Etsy Seller Interview with Mariska of DIYFluffies

How DIYFluffies got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

In 2008 I bought my first sewing machine and the first thing I made was a soft toy, after that I made many more. I enjoyed this so much that I decided to try to sell my toys on etsy. They sold surprisingly well. I sold them all over the world to people in different countries.  I wanted to make this my full time job, but I knew this was impossible if I continued to make them myself.  So instead, I decided to sell the patterns in pdf format, so people could make the toys themselves. This was such a success that I quit my other job and started selling on etsy full time.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

My favorites are Yoki the Dragon and Cute Koala. These sell well. Yoki is the first pattern that I made, and the koala is one of the first Amigurumi crochet patterns that I made. It is difficult for me to say why they are so popular; I just make what I like and hope it will sell well.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

My first sale was in 2008; I don’t really remember the date, but I think it was after a few days. I use Instagram and Facebook to attract customers. I also have a YouTube channel, which I use to attract customers and to teach beginning crocheters how to crochet. I also have my own website with tips and tricks.

Managing DIYFluffies

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

I manage almost everything myself. I use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create my patterns. I have help with my German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese translations. Many testers help me by testing my patterns before I start selling them. I only sell digital patterns; they are sent to the buyer's email after payment, so I don't have to worry too much about shipping and fulfillment.

The future of DIYFluffies

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

As always, I want to create more patterns, and I’m working to incorporate a blog into my website, www.mariskavos.nl. It’s actually going to include a redesign for my whole site. which I hope will go live in September. I am adding a lot of small crochet projects, like keychain-sized amigurumi, to my YouTube channel. I will add these amigurumi patterns as freebies to my blog soon. These small amigurumi projects are a great way to learn how to crochet toys.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Make sure your photos look incredible. Some buyers don’t even read the description or the title before they buy your item. Therefore, I think the photo is the most important part of selling a product. Make sure you reply to all your messages as soon as possible. Make sure you send out your orders as quickly as possible. Invest time in social media. Don’t give up; it might take a year or more to become successful.