You all know how much I love "decoupaging on fabric." So I thought I would make something to add to my oldest daughter's summer wardrobe.
I was inspired by this post on Today's Creative Blog that featured Luka Bella. Her button tree is absolutely adorable, and I had to copy it. When I came to the realization that I haven't scrapbooked in over a year, I decided that I had better re-interpret the tree into another craft if I ever wanted to accomplish it.
All that I needed was scrap fabric, buttons, heat-n-bond, and a t-shirt. I am SOOO upset with myself for getting a white shirt! It feels too stark in contrast to the fabrics that I chose, and I think I would like the finished product a lot more if I had used a cotton-candy pink, canary yellow, or creamsicle orange (I love describing colors; in high school chemistry labs, my partner and I would always try to come up with the most vivid descriptors for the colors that the chemicals would change to. The boys at the table across from us thought we were weird). The point is, I think a brighter shirt would not induce a cringe whenever I look at it.
Cut out a simple tree pattern, and duplicate it with your heat-n-bond.
Cut out a simple tree pattern, and duplicate it with your heat-n-bond.
After ironing in place, zig-zag stitch all the way around.
Cut out the top of the tree, fuse the heat-n-bond to the backside. Before adhering it to the shirt, sew buttons on in whatever pattern pleases you. This will help to stabilize the buttons, because sewing too many directly onto the t-shirt would weigh it down too much.
After attaching your buttons, the back will look like this:
Iron down, and zig-zag. Then force yourself to put aside your "Type A" tendencies, and leave it alone (even if you want to rip it off, and put it on a turquoise shirt!)
5 comments:
Very cute idea!! YOU NEED TO OPEN AN ETSY SHOP!!!!!!!!!! Or I will do it for you:)
That is adorable. I bet she loves it, especially since Mommy made it.
Ok, since I don't have your email I had to copy this here!!! This tells you how to get started on etsy...DO IT SISTER!! (you can also find this article on ETSY's homepage at the bottom .....)
Jenny
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A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Shop on Etsy
Story by daniellexo
Published on May 2, 2008 in How-To Photo by AbbieRoad
Want to get a shop started on Etsy? Don't know where to start? This guide will help you find the help you need to get your shop up and running!
What to Sell
First things first: you need items to sell! Make sure your items follow the Do's and Don'ts on what can be sold on Etsy before you get started. Need some inspiration? Check out this great article on Finding Your Etsy Niche by tortillagirl. Littleputbooks (one of our top sellers) has a great blog post about Making a Great Product.
Coming up with a Name
Piddix has a great blog post on Picking Your Etsy Name. And our own MaryMary has a great Storque article on deciding on a shop name here. I have one more tip for you. Make sure its "Google-able!" Sure the name "FriedChicken" might be memorable, but if you go to Google and search "Fried Chicken," your shop will be a needle in a greasy (yet delicious) haystack!
Banner and Avatar
Your banner and avatar can help you brand your shop, so try to make them beautiful! Here's a how-to on Making A Banner that I wrote a while back. If you are just getting started with photo editing you might want to try our magical Bannerator! You can do an Alchemy request for a custom banner. Or search "banner" on Etsy to find a talented seller to make you a banner!
Your avatar should be eye-catching and clear. (This is sometimes difficult because of the size of an avatar, so keep it simple!) Try showcasing your most beautifully photographed product!
Need more help? Try the Help guides here and here.
Your Profile
Buyers on Etsy want to know about who they are buying from. Make sure you tell them a bit about yourself in your profile, as connecting this way with a buyer will encourage them to support you and your craft, so don't be shy! SarasTextureCrafts has a detailed article on Crafting Your Profile Page, so read up! The profile is also a great place to share your shop policies (soon Etsy will have a separate spot for your policies). The EtsyWiki has a whole section devoted to shop policies.
Listing Your First Item
Listing an item is an easy four step process. This help guide will take you through each one. Here are some articles that can also help you with this process:
Making the Most of Your Descriptions
Guidelines & Tips: Tagging on Etsy
Writing for an Online Audience: How-To
The Art of Pricing
Budgeting Advice for New Craft Businesses
Photography
Photography is the most important part of your shop (in my opinion!). If you don't have crisp, clear and eye-catching photos, your sales will reflect this. The more professional and cohesive your photos look, the more confidence buyers will have in your shop. You may think you need a super-duper-top-of-the-line camera, but believe me, you don't. Images on the internet must be 72dpi (ie. not top printable quality!), so even a $150 digital camera will be just perfect! Photography takes a lot of practice, time and research, but once you get it right you will see your shop really blossom! Here are some articles to get you started:
Staying Sharp: Achieving Clarity and Crispness in Your Photos
Give Props: How to Style Your Photos
Shop Makeover Series: Makeover Your Listings with Color
Shop Makeover series: Photographing for Success
Your Shop 101: Photograph Your Way to The Top!
On The Level: Make Your Photos Pop with Histograms and Levels
Bright Light, Big Color: Using EV and White Balance to Make Your Photos True to Life
Your First Sale
Now what? First things first, celebrate. The first sale is so exciting! Now once you have calmed down, check out the transaction page and make sure your buyer has paid. Package up your item and get it ready to ship (a hand written thank you note is always good customer service!). Send your buyer a quick little convo thanking them for their purchase and letting them know when you are going to ship. Ship your item, tick off the checkbox by your sold item, leave your buyer feedback and you're done!
Promoting Your Shop
Once you have your shop set up with at least a page of items, now is the time to promote! Here's great article to start with: Pimp Your Shop for 2008. Don't forget to try some offline promotions, too! Here are some more links to help you get started:
Trends: Promoting through the Sampler
DIY PR: Local Press
How-to Network Offline: Increase Online Sales in Five Easy Steps
Dispatches from B-School: Marketing Communications, Part 1
Dispatches from B-School: Marketing Communications, Part 2
Don't Order Another 1,000 Business Cards
The Art of the Press Release
Need More Help?
So you're not exhausted yet? Well, ok! Here are some more great resources from the forums:
The Ultimate Newbie Guide - 1 year anniversary edition
NEWBIES ~ Here's a few Etsy tips for you
Newbies - Etsy Tips For You
Tips for New Sellers...
In addition, the Etsy Success Stories are always filled with inspirational tales and tips galore from prosperous sellers.
I hope this guide helps you get started! If you have questions or want advice make sure you join our Newbie Chats in the Virtual Labs (usually Tuesdays at 5:30pm EDT).
Experience sellers, leave our newbies some more words of wisdom in the comments below! What's your most important piece of advice?
I just finished several shirts based on your design. Check out my blog to see them. Thanks for the inspiration!
Reading the "back issues" as I just found you. You're right - the button tree would look AWESOME on a turquoise tee. Thanks for the inspiration!
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