Keeping It Simple:Rustic Home Holiday Decor

Hard to believe I wrapped up gardening three weeks ago, and it was
60 degrees here in Michigan today! "Indian Summer" had its last hurrah and upcoming forecast has more seasonable "cold" temps and even the four letter "S" word in it.

So here we are looking at Thanksgiving next week, and then the focus turns to Christmas!

So what's a gardener to do? I love to organize and re-decorate. But my marketing efforts haven't brought in much in that line of work. Though did I mention, I am really good at organizing!? lol.

In the meantime I am putting my create talents to work, -  ah, well, creating!! #Pinterest is a great place for ideas to get started. But be careful, once you get started it is hard to stop!

From pallet* wood signs, and Christmas decor, to wood burned gift boxes with custom made wood slice ornaments.

* Note: Know where you get your pallet wood from. Some of the box stores get shipments from all over the world and the pallet wood can be treated. No one wants treated would in there home. I have been fortunate to find a supply that is locally made and non treated! (If you Googke, pallet safety you will find numerous links with specific info.)

And lucky for me, I found a cool brand-new wood box this summer at a garage sale. I thought for a couple bucks, I would pick one up in case I got bored this winter. (I also took down the peoples name and number, as they said they had a supply to sell. Score!) But instead of waiting til winter, I decided to try my hand at wood burning this fall. Using a nice multi-temp burner I just hadn't used it in a while, I was able to create some professional looking gift boxes.

I paired the boxes with handmade wood slice ornaments and jute string hangers. Using my freehand art and some supplemented black and white clip art, and transfer paper - the boxes and ornaments turned out pretty nice!

A few tips:

Know Your Suppliers:
Remember, when making, or buying craft items. Know what type of wood your using. Treated wood is made to be used outdoors. Know your suppliers source.

Run across a good deal on supplies? Take note of location. Get names and numbers for future contact.

Marketing is key:
Use social media! Facebook is your friend. If you have your own business page utilize that first. Facebook will hide your post every so many, or so it seams, so sharing on your personal page will boost your reach. (BTW, thank you to my friends who are so understanding about this!)

Providing an 'idea' of  use for your products helps buyers see just how 'your product' can be utilized for them!

Keep cost down:
Look through products you have and see how you can incorporate them in your created strategy. The less you have to buy, the more profit you will make. Check out dollar stores for items to dress up your packaging from simple Jute string to cute cellophane bags.

Don't count your time:
I know this one hurts. But art is time consuming. While you are worth every penny, chances are, unless you are well known, you will need to settle for seeing your work utilized and turning a small profit. So when pricing, keep it in check.

Now that I have given my thoughts, wish me luck with my sales! I am trying a local bazaar in a couple of weeks...it's small, so I may have a lot of new "Christmas Decor" left for my house!