Etsy Seller Interview with Elisabeth of Lieberfilz

How Lieberfilz 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?

My name is Elisabeth Schwarz. I was born and still live in Berlin, Germany. I studied fine arts in the U.S. and in Berlin. I am originally a painter. When my daughters were in kindergarten, I stumbled upon felting and got hooked. For a while, it was merely a hobby; I made mostly flowers and food. I rented a beautiful studio in Berlin Kreuzberg, right next to a park: Mariannenplatz. It turned into an art gallery for a while, which was not a commercial success; mostly I sold my felt flowers that I had piled high in the gallery window. My hobby of felt making had gone out of control. A mountain of felt flowers! If I wanted to continue felting, I needed to sell more to make room for new felt and to make a living for a change.

I kept felting for six more years, changed the gallery into a felt shop, and started going to craft markets with my products. I realized quickly that people like beautiful things that they can also use. The flowers, cakes, and sushi attracted a lot of attention and giggles, but not many buyers. So I gradually changed my products to more useful items while trying to keep the beautiful and giggly aspect alive anyway. Most successful are the cushions, placemats, and hot water bottles. I make them in way too many colors, shapes, and sizes and in always evolving patterns: grass and flowers, fruit slices, animals, different abstract patterns, etc. In 2013, I opened my Etsy shop, lieberfilz. It grew slowly but steadily into an additional source of income.

Favorite items

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

I truly enjoy the variety of products I have developed over the years. If I have to pick a favorite, it would probably be the hot water bottles with flowers

Or bears

The flower cushions

 The fruity pot holders

I could actually go on and on. I like these best because they combine the beautiful, the funny, and the useful. I also like the theme of the old bench in front of my shop for the backdrop of my photos; nice old and new contrast, plus you have the best light outside. Why am I adding food, leaves, or whatever I happen to find to my photos? Just for fun! Having fun is a major drive for me, and I am always glad to hear when people tell me that they can see the fun I am having with my work; that is a great compliment.

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?

Selling on Etsy was a gradually growing process. I think it started with 1 sale a month, moving to 1 sale a week and sometimes 1 or more sales a day. I watched closely which products sold and produced more varieties in color and pattern in those directions. Products that didn't work I changed or stopped making after some time. I do not always understand why a product works or does not, but I always find it interesting to study.

To attract more customers, I am constantly tweaking my photos, adding better ones, more funny ones, and more beautiful ones.

I am working on my Instagram account, trying to post as much as I can, but I do forget about it sometimes.

Managing Lieberfilz

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?

I am a one-woman shop; well, my 92-year-old mom comes for a couple of hours a day to sew labels on cushions and hot water bottles; she puts little price tags on and actually felts my sushi rolls. I work six days a week, but I am always happy to return to work on Mondays. I do most of the paper work on my computer, but just recently I have started to use my phone to update photos, answer messages, etc. I usually do that first thing in the morning: prepare the shipping labels and invoices, and pack the orders that are ready to ship. I use mostly recycled packaging because I do not like waste, so the entire neighborhood brings me their empty shipping boxes. I have a big storage room full of all kinds of different boxes. It might not be the most time- or space-efficient way, but I enjoy reusing all of that material instead of throwing it all away and buying it new.

A friend created a stick-on label that says "lieberfilz recycled packaging," is really colorful, and explains and literally transforms the used look of a package into something really good and ecological.

The parcels get picked up by DHL.

After all the orders are packed up, I can start the real work: felting!

My work is mostly about the craft. Working the wool and making the felt is my main focus.

The future of Lieberfilz 

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

I would really like to be able to keep going like this: working in the field I love, creating new or more beautiful products, and making a living that way. Sure, I can imagine growing my business, but not too much; I don't want to lose the fun. Working alone does put a certain limit on my production. If I meet the right person, I could expand some, I guess. That could be very interesting. I have a lot of ideas that I cannot pursue at the moment because my work capacity is pretty much reached.

Advice for new sellers

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

My advice to any new Etsy seller is always to be patient with the sales and pay attention to what sells. Don`t be too set on a certain product. I found it very important to stay fluid when creating products. The products that are closest to me are not necessarily closest to everybody else.

And make the most beautiful photos! I prefer a good background theme that gives your shop a consistent and professional look, even if you do all the photos yourself and with your phone, like I do. I never wanted to spend money before I made it. That might be a little old-fashioned, but you have to go with what works for you and stay true to yourself. I would not change a thing if I had to start over.