Etsy Seller Interview with Iva of IvaCrafts

How IvaCrafts 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?

Paper flowers are an absolute passion of mine. It never ceases to amaze me how a simple sheet of paper can turn into a work of art with the help of loving hands and a little bit of imagination. I was working on events and home decor for my friends and family for years before deciding to go big, and finally, IvaCrafts came to light!

Favorite items

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

The majority of my listings on Etsy are the end result of unique requests and special orders that I have been collecting in my portfolio before creating my shop; pretty much each and every flower set has a history behind it. I do have a favorite one that resonates with my persona most well:

It adds a pop of color, whether it’s meant for home decor or an event backdrop; it brings in happy summer vibes and becomes especially popular in the early spring when people are tired of muted winter colors and crave something bright.

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 happened surprisingly fast, but I started an aggressive social media campaign as soon as I was listing my first flower sets. It is very important for any Etsy seller to promote the products outside of the platform itself and drive traffic from different sources.

Managing IvaCrafts

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?

One-man army it is, with occasional help from family members when it's the prime time of the year. My favorite apps that help me manage my store are Pinterest, Vela, Outfy, and the very famous PirateShip, which offers great shipping prices and support.

The future of IvaCrafts 

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

While flower sets made for retail will be available anytime, I plan to switch to larger projects such as flower walls as well as offer rentals for local shoppers.

Advice for new sellers

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

It is very important to have a startup portfolio ready, with good pictures and good descriptions; invest the time into studying SEO and the importance of keywords. Promoting your products on social media is also a must: post consistently to create your fan base, announce and run sales, and share some behind-the-scenes moments to connect with the audience. People love to see that a real person is making something special for them.