Starting a shop on Etsy is very easy. The hardest aspect of starting an Etsy shop is coming up with the kind of crafts you are comfortable creating, in order to supply the market you are targeting. If you don’t want to build your own crafts, you may source vintage items and sell them at reasonable rates.

There are upsides and downsides to everything in life, the same can be said about the kind of products you supply. I personally think it is best to create your own crafts for sale, in fact, no one knows about your creations as you do, hence you stand a better chance at selling your products just to mention one of the advantages.

A disadvantage is that the going rate for your crafts needs to be very competitive as lots of other vendors may already be selling the same or similar crafts. As for vintage items, one advantage is that the going rates are mostly high which is a good thing and the disadvantage is locating and gathering vintage items for your store which can be tedious and costly most times but if you like what you do you will find a way, not an excuse.

After coming up with your products, locate a supplier for your raw materials. I personally purchase all my supplies from the Etsy Club, I get a wide range of quality materials at reasonable rates and they are shipped right to my doorstep. Here is a link I added for your convenience.
Once you are through coming up with the kind of products you are comfortable with, Go to Etsy.com, click on the link “Sell” then click on Open Esty Shop and follow through with the process. Signing up is very easy but we will make a separate post with a total walkthrough on Etsy’s sign up process and product listings.

Once you are through signing up and verifying your Etsy store you may start listing the products you will be selling. Each product lists attract a small cost. Try to use professionally taken photos for all product listings.

Now, Simply purchase all raw materials needed from start to finish of your product depending on the kind of products you are creating. At first, you may not need to purchase a mass amount of supplies as it is best to supply on-demand but purchase enough to have materials left over for a few more finished products. Sometimes you may get deals of which if you purchase a certain amount of materials you get discounts, try to maximize on all opportunities when it comes on to business.

In some cases, you may need to wait until an order is placed before purchasing your raw materials as it is totally dependent on the product you are supplying.
This is a general outline of starting an Etsy Shop. Please leave your comments below if I missed anything if you have a question, concerns.

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We all use soap. In the old days, most people made their own. Today, we are much more likely to buy it from the store. There are lots of brands to choose from, and each brand has various formulations and scents.

But making your own soap has some definite advantages. One of the most significant is the price. We can make soap much cheaper than we can buy it. Making it ourselves also gives us complete control over the ingredients, so we can create a soap that’s perfect for our skin type in a scent of our choice.

Making soap is much easier than you might think. It is, however, important to take certain safety precautions. Here’s a basic recipe:
Ingredients
* 12 cups lye crystals
* 5 cups softened water
* 6 pounds lard

Instructions
1. Put water in a glass or plastic bowl. Carefully pour lye into water, stirring constantly with a plastic or wooden spoon. This should be done outdoors or in a well-ventilated area because it produces caustic fumes.
2. Mixing lye and water produces heat. When the lye is completely dissolved, set the mixture aside to cool.
3. Place lard in a stainless steel or enamel pan. Melt over low heat.
4. Allow both the lye solution and the lard to cool to room temperature.
5. Slowly pour the lye solution into the lard, stirring slowly and constantly with the plastic or wooden spoon.
6. Continue stirring after all of the lye solutions has been added. Drizzle a small amount of the mixture into the pot periodically. When the soap keeps its shape for a moment before sinking into the mixture, you can add scent, color, and herbs.
7. Pour the soap into a mold greased with Crisco. Wrap in a towel, and let sit for about 18 hours or until completely cooled. Uncover and let sit for 12 more hours.
8. The soap may now be unmolded and cut into bars. Let the bars cure for 3 to 4 weeks before using.
Customizing Your Soap

There are lots of different ways you can customize your soap. To make the best soap for your skin type, you may want to use different oils. Some that are commonly used include olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter. The correct amount varies depending on which oil you use, so look for recipes online or in books until you get the hang of it.

Essential oils have therapeutic properties and add fragrance. Oatmeal, cornmeal and other grains can be added as exfoliants. And skin-safe colorants may be used to produce the desired color. These ingredients should be mixed together and added to a cup of the soap mixture, then stirred into the rest of the soap mixture immediately before pouring into the mold.

Making your own soap is easy, and it can be lots of fun. Coming up with the perfect concoction for your skin is rewarding, and sweetly scented homemade soaps make wonderful gifts for any occasion.
Please leave your questions and comments below.

Deciding what crafts to supply in your Etsy shop can be a very tedious and can also be one of the easiest aspects of your Etsy shop. In fact, many persons who initially had an interest in starting an online business such as an Etsy shop got demotivated by such a simple situation. If you are the kind of person who initially created crafts for a living, Etsy will there and then be a bonus to your monthly salary. Hence, its a lot easier to start your supply chain.

In a case such as mine which i didn’t have a finish product in mind. I had to firstly find a finish craft product am very passionate about which were beaded jewelry, personally i think beaded jewelry are just worth having.

However in such a case. If you don’t have the know how, to create a product.

• firstly find a craft which you either like, love or adore having and/or wearing or seeing others having and/or wearing. This way it give you the passion & ability to explore and create different variations such as different colors, styles, versions, etc.

• Secondly research on how to build such craft from start to finish.

• Thirdly attempt to build a basic version of the craft in mind. Your first creation may not be perfect but you will get better at it while creating more for your customers.

In the final stages, Find a reliable source to supply you with raw materials consistently. I recommend the Etsy Club Craft supplies shop, there you get a very wide range of tools, raw materials, and other supplies at very wonderful rates that can be shipped right to your door.

Tip. In order to ensure you are creating products of the same standards, you must be able to constantly get raw materials of the same qualities.

Leave your comments and questions.