Calendar by Wishbone Letterpress
When I first moved to the US three years ago I kept missing out on opportunities to make and sell holiday and seasonal inspired work. I just didn’t get my act together fast enough to keep up with the ever changing seasonal merchandise. I decided I needed a special calendar to help me organize my year of making. It would show all the important holidays, themes and seasons and include when to start making, when to list on Etsy and when to deliver to stores.
Hanukkah Cards by Karmabee Valentines Day Ornaments by Get Tangled
When selling on Etsy it’s important to make, photograph and list items for various holidays well enough in advance to allow potential customers to view, buy and have items delivered well before the holiday in question. Crafts makers all work at different rates so I thought I would post my schedule and then you are able to change it depending on which holidays you make for and the speed of your work:
|
Holiday/ Season
|
Date of Holiday/ Season
|
List on Etsy/ deliver to stores
|
When to make and photograph
|
|
Spring theme
|
March- May
|
In January
|
Nov, Dec
|
|
Valentines Day
|
14th Feb
|
Early Jan
|
December
|
|
St Patrick’s Day
|
17th March
|
In Feb
|
January
|
|
Easter
|
20th April (2014)
|
Late March
|
Jan, Feb
|
|
Mothers Day
|
11th May (2014)
|
Mid April
|
March
|
|
Summer theme
|
May-Aug
|
April
|
March
|
|
Fathers Day
|
15th June (2014)
|
Mid May
|
April
|
|
Independence Day
|
4th July
|
Early June
|
May
|
|
Autumn theme
|
Sept- Nov
|
August
|
June, July
|
|
Halloween
|
31st October
|
September
|
July, August
|
|
Thanksgiving
|
27th Nov (2014)
|
October
|
Aug, Sept
|
|
Winter theme
|
Nov- Feb
|
October
|
Sept
|
|
Hanukkah
|
16-24th Dec (2014)
|
November
|
October
|
|
Christmas Day
|
25th Dec
|
October
|
Aug, Sept
|
To try and simplify it I made these tables below:
What I should be making/ when:
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
March
|
April
|
May
|
June
|
July
|
Aug
|
Sept
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
|
St Pat
|
Easter
|
Mother
|
Father
|
Ind Day
|
Autumn
|
Autumn
|
Halloween
|
Thanksgiving
|
Hanukkah
|
Spring
|
Spring
|
|
Easter
|
Summer
|
Halloween
|
Thanksgiving
|
Winter
|
Val Day
|
||||||
|
Christmas
|
Christmas
|
What I should be listing on Etsy and delivering to stores/ when:
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
March
|
April
|
May
|
June
|
July
|
Aug
|
Sept
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
|
Spring
|
St Pat
|
Easter
|
Mother
|
Father
|
Ind Day
|
|
Autumn
|
Halloween
|
Thanksgiving
|
Hannukah
|
|
|
Val Day
|
Summer
|
Christmas
|
|||||||||
|
Winter
|
Owl Christmas Tree Skirt by So Handmade
Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. Henry David Thoreau
Good luck and Good Making!
Sarah Omura, So Handmade
Hudson Valley Etsy 