Posted by Lisa Anderson Shaffer
Pinterest is a match made in heaven when it comes to makers and their craft. An image-driven social sharing network seems like a dream come true for those of us selling our goods online. Not only is Pinterest a great place to share your goods with potential customers and convert sales, but it is also a great place to pick up a little inspiration.
It can be hard to know where to start when searching pins. I like to begin by seeking out designers and other makers that inspire me with their own goods. One of my go-to places to seek “pinspiration” is Renegade Craft Fair. Their collection of boards includes some of the Renegade gang’s favorite craft fair vendors, along with ideas for booth display, packaging and product photography. This is a great place to start and one where you can then discover new makers with craft businesses that you might want to follow and befriend.
Here is an image from the RCF Exceptional Booth Display Board featuring Winter Cabin.
One of the many great things about using Pinterest as an inspiration board is that the possibilities are endless. I often find ideas for new designs at Zelma Rose in the most unlikely of places. Outside of being inspired by my natural surrounding, I tend to get a lot of new design ideas from looking at ceramics. I enjoy the colors and shapes and the geometric patterns lend themselves well to thinking about hand stitching. My favorite place to seek new ideas for colors and texture is Heath Ceramics.
This image from their Classics Board really shows off the beauty in the simplicity of their designs.
When it comes to seeking ideas for your craft shop, don’t be afraid to think big! A lot of the big name retailers have fantastic Pinterest boards. One of my favorite places to browse and get an idea for how companies with a much, much larger budget do their thing is Barney’s New York. Brands like Barney’s that have major brick and mortar and online presence are great places to look for inspiring product photography and copyediting.
I love this image of NARS foundation from their Under the Influence Board highlighting guest influencers.
PHOTO Smudge
Sometimes finding someone with a similar style is a great way to provide a little kick-start to your craft shop. I love following actress Diane Keaton on Pinterest. Her images of modern and rustic home décor and bold graphics really speak to me. I often visit her boards when I am looking for new product photo shoot ideas.
This image from her Sign of the Times Board is an all time favorite.
I also like to follow stylists and Pinfluencers on Pinterest. Pinfluencers are people will 1 million or more followers and often use Pinterest to spread brand awareness for big names like Target and Gap. One of my favorite Pinfluenecers is Fashion Stylist and Director of AVE Styles Alexandra Evjen. As a craft shop owner it is essential to keep up to date on product and photography trends. The image below is from Alex’s Personal Faves board, which houses countless beautiful fashion images to ignite your inspiration.
When it comes to using Pinterest to get your creative juices flowing there are no rules! Don’t be afraid to fall down the rabbit hole and got lost for a while. There is no shortage of “pinspiration” to be had!
