
If you can, work by a window and make use of natural light, that’s totally free! It is also the best light for seeing colours accurately.
But this may not be something that you can always do, especially if you work during dark evenings or nights.
Nowadays, there are many options for lighting that use less electricity but are still nice and bright. Replacing old incandescent light bulbs with modern LED ones can do wonders!
Many crafters like a daylight bulb, which can be less harsh on the eyes than some other lights, and also gives a more accurate representation of colours in your products. Many of the new Smart Bulbs have a daylight option too.
My craft area is part of a much bigger room. When I am in here on my own, crafting away, I tend to use a small but powerful LED desk light, rather than putting the “big lights” on and lighting the whole room unnecessarily.
Have you ever heard of vampire power? I don’t mean being able to fly, turn into a bat and stuff like that. Vampire power is the power that appliances use when they are left on stand-by or turned off, but still plugged into the mains.
For many appliances, the power usage like this is very small – but we often have lots of appliances, so it can really add up over time.
Getting into the habit of unplugging things after using them can really help.
You might want to look at getting a power strip or multi-socket with an on/off switch or switches. You can plug multiple appliances in, and turn them all off easily with one switch. Quicker and easier than unplugging individually.
My computer, monitor, desk light, cutting machine etc are all plugged into a tower with 4 columns of sockets. Each column of sockets has an on/off switch, so I only need to turn on the things I am actually using.
On a bigger scale, you could look at installing solar panels or other sources of green energy. Obviously this requires a big up-front investment, but prices are coming down all the while and many places have government or state funding available.
Pens
It was only recently that I stopped and thought about how many pens I get through. And what happens to all the plastic they are made of?
Many brands of ball-point pens are not currently recyclable.
And even the ones that are may well still end up in landfill because so few parts of my country have the facilities to recycle this sort of plastic.
Use the pens you already own before buying new ones, the longer you keep them out of the landfill, the better.
But when they run out, you could look into buying greener versions as replacements.
There are paper based pens and pencils which are mostly compostable when finished with.
You can also get pens that have refillable ink sections. Whilst the ink part is still usually plastic, it does mean the outer barrel can be used over and over.
And there are many wonderful artists out there who make beautiful wooden pens that can be refilled. Not only does this avoid some plastic, they look much more attractive than a common ballpoint!
Alcohol, paint and water-based markers can sometimes be refilled too. Check when buying, but please note that sadly, the refills sometimes contain almost as much plastic and/or cost almost as much as the original pen.
I like to use a fountain pen where I can. I buy my ink in reusable glass bottles, and there is a reservoir in the pen that holds the working ink. Many of my fountain pens are decades old, and there is no plastic to be disposed of at all.
The picture above shows some of my pen collection.
Recently, I have also been experimenting with making my own inks, which is fun and not as hard as you might imagine. As the ingredients are things that grow, the costs can be negligible. Bonus.
You can make inks for fountain pens, markers and more.
I will do a blog post or YouTube video on this when I can.
The humble wooden pencil can be used for some jobs. Many modern companies make pencils from sustainable sources, and they are clean and waste free. They can also be stored indefinitely. I have pencils that my father used when he was at college, in the 1960s. Oh, and pencils are easy to transport and won’t leave big stains in your pockets or bag, as they can’t leak like a pen could.
Whilst working, I often make little notes to myself, because I am a bit of scatterbrain! I have started doing so with a pencil rather than a ballpoint. It’s a tiny switch, but every little counts.
Be sure to store your pens carefully. Every year, huge numbers of ball-point and other pens are thrown away because they are leaking. Look online for the latest ideas on ways to safely store different types of pens.
Storing alcohol and water based marker pens horizontally can help stop them drying out. The longer the pen lasts, the better for the environment and the better value it is for you.
Some Other Ideas
Can you replace plastic sticky tape with a paper based alternative? Or do you actually need sticky tape at all?
I recently bought something from Etsy that arrived wrapped in tissue paper to protect it. The paper was held closed with a piece of garden twine. It looked cute, and I reused the twine.
Washi tape is a paper based tape that comes in a vast array of beautiful colours and patterns. You can even get it printed with your own branding on!
Not only are you avoiding a bit of plastic, the washi tape can often be carefully pulled off and reused again.
Reusing the bags that your supplies come in is another popular way to save money and reduce waste. Lots of Etsy sellers also reuse the boxes from their supplies too.
Keep an eye out in your local charity or thrift stores for business and office equipment. I regularly see very good quality storage, desks, chairs, files, cabinets and much more. The chair I am sitting on right now was £10 from a charity shop, about 20 years ago. It would have been a pretty expensive “managers type” chair when new, and still has plenty of life in it. I suspect that a very low-priced brand new chair wouldn’t have lasted nearly as long.
Lose The Pinterest Envy
There are countless images on Pinterest and other social media of craft sellers’ studios, storage and work areas. Most are very pretty, with matching coloured boxes, cute tools and so on.
I’m sure that many of us, very much including me!, would love to have a beautiful aesthetic set up like this. How wonderful!
But in real life, this comes at quite a price.
Unless you have just received a significant windfall, and are starting out from scratch, you probably already have some of the supplies, tools and storage etc that you use in your craft business.
Scrapping perfectly good stuff to buy new, prettier ones is really not good. Sure, the result may look great, and even better on your Instagram page, but it is seriously not good for the environment. Or your purse!
I use a lot of empty cereal boxes and other packaging boxes to store things neatly and safely. Add a label and you have a perfectly good solution.
Sure, they don’t look very pretty, but it is not like many people are ever going to see them.
You can cover card boxes in pretty scrapbook paper, or paint them if you really want a more attractive look.
Then, over time, you can replace the cardboard boxes with more sturdy options, as your budget allows – or when you find suitable items in charity shops etc!
Use what you already have, wherever you can. If there is one thing you take from this podcast, I hope that it is this.
Use what you already have, wherever you can.
Hey, you’re a crafter! With a little ingenuity, it is possible to make a very aesthetic work area without having everything new and matching.
And, ultimately, which is far more important? – having a pretty work area, or having a functional, economical, sustainable one?
So What Do I Do?
I’ve been trying to improve my personal carbon footprint, and as I work from home, my business is very much involved in that.
I am moving over to totally using recycled felt and EVA foam in my die cuts business.
My receipts are printed on recycled paper, and I buy my printer ink from a company that reuses old ink cartridges.
There are now a few companies that will take your used ink cartridges to recycle.
I am just looking around my crafting area. My felt supplies are stored in big drawer units from my local charity shop (I got two for less than half the price of a new single new one). I have lots of things stored in some sturdy box-files from another charity shop. I covered the used description labels with sticky labels and wrote my own things on them.
Many of my craft supplies are in vintage boxes and tins. I have collected them over the years from jumble sales, charity shops and fairs. Most were pennies to buy. As long as they are still sturdy and labelled with what they now contain, they work just as well as fancy, expensive new ones.
I try very hard to use every little scrap of my materials. Not only is this better for the planet, but it doesn’t half save me some money! And, like any small business, that is a very important thing!
So, I have added new lines that use up as many of the smaller scraps as possible.
Very tiny scraps of felt get put into my stuffing bag and used as filling in amigurumi and other fabric crafts.
Very tiny bits of foam are used in Ecobricks, which I will use in my garden, or donate to the Ecobricks fund.
My die cuts are sent out to customers in pretty, reusable paper bags.
Very tiny foam die cuts, and felt die cuts go into reusable plastic bags too. I don’t like having to use the plastic bags, but it is important that these pieces get to the customer safely, and there is always a risk of the package getting a little wet on its travels.
I am hoping to find biodegradable, but waterproof bags for this soon.
The envelopes and boxes that the order goes into are recycled (and recyclable). I will reuse a box whereever possible.
I am always looking for new ways to improve the carbon footprint of my business (and my life in general).
Telling Your Customers
Remember how back at the start of this podcast, I mentioned that many shoppers are now looking for sustainable and eco-friendly options? Well, once you start implementing these changes in your own shop, you need to be sure that those shoppers are aware of it.
First, I need to mention the subject of greenwashing. If you haven’t heard this term before, it simply means when a company claims they are sustainable or eco-friendly in some way, but they are just saying it to try to get sales. It is not true.
If you search “greenwashing” online you will find many shocking examples of big companies who have been caught out performing this unethical practice.
You must be honest. Don’t be tempted to fib about how green your shop and products are. If you’re ever caught out it could ruin your reputation, and business.
So what should you tell your visitors?
Mention in your product listings when you have used sustainable options for your supplies.
“Each hat is hand-knitted by myself, using reclaimed and washed yarn from vintage sweaters that were no longer wearable or repairable.”
“Your beautiful picture will be printed on sturdy card that is 60% recycled. All the inks used are eco-friendly and use renewable resources.”
In your shipping information, you can mention that you use recycled or recyclable packaging.
“Your pot will be carefully wrapped in recycled bubble wrap – which you can use again yourself!”
In your About Page or other shop description, you can tell visitors about your other green credentials.
“All my clothes are designed with the latest “zero waste” practices in mind.”
“The company that prints my artwork have won awards for their sustainability, including …..”
“I am continually looking for ways to make my business more eco-friendly. In the past year I have moved to an eco-friendly energy supplier, installed energy efficient bulbs and switched my main component supplier to one with excellent sustainability credentials.”
When you make such changes to your products or business, you can also tell your followers on social media. With many people looking for ideas for how to improve things in their own life, these posts can be very successful.
If you post as a question, you can improve the engagement of your followers.
“My printer is really on it’s last legs now. I am thinking of getting one with refillable ink tanks, as they are apparently more eco-friendly. Have any of you tried one of these printers? What did you think?”
“Look at these pretty recycled pencils! Can you guess what they are actually made of?” (I have some pencils that are very surprisingly made from recycled coffee cups!)
“Does anyone have any good ideas for products I can make with these triangular fabric scraps? They are far too pretty to throw away!”
I hope all this has given you some ideas of ways you can improve your own eco-friendliness, sustainability and save money, as well as, hopefully, improving your craft selling business to boot.
I’d love it if you shared some of your ideas in the comments. Maybe another craft seller will also find them useful.
Until next time, take care,
The Craft Seller Success Podcast from Tin Teddy.
Featuring Deborah Richardson
Original music by Matthew French
Links to Recommended Books on Amazon
Here are links to some great books on Amazon. These are all books I personally own and love. I believe they could be helpful for craft sellers who are trying to make their businesses (and lives) more ecofriendly.
The links are affiliate links, so if you were to buy from them, I may get a small commission from Amazon for sending custom their way. This is at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you.
Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish: How Having Fewer, Better Things Can Make Us Happier by Patrick Grant
This book is by the dapper host of The Great British Sewing Bee. Patrick owns a company that makes sustainable, long lasting, high quality clothing. This book explains his philosophy and is very inspiring. Even if you don’t make and sell clothing, you may well find lots in this book that could be used.
Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish: How Having Fewer, Better Things Can Make Us Happier on Amazon.com
How To Save Your Planet One Object at a Time by Tara Shine
I particularly like this book as Tara goes through your home, and life, and looks at lots of ways you can replace items you already use with greener versions. There are loads of ideas and tips and many of them are perfect for applying to crafting and craft selling businesses.
How To Save Your Planet One Object at a Time by Tara Shine on Amazon.com
How To Save Your Planet One Object at a Time by Tara Shine on Amazon.co.uk
Here is a link to my review of the Great Gizmo’s Bead Winding Tool – this is a really fun way to recycle old magazines and flyers in to beautiful beads. A great way to create your own supplies!
