Some of you may know...
Others may not!
As you know this is a blog about the journey of finding gratitude. One thing I am extremely grateful for is my part time Etsy store!
WARNING!
This store is not for the faint of heart. It is a very specific niche and is risqué.
Intrigued? Check it out: DIY Bachelorette
The website name is a hint*
Anyway... This store has been open since December of 2017. It has brought in some money - nothing significant but a little extra coffee cash ☕ 💵
The reason I am so grateful for this little Etsy store is because it was inspired by a friends Bachelorette Party that I had the honor of helping plan and prepare! It came about because there was a niche I was looking for that wasn't filled.
Pre-Store
While preparing for the party I was searching for phallic shapes to make confetti, streamers and other exciting decor. To my dismay I was unable to find such shapes. I had a problem - I wasn't going to spend $50 on throw away pictures and stickers that didn't leave enough room for imagination.
One skill I learned from my previous job was how to create items on Adobe InDesign. So I used that skill to fix the problem at hand!
With a little creativity I was able to create vector graphics to fit the theme of the Bachelorette Party! Then of course with these vector graphics I could cut them out on my Cricut Explore Air 2 and make physical shapes out of paper that matched.
With a few FUN shapes the party decor started getting exciting!
I'm happy I didn't spend oodles of dollars on decor because we didn't even decorate with them... Our Airbnb was "jazzy" enough - that's a whole other story... One I will never live down! #TaoTimesDontLastTaoPeopleDo
Store Creation
Since I know I am not the only one looking to DIY Bachelorette Parties, I decided it's time to sell these online! I did my research and found out that a lot of people sell digital files on Etsy.
Thus Etsy became the home to my new store. It started out as CricutCutStore because I had planned on making shapes to cut on the Cricut for any occasion - aka whatever I needed to design something for.
Since then I realized my best sellers were the phallic shapes that seemed to make everyone jump for joy! I decided it was time to double down and tackle that specific niche. I got crafty in my shapes, looking everywhere for inspiration!
My most recent inspiration was when Eliezer (fiancé) and I went to Africa - specifically Morocco. I think it qualifies as a business trip because I got a lot of inspiration from the cactus's at the Jardin Majorelle:
Store Now
The store has since grown to include many phallic options including shapes and letters. You can even purchase groups of them for a discount. With the 1200+ sales the store keeps on growing.
I keep the prices inexpensive because that is the point of DIY keep costs low and enjoyment high!
Future for the Store
The store will continue to grow because it is a fun passing time that I enjoy doing. I have worked out the file kinks and am always looking for fun ways to expand. One way I have discovered to expand is to consider drop-shipping.
Some people have asked for physical items and I only offer digital files. After doing some more research I found websites that you can create products and have them drop-shipped around the world.
I have tried one drop ship item that didn't pan out as I had planned so I'm holding off for drop ship items till I can create themes. I have all the ideas to make the themes but have not dedicated the time.
For now I think I will just plan my next step to be tutorial videos. I bought a new G7X Mark III camera from Canon and plan on using that for my various businesses and especially for Real Estate and vlogging! It was one of the most highly recommended from my research!
Gratitude
This experience has given me a lot of insight to be grateful for the little things. Every part of this store has been a learning journey.
I am beyond grateful for my friend who got married and entrusted me to plan the party! Seriously it was a bit eccentric - she is a pretty laid back so this was a bit of a shock (Not just the phallic shapes - all of it!).
Without this experience I may not have discovered an untapped niche and been able to use my creativity to solve the problem.
Beyond learning about the store it has also taught me that taking small actions can lead to something bigger - even just part time hobby stores!
As silly as the whole idea is I am so thankful it has come to fruition. I hope this store has added an exciting element to celebrations and has helped people create fun memories!
🙏 Thank you for reading! What do you think of the store? What fun ideas have you had that solved a problem? 💡
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