How KnotsAndWallflowers 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, my name is Cherie Plausteiner, owner of Knots & Wallflowers. I make handmade modern macrame wall decor and macrame tutorials. My journey with fiber art began in 2018. I had a slow start, but then it suddenly turned around. I originally studied photography, but I was also interested in other creative things. When I came across macramé, I just really liked it and wanted to try it out. Back then, it was not yet as popular as it is now. I feel like Etsy was also a bit smaller and more approachable. It was the only platform that I liked and wanted to sell on.
I make my items completely by hand. I really try to make my designs my own and be as original as I can be. When I feel inspired, I just get a piece of paper and sketch a little bit. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t, but that is part of making something for yourself. I love being creative and making new things and patterns, but I also just enjoy the process of making a macramé piece with my hands. I also opened up a second Etsy shop called CherieLinoPrints where I wanted to share my love for illustration and lino printing. I felt like I had to separate the two. It is just at its very beginning, but I really, really hope it has some success. Fingers crossed.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
Some of my favorites right now are:
The latter is probably the reason why I am where I am with my sales. It is very popular. It was one of my first designs that I made in 2018. I think I started off with an idea of what I wanted to make, but then things didn’t work out as planned and I had to do something to finish it... So I went with an impulsive idea of what might also look good, and that is how my most popular macramé piece was born.
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?
It did not take long for me to make my first sale. But the second, third, and so on took some time to come in. So it was not looking like this was going to be my main source of income at the beginning. But then I created the design I mentioned in my previous response, my best seller, and created some more tutorials, and things took off.I think it just takes some time and some sales for things to get moving. Right now, I use a combination of Etsy SEO, Instagram, and Facebook ads.
Managing KnotsAndWallflowers
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?
It is just me, so I have to do everything from design and photography to customer service. I use Adobe Lightroom for my photography and Adobe Indesign for my tutorials. I use Planoly to set up my Instagram posts. It is really useful to see what your grid is going to look like in advance. My items are made out of cotton cord that is sourced in Europe. I buy cords from MB Cordas that are from Lithuania or from Linda at creadoodle.com that are from the Netherlands. And then all that I really need are my hands, my imagination, and a pair of scissors. At this time, I have more digital sales than physical sales, so it is not that hard for me to handle shipping. But for my physical shipments, I have a contract with our postal service (Post of Slovenia) so that I can make my labels on my computer and then just drop my packages off or have them picked up.
The future of KnotsAndWallflowers
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
I really just want to explore and make new modern pieces and new patterns that can hopefully become timeless wall decor that people want to have in their homes.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
I think it is important to do a little bit of investigating to see if what you are making is going to sell right now. what the competition is, and so on. Just so you do not waste your precious energy and time on something that really has a small chance right now, Particularly if you intend to make this your full-time job. Don’t expect to see immediate results. Work hard on it; that is the only way it can succeed, I think. Take time to make beautiful images of your items; make them representative. It is beneficial to learn as much as possible about how things work and how Etsy works so that you have a better chance of being noticed. You will also learn a lot along the way. And with that new knowledge, you can make adjustments that your small business may need to grow.
KnotsAndWallflowers
Contemporary fiber art
