It’s American Craft Week – a week dedicated to celebrating the “the countless ways handmade objects enrich our daily lives and contribute to our national aesthetic and economy.”
No matter what part of the world you’re in, it’s a wonderful opportunity to get out there and talk about what makes craft so great. But we also run the risk of squandering this opportunity if we are only preaching to the choir. We should use this week as motivation to promote craft BEYOND our niche.
Here are a few of my ideas for how we can do that:
1. Pitch your products to a non-handmade/indie blog. We’ve got so many great craft and indie design blogs that it’s hard to remember that there are people in the world who don’t read Poppytalk or Scoutie Girl. There are plenty of blogs out there that cover products but don’t focus on handmade. This week is the perfect opportunity to email a few of them about your fabulous product line.
2. Email all your non-crafty friends and family with your favorite handmade finds. You probably know a few people who aren’t totally entrenched in the craft world. Maybe it’s the other moms at your son’s school, your fashionista sister-in-law, or your friend from the gym. Now is a great time to encourage them to buy craft. And it doesn’t have to be pushy. Emailing them some of your favorite links on some of your favorite indie blogs is a great place to start.
3. Go to the mall and offer to swap people’s mass-produced purchases for handmade stuff. (Bonus points for bringing a video camera along.) Ok, so this one’s a little out there, but with a group of people, it could be totally fun. A lot of people shopping at the mall probably have no idea that sites like Etsy exist, or that there are really great little indie boutiques in your town. So why not let them know? After all, talking about craft to total strangers seems like just the way to celebrate American Craft Week.
So how will you promote craft outside our niche this week? What ideas do you have to promote craft to the general public?
OMG. I want to organize a mall swap. I would need someone WAY more extroverted than me, though.
can you recommend me non-handmade/indie blogs? Just a few for a start …
Thanks!!
Jduit
I love these ideas! I’m all over 1 and 2. I agree with you on 3. Maybe it would be easier to get 2 or 3 crafties together for a mall swap. That way you can encourage each other to be more extroverted. 🙂
I love number 3!..couldn’t do it alone , tho’..:)
So wish I had the guts for a mall swap. Love it. Will have to search out a couple good non handmade blogs to post on. So much gorgeous handmade stuff out there people are missing.
Love these ideas. Our mall might just be sad, pathetic, and store-less enough that a mall swap would be completely awesome. Although, I’m not amazingly extroverted … I could pretend. I’m all for the first two, however. I think I could get some people together for the third, but no one would agree to a video camera, I’m sure. Heehee…
I love #1. There are so many people outside this niche that have NO idea what we do.
Ooh I think I’m going to push #2 on Facebook. I might do best baby handmade items, seem like everyone I know is producing babies these days!
I am an extrovert Tara 🙂 I love these ideas and thanks for the heads up on Craft Week. I will definitely try something different, though I’m not yet sure what.
I love these ideas! I already do a lot of promoting of handmade on my blog & twitter too. I’m definitely going to try #2. I know plenty of people that don’t know Etsy exists, but would probably love what they find there.
Thank you for the heads up on Craft Week, can’t believe I didn’t know. I do my best to promote craft and help crafters promote themselves everyday. However this week I pledge to be more vocal and share my insights with the non-converted who cross my path.
Have 2 more ideas…
1. Have a craft party for your non-crafty friends — show them how to make something (and give them some wine)…You never know who you’ll get into crafting!
2. Right as Rain sells crafts to help people in crisis…and we sell them to non-crafty people all the time! I think it really is promoting hand-made – so Donate a craft to a cause – that’ll help too!
If you know of ANY charity auctions/sales/anything, consider donating a few of your items to them. I do this on a fairly regular basis and make sure to put a small handful of business cards with the items, so that anyone that is interested in it can visit the web site. I’ve gotten several sales this way, and the items donated are often tax deductible.
We have started a free monthly sewing circle at a local independent coffee shop up the street from my house! Our first circle was last month and we had one person, but she’s bringing more this month. We’re envisioning 10-12 eventually. We had so much fun interacting and sharing ideas and problem solving. I can’t think of a better way to promote crafting in general, along with supporting a local business, though it wasn’t hard since their handmade cinnamon rolls sell themselves!!
I LOVEEE these ideas! I actually do #2 quite a lot, but a seriously need to give #1 a try … and even #3 hehehehe. if a bring a camera along i will send you pictures 🙂