Etsy Seller Interview with Larissa of FrayedKnotsStudio

How FrayedKnotsStudio 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?

Hi, I'm Larissa, owner of Frayed Knots Studio. I make macramé wall hangings and specialize in large custom pieces. I also sell a wide range of fiber art supplies, so other makers can delve in and create their very own special pieces too. While looking online for art for my living room, I saw an amazing macramé wall hanging and fell in love with it. Unfortunately, it was out of my price range, so I decided to try and make my own. I practiced on a few smaller pieces first and listed them on Etsy. To my shock, they actually sold! At the time, I had been a stay-at-home mom for 10 years, so it was great to get a bit of extra cash coming in. I would slowly add pieces to Etsy as I made more. When they kept selling, I thought it was time to really jump in, give it my all, and turn it from a hobby into a business. In 2018, I took my first business trip to China, only a year after I began fraying knots. I went to many factories, trying to source the best and most affordable cotton that I could. This was such an exciting time for me, and I loved every moment of this process. This remains the most significant turning point in my business to this day. While there, I ordered 1 tonne of cotton, which was a huge risk for me but paid off! All of my macramé pieces are handcrafted by myself. My customers are a massive part of my creative process. I don't have any ready-made pieces, so all of my designs are able to be custom-made to specifically suit my customers' color schemes, styles, and budgets.

Favorite items

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

I really love making wedding arches. I think it's super special to be able to play a small part in someone's big day. Considering they are very specialized pieces, they do sell reasonably well.

My top seller is my ocean wall hanging. Over the years, I have made well over 1,000 of these; it just seems to be a timeless piece that many people are drawn to.

And of course, none of this could be possible without my amazing cords. This is my absolute favorite. These hold their shape very well and are really easy to use. They have great texture and density, which means the cord hangs really well in pieces.

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?

I think it took about a week or so to get my first sale. I really knuckled down and focused on Etsy SEO; I watched tons of podcasts and YouTubers and took everything they said on board. Now I try to attract customers through my Facebook and Instagram pages.

Managing FrayedKnotsStudio

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?

For the majority of it, it has been a solo act, with me doing it all. I did take last year off (we traveled for the year), and I was very lucky to be able to train my mom for this time. She took over all the shipping for me, which meant I didn't have to shut down during this time.

I am really not tech-savvy at all, but I do pay for a few apps that make my business run more smoothly.

Canva is probably my most-used app; it is great for editing all your photos. You can even use it for Instagram reels and stories.
Etsy rank: I mainly use this to check on my competition. If their sales are increasing while mine are decreasing, I know I need to work on keywords, etc.
Vela- This is fantastic for bulk uploads to Etsy and saves so much time.
Quickbooks: I love the bookkeeping side of things, and Quickbooks makes it super easy to keep track of everything.
Shipping is very simple and probably an old hat for me. I use a normal printer and paper, cut out the labels, and place them in a sticky sleeve. The majority of my items are shipped via Australia Post. I use Interparcel for international shipments. Wholesale orders are shipped using whatever method the customer prefers, which is typically tnt, aramax, or sendle. 

The future of FrayedKnotsStudio 

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

Every year I say I'm going to get a website; maybe this will be the year for that. I think as long as I'm able to earn a living doing something that I love, then I'm pretty happy. That's my main goal.

Advice for new sellers

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

My favorite quote is "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" This has helped me so many times over the years to really push myself and try new things. Definitely fill in every section possible when making a shop; it really does matter. Listen to podcasts from successful Etsy shop sellers; you don't have to do everything they say, but it's good to get ideas from them. Use the best photos you possibly can. It's important to know what you want, but don't be afraid to deviate from your original plans. I wanted to make original, one-off pieces and then try to sell them. It really wasn't a good model for me, and it didn't work out like that at all. Good luck!

Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: It varies greatly. My lowest point has been $1000, and my highest point (at the peak of COVID) was $37000. I had over 100 wall hangings that month! I still have times now when I can go for days without a sale.

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: Again, it really varies. After shipping, GST, taxes, and fees are deducted, some items have a profit of as little as 20%.The majority of things are between 80 and 150%.My hangings are very profitable, but they also take a lot of time to make.

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 2.1