Craft Business Insider

Transcription

Craft
Ideas. Strategies. News.
Summer
’14
Busi n ess
Insi d e r
Crafting
with Kids
Today’s tech-savvy
children are changing
the craft market
Selling art
supplies
A fine arts section
can attract repeat
customers
Pictures
that sell
product
Photographers
share tips for
improving craft
product photos
from the CEO
Craft
Stimulating Kids’ Imaginations
You may notice something different about this issue of Craft Business Insider.
A photo of kids doing crafts greets you in place of the smiling, successful
craft retailers we featured in previous issues. Introducing our younger
generation to the joys of crafting is so vital — both for us and for them — that
we felt it deserved its own cover.
How kids are important to us in the craft industry is obvious. As wholesalers
and retailers, we need new generations of crafters who will continue to support
our business. Some of these children will become serious crafters, and others
will turn into occasional DIYers.
Many will abandon crafting entirely as they mature, and that’s OK, too.
When people are introduced to crafts as children, they often return with their
own kids (or their friends’ children, or kids they work with in their professions)
at some point, to share the sense of creative fun that they remember from
their childhood.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist
once we grow up.”
– Pablo Picasso
For children, the benefits of crafting are enormous. Simply placing stickers
or drawing with crayons aids the development of fine motor skills. For older
kids, assembling kits can help them refine their spatial skills,
practice critical thinking and strengthen problem-solving skills.
For kids of all ages, crafting stimulates the imagination and
encourages self-expression.
Combine all of these benefits together and you end up
developing creativity, a personal skill that is valuable throughout
a person’s life. Every company wants to hire people who can offer
fresh ideas for expanding business, or suggest improvements to
streamline current processes. Many employers actively look for
— and complain about the lack of — creative employees. I truly
believe that, by developing creativity early, you help enable kids
for success later in their lives.
Have you successfully implemented kids craft programs?
We would love to hear your stories — even if they are more
like cautionary tales. Send your comments to
[email protected].
Sincerely,
Michael Catanzarite
Co-CEO
Darice Inc.
2 • Craft Business Insider
Editor:
Todd Shryock
Associate Editors:
Erik Cassano,
Brooke N. Bates
Art Director:
Amanda Horvath
Project Manager:
Erin Walker
Craft Business Insider
is published by
SBN Interactive,
835 Sharon Drive, Suite 200,
Westlake, OH 44145,
(440) 250-7000.
sbninteractive.com
13000 Darice Parkway
Strongsville, OH 44149
1-866-4-DARICE
(1-866-432-7423)
FAX: (440) 238-1680
Email: [email protected]
Darice is an action-oriented
company, committed to continual
improvements and advancements
in the craft industry. As a leader
in their field, Darice is dedicated
to maintaining, expanding, and
strengthening the relationship
with its customers. Their simple
mission statement says it best,
“Exceed Customer Expectations”,
a practice followed daily at the
company’s Strongsville, Ohio
based headquarters facility and
distribution center.
craftbusinessinsider.com
Summer
’14
Bu sin ess
In sid er
Summer
’14
con te n ts
Selling Art
Supplies
Creating a fine art
section can bring in
repeat customers
16
Crafting with Kids
12
How today’s tech-savvy children are changing
the craft market
departments
4
5
8
Briefs
Mixed media trends, Spectrum Noir
Colored Pencil Tins, American Crafts
purchases Bazzill
Trending
12 must-have books your store
needs to sell
Crafting tech
Demonstrations can increase sales
of the new generation of die-cutting
machines and supplies
10 Best practices
Craft industry photographers share
their best tips for improving craft
product photography
22 Trending
Merchandising and marketing tips for
craft retailers to keep up with the do-ityourself beauty trend
24 Industry insider
Trade show recaps and previews to help
you keep up with the latest industry
trends and innovations
26 Best practices
Host a successful event to create buzz
and draw in new customers to your store
28 Crafting timeline
Take a journey thought the early years
of crafting
30 Back page
Summer 2014
If you feel unsure, continue to soldier on
Craft Business Insider • 3
briefs
It’s time to get crafty
What’s new? What’s hot? What’s important to your
customers? We have the answers.
American Crafts
purchases Bazzill
American Crafts, which creates
innovative scrapbooking products, has
purchased Bazzill Basics Paper, a leading
supplier of high-quality cardstock
available in hundreds of colors and
many textures. Jeff Mitchell, president
of the company, says the purchase
of Bazzill strengthens opportunities
for both companies and is a positive
for American Crafts, retailers and
consumers alike.
trends
Mixed media
Mixed media was a hot topic at the 2014 CHA Mega
Show, as designers and craft suppliers offered mixed
media displays highlighting a wide range of products
and techniques. According to the Craft & Hobby
Association, consumers are discovering a newfound
creativity that is flourishing outside of scrapbooking.
Crafters are thinking outside the box when it comes
to the materials they are using, mixing nontraditional
products and techniques and using traditional products
in creative new ways, such as incorporating metal into
scrapbook pages.
And craft suppliers are responding to the demand,
offering nontraditional crafting items such as cork,
fabric, burlap and corrugated sheets.
The CHA predicts the trend will continue as new crafters
discover mixed media, and craft retailers that capitalize
on this growing trend will increase both their business
and their profit margins.
Spectrum Noir
Colored
pencil tins
Spectrum Noir Colored Pencils are
making a splash in the crafting world.
These waterproof, blendable pencils
can be used along with alcohol ink
markers to create beautiful dimensional
effects. Their vibrant, wax-based
pigment allows for both intense and
soft color from the same pencil. Your
customers can choose from among
five themed color sets, each of which
includes 24 presharpened Spectrum
Noir pencils in a handy tin.
trending
books
Page
turners
12 Books.
must-have
books
your store
needs to
sell
By Jo Packham
Summer 2014
Their content, layouts, focus,
methods of inspiration and value
have changed considerably during the 35 years of my
publishing career. In today’s tech world of unlimited
access to information, a craft book must be worth the
purchase price.
So what constitutes a really good book and justifies
its purchase price?
• The cover must immediately catch and keep the
reader’s eye, and it must be authentic and indicative
of the contents.
• It must inspire the reader through photography, page
layouts, graphics and typography, and be inspired by
great projects and accurate instructions.
• It must be relevant to current market trends, yet
established enough to become a go-to resource for
ideas and information.
• A book is more valuable if it crosses different mediums,
offering a range of projects from easy to complex.
• It should introduce the reader to something new,
inspiring readers to step outside of their comfort zone,
yet instill the confidence and determination to work
at something unknown until success is achieved.
• Each book purchased for retail should give the
retailer the opportunity to introduce something new,
creating a need for a variety of products to be sold to
the consumer.
Craft
Business Insider • 5
Here are my personal retail must-haves.
One Zentangle A Day:
A 6-Week Course in
Creative Drawing for
Relaxation, Inspiration,
and Fun
Beckah Krahula, Quarry Books
I love this concept — that anyone can learn a new
technique for drawing, relax while doing it and be
successful from the beginning. Krahula’s publication
makes you want to draw and draw and draw.
For the retailer, this title not only promotes the
sales of art supplies, but its gallery of ideas inspires the
crafter to Zentangle everything from jewelry to tennis
shoes and T-shirts to dishes.
Tula Pink’s City Sampler:
100 Modern Quilt Blocks
Nanette Donohue, David & Charles
Not all of us are quilters, but Tula
Pink’s colors and sense of design will
inspire you to begin quilting today. Because the projects
are constructed from a combination of blocks, whose
designs may be small or large, they can also be created
from paper or painted with brush on canvas. This book
is more of an inspiration in color and design in any
technique than it is a simple quilting book.
Colour Recipes for
Painted Furniture and
More
Annie Sloan, Cico Books
Sloan has revolutionized the world of
home décor and DIY painting with
her new formula for chalk paint.
While not every store carries this paint, chalk paint can
be created at home and most stores do carry some brand
of paint. The projects in Sloan’s books, accompanied
by complete and easy step-by-step techniques, make
each reader want to start in one room of her house and
move right on through each and every room painting
furniture, accessories and all things fabric.
Sweet Paul Eat and Make:
Charming Recipes and
Kitchen Crafts You Will
Love
Paul Lowe, Rux Martin/Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt The most difficult challenge for any designer is to
make something that is irresistible and truly simple.
This book accomplishes that, with everything from
Lowe’s recipes for Morning Biscuits and Merry Mary’s
to his handmade projects for his Clothes Pin Trivet,
No-Sew Apron and DIY Dish detergent. In addition to
unforgettable recipes and projects that are as charming
as they are easy, his photography is stunning and his
hand watercolor layouts are an inspiration.
Decorate Workshop:
Design and Style Your
Space in 8 Creative Steps
Holly Becker, Chronicle Books
As founder of Decor8blog, Becker is
one of the top 10 design bloggers in
the world, and when you read her blog
or buy her books, you instantly understand why. Her
decorating tips and ideas are constructed from DIY
projects that use items contained in nearly every craft
or home decor shop.
The Handmade
Marketplace: How To
Sell Your Crafts Locally,
Globally, and On-line
Grow Your Handmade
Business: How to
Envision, Develop, and
Sustain a Successful
Creative Business
Kari Chapin, Storey Publishing
Being an independent entrepreneur
in handmade is not easy, and most artists are
not wired to both create and do the accounting/
scheduling/marketing. But Chapin’s books are
invaluable resources for any entrepreneur and a must
for retailers, as successful crafters buy more supplies
than unsuccessful ones.
Woodland Knits: Over 20
Enchanting Patterns (Tiny
Owl Knits)
Amy Butler Stencils:
Fresh, Decorative Patterns
for Home, Fashion & Craft
Stephanie Dosen, Taunton Press
Amy Butler, Chronicle Books
This book is so charming that no yarn
enthusiast or wanna-be knitter could
resist the patterns and photography. The projects are
timeless and irresistible, and the photography poetic.
Make Your Own Cute
and Easy Pompoms:
Inspiration Instruction
and Patterns for 100
Designs
Creative Publishing International
Thirty years ago, pompoms and wiggle eyes used to be
the nemesis of sophisticated DIYers. However, this little
book is filled with creative projects that can be made by
crafters from 9 to 90. The ideas are useful and the stepby-step pictures and illustrated patterns are easy to follow.
Washi Tape: 101+
Ideas for Paper
Crafts, Book Arts,
Fashion, Decorating,
Entertaining, and Party
Fun!
Courtney Cerruti, Quarry Books
This is a fad that everyone can have fun with. The
book covers dozens of materials in every category and
is the perfect way to become inspired to begin washi
taping everything you own.
Modern Calligraphy:
Everything You Need to
Know to Get Started in
Script Calligraphy
Molly Suber Thorpe,
St. Martin’s Griffin
Everything Butler designs, from fabric
to patterns to clothing, has an instant
appeal to her ardent followers. This book on stenciling
contains 10 reusable die-cut stencils in Butler’s
signature designs and patterns that can be mixed and
matched on wall, furniture and fabric for one-of-a-kind
expression.
500 Bracelets: An
Inspiring Collection of
Extraordinary Designs
(500 Series)
Lark Books
Titles in this series include Silver
Jewelry, Plastic Jewelry, Earrings, Pendants & Lockets,
Gemstones, Enameled Objects, Rings and Necklaces.
These beautiful pieces of jewelry art would not be the
same if printed from the computer — I like the designs
on the pages of my books, sitting on my shelves to be
used whenever I need to be inspired. ●
Jo Packham, creator/editorin-chief of Where Women
Create, Where Women Cook
and Where Women Create
BUSINESS, has been a
leading innovator in the
handmade publishing market
for more than 30 years. Her
publishing company, Chapelle
Ltd., has packaged more than
1,000 titles for most major publishers in the industry
including Time Warner, Oxmoor House, Meredith Corp.
(Better Homes & Gardens), Rodale Press, Random House,
Chronicle and others. Handwriting has become almost obsolete, but the art of
hand lettering is on the rise. Personalized cards, wedding
invitations and motivational pieces of art are more
valuable to the recipient if they are created by hand. This
book is not for beginners but is rather a resource of letters
in six styles. It contains useful DIY projects and inspiring
photography of old and new handwritten styles.
Summer 2014
Craft
crafting tech
above
A cut
Demonstrations can
increase sales of the
new generation of
die-cutting machines
and supplies
N
ot so long ago, die-cutting machines were
only popular with scrapbookers, card-makers
and adventurous stampers. The large pieces of
equipment required serious customer know-how to make
them work. They cut paper and card stock into fairly
basic shapes, they were loud and they were limited.
But advances in technology have brought forth
a new generation of electronic machines that use
computer software and have capabilities far beyond
what could be done previously, allowing users to go
from idea to results in just seconds.
Machines such as the Silhouette Cameo, Silhouette
Portrait and Cricut Explore can cut vinyl, fabric and
even clay, and they are being used by whole new
categories of artists — from home décor specialist and
jewelry makers to clothing designers and beyond.
Educate the customer
Photo courtesy of Cricut
Dale Pistilli, executive vice president of sales and
marketing at Cricut, says that many potential
customers aren’t aware of the increased capabilities
of these new machines — yet — but the best way for
retailers to demonstrate all they can do starts with
getting them out of the box.
“With the new electronic cutting machines, seeing is
believing,” says Pistilli. “It is fascinating for consumers
to watch a cutting machine doing a complex cut for the
first time.”
The biggest benefit of the new models is that they
are simpler to navigate and use. Pistilli says that
previous machines almost required a Ph.D. in crafting
to determine proper cutting depth, speed and pressure.
But going digital has changed that in a big way.
They also require a smaller financial commitment,
says Conrad Walsh, director of marketing for
Silhouette. There’s no longer a need to invest in
multiple dies, or even multiple cartridges. In fact, the
industry has moved beyond the term “die cutting” to
“electronic cutting” because the machines now connect
to a Mac or PC and access software and the Internet.
“It’s really opened up the possibilities,” Walsh
says. “Through our online marketplace, you can find
750,000 designs and search by theme and category. You
can also cut out any font on your computer and create
your own designs.”
Cricut consulted with crafters to create its free online
software project tutorials.
“We found that people wanted more of an iTunes
experience to select images from our entire collection,
rather than buying and managing cartridges,” says
Pistilli. “We found they wanted design software that
would help them visualize projects before they started
Electronic cutting machines can be used for a variety of projects, including homemade décor stencils,
custom signage and vinyl decals.
cutting. Finally, they wanted to be able to see beautiful
projects and then make them.”
Easier to use, cheaper to buy
Photos courtesy of Cricut
The elimination of dies and cartridges means users can
expand their capability for less money, while cutting
down on clutter in their craft area. For example,
customers can choose one specific, detailed butterfly
for their project instead of investing in an entire springthemed cartridge.
The devices are also quicker to use, because there’s
no need to change out equipment. They are lighter
weight and look sleeker, and they’re quieter — a bonus
for late-night crafters with families.
“They’re much more up to date,” says Walsh.
“They belong not just on a crafter’s or scrapbooker’s
desk. We’re seeing our machines in offices, libraries
and schools. Our vision is that they’ll become so
commonplace that most people will have them at home
next to their computer and printer.”
The new breed of machines are, in essence, threedimensional printers, helpful in both hobby and
business settings.
“It’s amazing what people are doing with these
machines,” Walsh says. “I met a woman who feeds
sheets of polymer clay into her machine and creates
Summer 2014
custom jewelry. If you’re a stamper, you can cut a
custom stamp. If you sew, you can cut fabric.”
Manufacturers are enhancing their support and
resources for these machines by creating YouTube
channels, websites and project idea blogs, and even
including QR codes on the machines’ boxes so that
customers can view videos right from the display
floor. They’re also creating new static displays, which,
combined with materials such as vinyl, cardstock and
iron-on, gives customers an idea of their versatility and
value, Pistilli says.
Still, the companies say that the best way for craft
retailers to draw in consumers and increase sales is to
give them the opportunity to see the machines at work,
cutting complex shapes out of a variety of materials
for a wide array of projects, from classic scrapbooking
to creating wall art, apparel and more. An Internet
connection and trained staff member leading a
demonstration, class or store event can translate into
big increases in interest and sales.
“A demonstration is really the best way to get people
behind what we’re doing,” Walsh says. “When they can
see it in motion and see the detail and how intricate it
is — even if they can see it in a video, they’re sold. For
retailers looking to do it well, that is hands-down the
best way.” ●
Craft
Best Practices
photography
Shooting
pictures
that sell
Craft industry
photographers share their
best tips for improving craft
product photography
By Brooke N. Bates
A
captivating image can make the difference
between selling products and sending sales flyers
to the trash. In fact, 70 percent of consumers
say the quality of photography influences their decisions
whether to purchase items, according to a 2014 survey by
Usablenet.
Yet hiring a professional photographer might be
as far beyond your store’s budget as the prospect of
becoming a master photographer yourself.
Product photography seems daunting because perfect
shots rely on multiple factors. But beautiful photos boil
down to basics. Without spending thousands of dollars,
you can shoot professional-quality photos for your store’s
sales materials with these simple tips from the pros.
Know your equipment
“The best camera is the one you have in your hand,”
says Caro Sheridan, who teaches an online product
photography class on Craftsy and sells sewn creations
on her blog, Splityarn.com. “You don’t need to spend a
bazillion dollars on a high-end camera to take amazing
shots; even the iPhone 5S has astounding quality.”
Many modern smartphones have advanced camera
capabilities, and apps that adjust exposure make editing
easy. Even the most basic point-and-shoot camera can
be a powerful tool, if you know how to use it.
“Experiment with what you’ve got,” Sheridan says.
“The better you know that camera, the better quality
images you’re going to get. Reading the manual is
terribly boring, but learning how your camera works is
your best bet for improving.”
For Courtney O’Dell, who blogs at sweetcsdesigns.
com and contributes photography tips to the SNAP!
Creativity website, cameras aren’t as crucial as lenses.
“Buying good lenses is one of the best investments
you can make,” says O’Dell, endorsing 50mm lenses
with low apertures to let in light. “If you buy down in
camera and up in lenses, you’ll save a lot of money.”
Keep it light
The biggest photography mistakes O’Dell sees stem
from lighting.
“Think of light scraping across your subject, not
beating straight down on it,” she says. “If you get too
much light, it looks flat and boring. If you don’t get
enough light, it’s grainy and blurry.”
Fortunately for novice photographers on a budget,
the best light is free.
“If people took the time to go outside and get
natural light, 80 percent of their problems would be
solved,” says O’Dell, who shoots on her covered porch
or under a tree.
When she can’t get outside, she sets up inside near a
window. A sheet of vellum can diffuse direct light and
reduce shadows, and $30 reflectors — or homemade
versions made from boxes wrapped in aluminum foil —
can bounce light toward your subject.
If afternoon photo shoots aren’t practical during
business hours, Sheridan suggests shooting before your
store opens or after it closes to take advantage of the
“magic golden hour” near sunrise and sunset. And if
daylight is not an option, invest a few hundred dollars
in a standing light kit.
im p rov e you r sk il ls
Sources to polish your photo skills
• Digital Photography books by Scott Kelby
• Improvephotography.com
• Petapixel.com
• digital-photography-school.com
• craftsy.com/blog/photography
• petitepurls.com/Fall11/fall2011_a_caro.html
• www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/productphotography-tips-for-crafters
Run background checks
Clean and simple is the key to product photography.
O’Dell’s favorite backgrounds are chalkboards and
whiteboards, which might be in stock at your store.
She adds shabby-chic texture to project photos with old
whiskey barrels, cutting boards, concrete steps or the
peeling paint of her porch railing.
“Keep backgrounds as minimal as possible,” she says.
“People tend to overthink the background, but simpler
is better — and cheaper and easier. It’s all about making
the craft stand out, so you want something neutral.”
However, plain white backgrounds bring challenges
for amateur photographers.
“The challenge with shooting on white comes from
exposure,” Sheridan says. “Your camera will try to
balance out the white, so your photos are going to come
out dark. Use a gray background, or even brick, to
naturally balance out the ‘middle gray.’”
Generic shots, while standard, don’t suit every
situation. Add style with patterned backgrounds,
lifestyle props or interesting angles to make photos
identifiable, especially for sharing on Pinterest.
“It helps to have your product in context,” O’Dell
says. “Stylized photos help people remember your
product and become emotionally connected.”
Summer 2014
Keep shooting
Once you snap the perfect shot, keep shooting.
“It’s always easier to take 100 pictures when you
think you have it at 20, than it is to redo a shoot,”
O’Dell says.
As you photograph, examine the subject from various
angles and experiment with different aperture settings.
Fill the frame, then step back for wider shots that leave
room for text overlays on websites or sales flyers.
“The beautiful thing about digital photography is that
it doesn’t cost any money to take more shots,” Sheridan
says. “Always shoot more than you think you need.”
Edit to perfection
Don’t be afraid of editing. Both O’Dell and Sheridan
prefer the intuitive tools of Lightroom, which costs $10
per month through Adobe Creative Cloud.
“Some people think that editing is cheating, that if
you get it right ‘in camera,’ you shouldn’t have to edit,”
Sheridan says. “The truth is, software is basically our
modern darkroom, so there’s no shame in altering the
photo if you need to bump up the exposure, pull down
the contrast or crop differently.” ●
Craft
art
selling
the
of
art supplies
Creating a fine art section can
bring in repeat customers
F
or craft stores looking to expand their clientele, creating a fine
art section can mean opening up the doors to serious, repeat
customers.
But when it comes to art supplies, knowledgeable customers look
for good tools and often consider their purchases as investments. To
meet the needs of both hobby artists and be considered a contender
in the art world, it’s important to think through what to offer and
the best ways to feature art products.
Fine art is really a different industry, says Stacey Smith, buyer
with Binders Art Supplies and Frame based in Atlanta. Smith was
lead panelist at last year’s International Art Materials Association
(NAMTA) conference, where she talked about effective buying.
She says the most important things to consider are quality and
making sure you are not oversaturating the new department.
“Crafters are looking for price points,” says Smith. “But when it
comes to art supplies, you get what you pay for.”
Summer 2014
Craft
Pleasing the palette
A good place to start is with painting supplies, says
Jason Horejs, owner of Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale,
Ariz. He runs the popular Red Dot Blog (reddotblog.
com), where he advises artists about the industry and
provides resources.
“The broadest part of the art market is really the
painter portion, so stores can start there with brushes,
canvases and paints,” he says. “If just those are all the
store can fit, it’s going to be able to reach 80 to 85
percent of the art market,” he says.
Quality canvases are a must-have item, says Bryan
Waugaman, art supplies buyer for Darice, based in
Strongsville, Ohio, because they are the starting point
for a wide variety of projects.
“They can be used in so many applications, not just
for painters,” he says. “They’re good for home décor
applications and craft applications, too.”
Paints are also a necessity. Many lines offer a student
level, a mid-level for hobby painters and a professional
level, each coming with increasing price tags. For stores
looking to offer value, the best quality paints mix well,
so customers won’t need a huge selection of colors. And
acrylic paints are the No. 1 selling paints, says Waugaman.
the right
“Stores can easily experiment with acrylics, and
brands like Liquitex and Golden are good to start
with,” Smith says. “They add dimension, texture, light
— there’s so much they can do, and they’re great for
someone just beginning.”
However, she warns craft retailers against stocking
really inexpensive brands, which don’t mix well.
Instead, stores should look for a good starter set and
display it with a basic color wheel and drawdowns that
show the mixing versatility of the paints.
“Think primary colors, but a premium brand,”
Smith says.
This offers the best value, because with good
ingredients, you don’t need as much paint.
And because paint and brushes go hand in hand,
adding some “good, better and best” brushes will provide
a one-stop shopping experience for your customers.
A big brush selection will offer items for new and
experienced artists, who like to feel and touch each brush,
because they know what they want, Waugaman says.
A better base
Still, good tools help even those just starting out —
novices and hobby artists who are looking to take their
mix
Looking to stock a winning selection of fine art supplies? Stacey Smith,
a buyer with Binders Art Supplies in Atlanta, offers these tips.
•
•
•
Focus on quality
above quantity.
Start with the
basics — canvas,
paints, brushes,
drawing pads and
art books.
Display paints with
a color wheel and
drawdowns.
•
•
•
•
Become part of
the International
Art Materials
Association
(NAMTA).
Follow social
media trends.
Read trade
magazines.
Join trade
associations
and attend trade
shows.
•
•
•
•
Meet vendors
and establish
relationships within
the industry.
Focus on “good,
better, best” art
supplies.
Offer classes,
literature, demos
and samples.
Become a part
of the local art
community.
interest to the next level. Smith encourages stores to
offer classes and a wide range of books. She suggests the
Walter Foster series, which features books for all levels
and covers both painting and drawing.
For dry media artists, Smith suggests offering a wide
array of pads and avoiding the cheapest sketchbooks.
Quality is important even for practice, because it’s hard
to see how media work on the lowest-quality paper.
Stocking great pens, pencils and charcoal is a futile if
those new to sketching are experimenting with lowgrade paper that doesn’t support the media, she says.
And although there are places where stores can make
compromises, Smith warns against really cheap materials
and allowing an art section to become too packed.
“Think about the customer — who do you want to
attract in the fine arts arena?” she says.
“No advertising or
marketing is going
to be as important
as another artist’s
recommendation,”
— Jason Horejs, owner,
Xanadu Gallery
Talking the talk
Artists can become very loyal to their local store, Smith
says, so it’s important to consider how to attract a new
brand of customer to a store that hasn’t featured art
supplies in the past. Training staff members to speak
the language can be essential.
“Having someone on staff to answer questions in
a pretty detailed way is important for small stores
looking to break into the art community,” says Horejs.
“When artists come in to a store, they aren’t always
just looking to buy. They want recommendations and
have questions, so having someone in the store who
knows about technique and how the materials are used
is really valuable.”
So is outreach in the form of workshops and events,
classes and programs. Teaming with national vendors
can make this easier, and attending trade shows,
following social media trends and reading industry
magazines can legitimatize a new art section and
help staff members further communicate with artists.
And becoming part of the local arts community by
attending events and contributing a presence can help
store owners connect with artists in a world where
word-of-mouth is incredibly powerful.
“No advertising or marketing is going to be as
important as another artist’s recommendation,” says
Horejs. “Stores looking to feature art supplies are
entering a competitive marketplace. Any small supplier
is at a bit of a disadvantage with the large stores out
there and people moving to ordering online. But they
can make up for that with personalization.
Summer 2014
“The reason that many artists are willing to pay
a little more to shop locally is because of personal
relationships, so smaller stores need to cultivate that.”
The law of attraction
Because it’s more difficult to draw in new customers,
it’s important to focus on giving existing customers
a new experience, too, says Smith, another reason
why making a new section interactive with classes,
interesting displays, samples and places to experiment
with the materials is so valuable.
To attract attention to the new department,
Waugman suggests taking advantage of end caps and
maximizing the biggest art supply buying seasons —
Christmas and back-to-school time. Offering sets during
the holiday season is especially helpful because many
nonartists might be making gift purchases, he says.
Ultimately, both Smith and Waugaman recommend
that craft retailers start simple and focus on quality.
“A small store should offers the basics, with maybe a
few good periphery items,” says Waugaman. “You can’t
always have something for everyone, so it’s really smart
to focus on what appeals to the masses.” ●
Craft
© Faber-Castell USA, Inc.
Crafting
with Kids
How today’s tech-savvy children are
changing the craft market
By Brooke N. Bates
W
hen Anne Zachry was young, TV time was limited, so
she entertained herself with crafts. Today, as a pediatric
occupational therapist and child development specialist,
she brings crafts to her therapy sessions to reap the value of creativity
with the children she works with.
Children beam when she introduces a craft, but the experience
has changed over time, because most kids don’t need to look
beyond a screen to entertain themselves.
“I remember being bored and coming up with crafts for fun, but
today’s kids aren’t typically bored,” Zachry says. “Kids are more
entertained with more scheduled activities, so parents really have
to work to get kids involved in crafting. You would think they
wouldn’t be as drawn to the traditional crafts that you buy in craft
stores, but that’s not really the case. It just takes a little bit more
effort than it used to.”
Busy, tech-savvy children are reshaping the kids’ craft market,
compelling parents, as well as craft retailers, to get more creative to
capture occupied attention spans.
Summer 2014
Craft
“Kids are more entertained with Gauging popularity
more scheduled activities, so Unsurprisingly, children and parents behave differently
in the shopping aisle. Finding the intersection of what
parents really have to work to they each seek can guide a craft store’s ideal product mix.
get kids involved in crafting.”
Since 1976, the craft mix has shifted at Creativity
— Anne Zachry,
pediatric occupational therapist
for Kids, a Faber-Castell® brand and Cleveland-based
manufacturer of activity kits that include Sew Cute™
sock animals, jewelry, paper and fashion crafts, and
the classic Shrinky Dinks®. As consumer preferences
change, market research has revealed the factors that
guide purchase decisions.
“Kids shop the activity: Do I like this? Do I want
this? Does it look fun?” says Heather Lambert-Shemo,
director of marketing for Children’s Brands at FaberCastell USA. “Mom’s also looking at the activity —
will my child like it and can they do it? — but she’s
shopping with four main criteria.”
• Utility. “Is it something they can use, wear, play with
or give to grandma as a keepsake?”
• Price to value. Compared to other toy categories,
crafts are more about value than price. A recent
“Parents shy away from messy
materials, but if they know how to
prepare for it, choosing the right
glue and setting up your table with
newspapers can keep it mess-free.”
— Heather Lambert-Shemo, director of marketing,
Children’s Brands, Faber-Castell USA
Creativity for Kids focus group revealed that “value
is the balance of what’s in the box, how long the
activity will keep the child engaged, the degree
to which the activity matches the child’s specific
interest and the utility of the completed craft,” says
Lambert-Shemo.
• Independence. “Sometimes, parents want to give
their kids something to do on their own while mom
and dad make dinner,” she says.
• Age appropriateness. Last summer, Creativity for
Kids conducted a focus group during which moms
and daughters shopped a craft aisle. “The girls would
pick out something above their ability, because they’re
constantly wanting to be older than they are. The
moms would redirect them — not necessarily veto —
but say, ‘What about this? You might like this better.’
A child may be attracted to pretty colors, but mom is
checking to see if they can do it,” she says.
Certain crafts at Creativity for Kids remain popular
through those filters over time across ages. For girls,
fashion, jewelry and sewing crafts remain hot, while
boys still enjoy building trucks. Marie LeBaron, a
former kindergarten teacher best known for her kids
craft blog Make and Takes, says the best crafts are
ageless across genders.
“I personally think you can craft with children
using any supplies at any age, as long as there’s a little
parent involvement,” says LeBaron, who started crafting
with her three children when they turned 2. “You’ll be
surprised at how young a child can craft with paint, PlayDoh, paper or glue, if they start out with some parent
involvement. If you can keep it minimal and easy when
they’re young, they start to accrue more skills.”
For example, her 11-year-old son began using a
sewing machine at age 9 — with supervision, of course.
Her 8-year-old daughter is already contributing to
Make and Takes with her own craft ideas written under
her own blogger profile.
While kids mature with the types of craft tools
they use — from peel-and-stick glue dots to glue sticks
Summer 2014
to liquid glue to hot glue — one timeless project can
entertain a range of ages. The whole LeBaron clan
enjoys Play-Doh, although the 5-year-old just rolls
snakes while the 11-year-old crafts houses.
The mess factor
Where parents and children differ most in craft
decisions — and where children change most as they
age — is messiness.
“The messier the better for a lot of children,” Zachry
says. “But parents usually want something that’s neater,
easier, simpler to set up and pick up. It’s important
for parents to understand that messy is OK. That’s
how children get creative, and they can help clean up
afterward.”
The preschool craft kits from Creativity for Kids
are mostly mess-free, with peel-and-stick pieces and no
paint. While kids learn to control messier supplies as
they age, simpler is always better for everyone. LeBaron
notes that a little parental oversight and preparation can
go a long way.
Craft
© Faber-Castell USA, Inc.
“We’re trying to raise
awareness of how critical
creativity is to kids’ future
success, because creativity
means innovation.”
— Heather Lambert-Shemo, director
of marketing, Children’s Brands
Faber-Castell USA
“A big part of my blog’s success is the simplicity of the craft
projects I provide,” says LeBaron, who also authored the book
“Make and Takes for Kids.” “What’s appealing to parents is simple:
minimal supplies, easy instructions and mess-free. Parents shy
away from messy materials, but if they know how to prepare for it,
choosing the right glue and setting up your table with newspapers
can keep it mess-free.”
Structured versus open-ended
Founded in 1976, Creativity for Kids launched the all-inclusive
craft kit. At first, the kits included sundry supplies to spark openended creativity, rather than instructing specific projects. But that’s
changed; in fact, the company discontinued its line of Craft Basics
eight years ago.
“Our open-ended products that don’t have a directed finished
project are often our least-selling products,” Lambert-Shemo says.
“It’s crazy, because this company was founded on a burlap bag full
of feathers and googly eyes and Popsicle sticks. Within our line of
250 products, we have a fair amount of open-ended products, but
it’s hard because at the shelf, the consumer is going to
choose that box of headbands over this box of stuff.”
Pressed for time and creative ideas, parents prefer the
quick, easy convenience of prepackaged projects, rather
than planning their own or turning kids loose.
“One of the side effects of our overscheduled society
is kids don’t have as much free time,” LambertShemo says. “But parents still want to fit in a creative
experience, so they’re more apt to buy something that
has a start and a finish with an end product.”
That doesn’t mean individual craft components
are dead. Kids will always need basic craft materials,
especially with Pinterest and craft blogs offering a bevy
of do-it-yourself ideas. Even the craftiest moms — the
ones creating the craft ideas on Pinterest — turn to
conveniently coordinated kits sometimes, too.
“Parents want that quick and simple grab-and-go
because it makes crafting easier,” LeBaron says. “I love
kits with instructions; there are definite skills involved
with reading and following instructions. But at the
same time, I love exploring and discovering what this is
going to become. So I find value in both.”
Because kits and random components both hone
different skills, a mix of options is ideal. Despite
declining sales, Creativity for Kids refuses to abandon
its open-ended products. In fact, a year ago, the
company launched a movement called Creativity
Comeback to research and encourage creativity.
“Research shows creativity is declining and yet
creativity is the number one trait looked for by CEOs,”
Lambert-Shemo says. “We’re trying to raise awareness
of how critical creativity is to kids’ future success,
because creativity means innovation. The idea is that
you don’t need anything but ‘a pile of junk and your
imagination’ to be creative, as Thomas Edison would
say. So we started giving away this Creativity Can™,
which is a can of craft components — no instructions
— and watched kids imagining and crafting with it.
When they’re given the opportunity to just be creative,
it’s incredible what kids will come up with.”
The technology effect
Today, making opportunities for kids to be creative
requires more effort than ever.
“There’s so much technology now, with all the apps
and games on smartphones and tablets,” LeBaron says.
“Even in our family, those tend to be the go-to when the
kids need a quick something to do. But technology can
go two ways: It can either steer you into doing things on
the device, or provide you with ideas and activities.”
Summer 2014
“We just have to make that extra
effort to have craft opportunities
available for children.”
— Anne Zachry, pediatric occupational therapist
Pinterest and other idea-sharing sites can be great
consumer research tools for craft stores to discover
popular projects and the supplies they require. Noticing
that people tend to pin more projects than they actually
complete, LeBaron suggests Pinterest Party Days for
craft stores to involve social communities, inviting
families to come in and tackle a Pinterest project
together, perhaps earning discounts on supplies.
Beyond social media, online games and characters can
inspire crafting, too.
“We’re just as technological as any other family,”
LeBaron says. “We love games and apps, but I like to
take it offline. Take Angry Birds, for example; that’s
what my kids are excited about and interested in, so
we take it offline and craft it. I have a tutorial on my
blog where we made cute little pompom birds, then set
up stacks of paper cups and launched our Angry Birds
into crafty pompom pigs. There are ways to transfer
technology into the creative world.”
Stores that take advantage of technology, rather than
shying away, will have the upper hand in the kids’ craft
market. They’ll understand what intrigues kids, and reach
them and their parents where they are to spark creativity.
“Children want to be entertained with exciting things
that relate to video games,” Zachry says. “But if you give
them the opportunity, today’s kids are just as eager to be
involved in crafts. We just have to make that extra effort
to have craft opportunities available for children.” ●
Craft
trending
beauty products
ß
bringing home
beauty B
Merchandising and
marketing tips for craft
retailers to keep up
with the do-it-yourself
beauty trend
eauty comes at a price, as the personal care
industry realized in 2009 when revenue dipped
26 percent as the economy crippled sales of
premium beauty products. Since then, however, beautyconscious consumers have turned to less expensive
alternatives, bringing beauty back to double-digit
revenue growth by 2012.
Driven by financial pressures and ingredient
concerns, do-it-yourselfers have surged into beauty, from
homemade hair accessories to makeup and skincare
solutions. Beauty bloggers have begun sharing tips to
recreate salon styles at home, making face mask recipes
as common on Pinterest as cupcakes.
“If there’s one thing I hate, it’s spending money on
things I can do myself at home,” blogged Angela Peters,
who launched hairsprayandhighheels.net to share
beauty bargains and DIY tips, attracting more than
20,000 Pinterest followers within two years. “With the
economy the way it is, people are more driven to make
it themselves, rather than spending money on a product
that you don’t know what it’s doing to you, what it’s doing
to your kids, what it’s doing to animals before it gets to
you. If you’re making your own nail polish and you’re not
adding chemicals to it, you know it’s safe for you.”
ß
Show customers you have
what they need
“There’s such a huge market that, if stores
were to have a do-it-yourself beauty day,
they’d really gain a lot of attention.”
Peters, a former A.C. Moore employee, knows that
craft retailers are the place to shop for basic craft— Angela Peters, hairsprayandhighheels.net blog
related beauty supplies such as elastic, flowers, ribbons,
glitter and hot glue to make hair ties and headbands,
“One thing we absolutely know to be true about
or storage containers to creatively display her growing
shoppers
is that if it’s easier for them to put the solution
makeup collection. But craft stores aren’t the first stop
together,
then it’s easier for them to take advantage of
for many consumers accustomed to makeup counters,
it,” she says.
so they often shop online.
Simply stocking and advertising supplies for DIY
“You can literally buy everything you need at a
beauty
projects might attract trendsetters, but crafters
craft store, and people just don’t know it,” Peters
new
to
beauty products and beauty buffs new to
says. “Craft stores have these items, but they’re not
crafting need more guidance. Workshops can attract
being advertised toward this market. If I pick up an
this crowd and boost your brand beyond the standard
A.C. Moore ad, nothing in there screams, ‘You could
floral arrangement. “There’s such a huge market that,
make your own headband with this, or fill this little
if stores were to have a do-it-yourself beauty day, they’d
container with lip gloss.’”
really gain a lot of attention,” Peters says.
However, craft retailers can easily access beauty
Classes and demonstrations have built-in marketing
crafters’ wish lists of ingredients, supplies and
potential
in this digital, content-driven age, especially
projects and stock appropriately to meet those needs.
for
a
trend
driven largely by beauty bloggers. Manke
Social media is a portal to consumer data for beauty
suggests videotaping workshops and adding recipes or
researchers such as Sara Manke, director of insight and
strategy at The Integer Group, a global retail marketing instructions on your website to attract beauty crafters
who can’t physically attend.
agency. Beauty bloggers are driving the DIY trend and
“The same people who are on the cutting edge of
sharing their experiences online.
“You need to appeal to those confident, early adopters this trend are going to be the types of people who
would be willing to watch an online video and who
with enough inspiration and information to get them
would share that online video,” she says. “It could
excited, because they’ll become your ambassadors,”
create a nice ripple effect. The content is what they’re
Manke says. “At the same time, have suggestions or
seeking, and that can be your gateway.”
starter kits that appeal to those engaged but slightly lessPeters doesn’t use Google anymore for project ideas;
confident women who would try something if it seems
she
just turns to Pinterest to learn how to make lip gloss
doable, manageable and simple. Start with products that
from
crayons, dip-dye hair with oil pastels and whip up
are closer to what a craft store typically carries — soap
a body scrub or nail polish. She sees social media as the
is a nice gateway, taking a side step from candles — and
key, suggesting that craft stores could make waves in
then radiate out into skincare and color cosmetics.”
DIY beauty by partnering with the bloggers who built it.
“Being visible with the trend and letting folks know
Display the right way
you’re taking an active interest in beauty supplies is
Manke recommends that craft retailers merchandise
with a project mentality by displaying supplies together a good strategic move,” Manke says. “If someone is
in one convenient cluster. For example, offer a takeaway looking to make things at home and assemble things
into something greater, it’s definitely a fit with what
recipe for a DIY facemask and stock all the necessary
their expectations would be in a craft store.” ●
ingredients on one end rack.
Summer 2014
Craft
Industry Insider
tradeshows
On the road
Trade show recaps and previews to help you keep up
with the latest industry trends and innovations
tradeshow recap
Toy Fair
At this year’s International Toy Fair, hundreds of thousands of toys from more
than a thousand toymakers filled a record-breaking 414,060 square feet of exhibit
space in New York City. The most popular products indicate some of the biggest
trends that will drive the industry this year, according to Steve Starobinsky,
director of marketing and new business development at Diverse Marketing, an
agency specializing in the toy industry.
The hottest product at Toy Fair, Spinmaster’s
Kinetic Sand, entertained attendees with its
moldable, mess-free texture. Putting interesting
twists on traditional compounds such as Play-Doh
and Moon Sand, innovation oozed throughout the
compound category, highlighting the continued
popularity of creative tactile play.
Toys transcended typical gender associations
at this year’s Toy Fair. “A big trend was this idea
of abolishing gender-oriented play patterns,”
Starobinsky says. “The toy industry has always
thought that boys play with cars and girls play
with dolls. That’s not necessarily untrue; it’s
just that girls also play with cars.” The Toy Fair
introduced new players, with gender cross-over
products such as construction sets and radiocontrolled animals and fairies.
Across categories, products at Toy Fair promoted
STEAM, adding arts to the traditional disciplines of
STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
New products aim to prepare future creators, rather
than merely entertain kids with mindless activities.
Engineering kits from Roominate, for example,
empower girls to build dollhouses with motors and
gears to power appliances.
Beyond the products, toymakers are getting creative
with packaging and merchandising displays. Seedling’s
craft kits, for example, make the brown box seem
fashionably high end. “Newer companies are paying a
lot more attention to package design and are positioning
products to fit multiple channels — not just toy stores
but emerging channels,” Starobinsky says.
While the 3-D printing technologies demonstrated
at Toy Fair are still a few years away for the average
consumer, the trend of customizing and assembling
toys is thriving. “This year in particular, there was a
bigger focus on open-ended creativity, like a modular
product that is more about building something
unique and special and truly your own than about
tearing open the package and playing with it as is,”
Starobinsky says. “You’ll be able to find craft play
patterns within multiple categories this year, much
more than any other year.”
tradeshow previews
CHA Paper Arts Show
Art Materials World
The International Art Materials
Association (NAMTA) presents
Art Materials World every year as a
trade show dedicated to art supplies.
But for the first time this year, the
organization partnered with the Craft
& Hobby Association (CHA) for a
joint event that brought a broader
variety of vendors and the biggest
attendance of buyers that the trade
show has seen in seven years.
From April 30 to May 2 in
Pittsburgh, attendees browsed a
mix of fine art supplies and creative
materials from a bounty of brands.
While some products represent new
ventures for suppliers — such as
acrylic paint company Golden Artist
Colors launching a line of watercolors
— no particular product stole this
year’s show as much as the overall
variety of products. At the same
time, artists are using more products
together in combination, as evidenced
by an increasing shift toward mixed
media revealed in NAMTA surveys.
As art suppliers strive to present
products that stand apart from the
crowd, a common trend emerged
across various categories at Art
Materials World: Suppliers are
focusing more on creative retail
displays, point-of-purchase fixtures
and engaging packaging that attracts
and educates customers to drive sales.
Summer 2014
This summer, Atlanta will host CHA’s
inaugural Paper Arts Show, a wholesale
buying event targeting the paper
crafts industry. Retailers, distributors,
educators and designers with wholesale
licenses can connect with industry
peers and explore the newest paper
products.
Combining opportunities to learn
and buy, the show starts July 29
with an all-day hands-on workshop
and continues through July 31 with
networking opportunities such as the
Open Market, a cash-and-carry shopping
extravaganza. Meanwhile, the show floor
will feature exhibitors offering the latest
products across paper, stamps, inks,
embellishments, adhesives, stencils and
similar categories.
CHA Mega Show
Kick off the new year with a glimpse
into the new year of industry trends
at the CHA Mega Show. The Winter
Conference and Trade Show brings
together the largest concentration of
industry buyers, with more than 500
exhibitors presenting new arts and crafts
products. The Mega Show, scheduled to run Jan. 9-13, 2015, at
the Anaheim Convention Center, also features workshop training,
educational seminars and networking opportunities to connect,
educate and inspire attendees.
Craft
Best Practices
event sponsorship
main
event
the
Host a successful event to
create buzz and draw in new
customers to your store
I
t seems like a good idea: Host an event, bring in
new customers, gain loyalty and grow.
But what does it take to put on a winning
weekend demonstration, class, program or large
communitywide event? How can stores set themselves
up for success?
In the early 1990s, Christine Osborne and her
business partner were asking themselves the same
questions. Osborne is the owner of Wonder Works,
specialty toy stores in South Carolina that offer
a huge variety of toys, games and arts and crafts
supplies. Her business began with one small shop, but
successful event hosting has helped her one location
grow into four.
“It’s about community all the way,” she says. “If you
do good in your heart, the sales will follow. You have
to have faith and put it all out there and know you are
investing in your business.”
Key ingredients to a winning event
Photo courtesy of Rainbow Loom
A common mistake that small businesses make when
offering events is focusing on sales instead of fun. Jacob
Gunter, education and gallery director for Binders Art
School in Atlanta, oversees an onsite education program
and puts together an art materials trade show every fall.
He says the most successful events go beyond what’s
being taught or demonstrated.
Events need something more to really work, he says.
“You have to know your purpose — that’s
fundamental,” says Gunter. “You have to know
who you are trying to engage. The event is kind of
secondary — you have to offer something even bigger
than the event itself.”
From there, it’s all about logistics, says Gunter —
information gathering, assembling systems and lists and
getting volunteers. Osborne starts with the big picture
and works her way down to the details.
“It begins with working with national vendors and
targeting specific ones to work with,” she says.
Next, she thinks about local sponsors,
entertainment, food, samples and giveaways.
As a local business owner, she likes to partner with
her neighbors whenever possible. They’ll often trade
Tips for hosting
a winning event
Think fun and engagement instead of sales.
Partner with neighboring businesses; trade
for food and entertainment.
Secure samples or freebies.
cupcakes or ice cream for store gift
certificates.
Plus, there’s an added bonus.
“Their names go on everything,” Osborne
says. “But they’re all putting their heart out
there and helping us do big things.”
Wonder Works events are always free
and charity-based. She says people literally
walk though her door with ideas and often
the youngest voices have inspired the
biggest events.
Osborne teams with the media to
spread the word, which was especially
valuable in the beginning when just 100
people would join her for a small store
party. But she says that by focusing on
quality, her largest event is now close to
outgrowing its location. Wonder Works’
two biggest yearly events, Wonderfest
and Elfstravaganza, attract between 7,000 and 10,000
people and take months of planning and preparation.
Create energy and excitement
Osborne now has a promotions event coordinator
who oversees her events, and the stores work with
Charleston marketing firm Momentum Marketing,
which helped maximize the Rainbow Loom or “Loom
Boom” craze last fall.
“They were able to completely leverage it and turn it
into something wild,” says Emily Trogdon, Momentum
Marketing’s public relations director.
The stores hosted multiple Rainbow Loom classes
and events, and even brought in Rainbow Loom
creator Cheong Choon Ng, who took part in the
Summer 2014
Target national sponsors.
Consider a worthy cause, helping a local
charity or partnering with an existing event.
Work with the media to promote the event
ahead of time, not just the day of.
Start small and focus on quality.
Know your purpose.
Recruit volunteer support.
Begin planning for your next event as soon
as possible.
annual Elfstravaganza, a craft-centered holiday event
where kids had the opportunity to make bracelets for a
charitable donation.
“It’s all about having energy and excitement,”
Osborne says. “If you can bring that, the magic
happens over and over and over again.”
Although every event is different, Gunter agrees the
best events put community-building first.
“I don’t think sales should be ignored,” he says. “But
too much focus on sales can hinder the event. If you
have brand loyalty, the sales will follow.”
He says that when it comes to successful event
planning, he is often reminded of the Simon Sineck
quote: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why
you do it.”
And community seems to be especially important
when it comes to those who create — artists and
crafters — whether they are adults or kids.
“For us, it’s all about encouraging people with an open
mind and open heart,” says Osborne. “It’s a lot of fun. You
can feel it. You can feel the love and feel the caring.” ●
Craft
crafting timeline
The craft industry’s roots stretch through the annals of time. Take a journey through the
early years of crafting in part two of our timeline, .
Compiled by Mike Hartnett
1952
Magic Markers are introduced.
Mr. Potato Head is the first toy
advertised on television.
1900’s
Henry Levinson’s Permanent Pigments
develops a quick-drying, wateremulsified acrylic polymer resin — now
called acrylic paint.
1955
Elvis Presley makes his first TV
appearance.
1956
The Model Industry Association becomes
the Hobby Industry Association of America.
After 72 years, Britain gives up the Suez
Canal to Egyptian control.
Sam Walton, a Ben Franklin retailer,
opens his first Wal-Mart when the
corporate Ben Franklin won’t allow him
to open an all-discount store.
1964
David Cunningham launches Cunningham
Art Products, a predecessor of Plaid. It
eventually goes bankrupt.
France and Great Britain sign an accord to
build the channel tunnel between the two
countries.
1962
1967
Mod Podge is invented, which
makes decoupage easier
and quicker, helping to make
decoupage a huge trend.
The 100 millionth U.S. phone is
connected.
1971
The Mangelsen family changes its traditional
Ben Franklin store into H.D. Mangelsen &
Sons, an all-craft store.
Cigarette advertisements are banned on
American television.
Mike Dupey hears about a Ben Franklin
store in Omaha, Mangelsen’s, that
switched to an all-craft format. He does
the same thing — the beginning of the
Michaels chain.
1973
Skylab is launched.
1978
Art student Xavier Roberts
introduces a Little People
line of dolls, which
becomes known as
Cabbage Patch Kids and
sets off a doll-making trend.
Velcro was first put on the
market.
1979
Husqvarna
introduces the
first computerized
sewing machine.
CompuServe begins
operation as the
first computer
information service.
1980
Marielen Christensen, who had assembled
more than 50 volumes of scrapbooks of her
family’s photos, is invited to display them at
the World Conference on Records in Salt
Lake City. She is credited with turning a
hobby into an industry.
Ronald Reagan is elected president.
1981
The first spring Quilt Market is
held in San Francisco.
Fifty-two Americans who were
held hostage in Iran for 444
days are freed.
1900’s
1984
1987
The 35-store chain Craft Showcase is sold
to So-Fro Fabrics, later known as House of
Fabrics.
Geraldine A. Ferraro wins the Democratic
vice presidential nomination, the first
woman to do so.
Creative memories, the home party
company that helps spread interest in
scrapbooking, starts.
1991
1994
QVC starts selling sewing machines
and some soft crafts.
On the same day that Craft World, once the
industry’s most powerful wholesaler, files for
bankruptcy; Leewards, once the industry’s
leading chain, is sold to Michaels.
Operation Desert Storm begins.
1997
1999
The Scrapbook Memories series premiers
on the DIY network.
Scrapbooking explodes at the Hobby
Industry Association show in Las Vegas.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes
at 10006.78, above the 10,000 mark for
the first time.
O.J. Simpson is found liable in the deaths
of Ron Goldman and Nicole Simpson in a
civil court action.
2000
2000’s
2004
The Hobby Industry Association and the
Association of Crafts & Creative Industries
merge to form the Craft & Hobby
Association.
The Opportunity Rover lands on the
surface of Mars.
The first Bead & Button show is held
in Portland.
The last original “Peanuts” comic strip
appears in newspapers one day after
Charles M. Schulz dies.
2005
2007
Hancock Fabrics files for Chapter 11
bankruptcy and closes 104 stores.
Apple Inc. CEO, Steve Jobs,
announces the iPhone.
Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly
an airplane around the world solo without
stops and without refueling.
2011
2012
Michaels announces that its store
inventory is now more than 50 percent
private label.
Hurricane Sandy kills at least 286 people
in seven countries and causes an
estimated $68 billion in damages.
Summer 2014
The Model Railroad Industry
Association, the Radio
Control Hobby Trade
Association and International
Model Manufacturers
Association merge to form
the Hobby Manufacturers Association.
Investment firms buy Jo-Ann and U.K.’s
Hobbycraft.
A 9.0 earthquake strikes Japan, triggering a
tsunami that kills thousands and creates a
nuclear disaster.
Craft
back
page
Soldier on
By Mike Hartnett
I
recently attended a college graduation, and during
the ceremony, I kept thinking about our industry’s
pioneers, who are listed in the new installment of
the industry timeline on pages 28 and 29.
One psychological effect of formal education is the
impression that if you don’t have a degree in something,
you can’t do it. Yet all of our pioneers either did not have
a college degree or had a degree in something completely
different from what they pursued.
We have teachers, cab drivers, ex-military, even a
mortician — who decided he liked flowers more than
bodies and started a silk-flower importing company
— among the ranks of our founders. They didn’t let
the lack of a formal education stop them.
I’m certainly not a founder or a pioneer, but I
ended up in journalism after earning a B.S. degree
in speech education and an M.S. in counseling. The
first time I set foot in a college journalism class was
when I taught a magazine class at Bradley University
in Peoria, Ill. (The students were a little startled when
I told them they wouldn’t be getting any theory in the
class, because I didn’t know any.)
When I was editor of Profitable Craft Merchandising,
a predecessor to Craft Business Insider, I asked my
publisher, Jerry Constantino, why he hired me, as I
didn’t have any formal journalism training. He smiled
and said, “Mike, maybe with the exception of bridgebuilding and brain surgery, 90 percent of any job can be
taught, so you look for someone who has that magic 10
percent that can’t be taught.”
All of our pioneers had that 10 percent, and they
learned the other 90 percent as they went along. Some
probably felt unsure or inadequate at times because they
didn’t have an appropriate degree, but they soldiered on,
and we are all the beneficiaries of their efforts.
All of our pioneers either did
not have a college degree or
had a degree in something
completely different from
what they pursued.
— Mike Hartnett
I’m guessing that you have that 10 percent, or
you wouldn’t be reading this magazine. And if you
sometimes feel unsure because you don’t have a degree
in retailing, marketing, advertising, economics, or
whatever, you can hire someone to help, especially
someone with experience in our industry. For the
most part, however, soldier on.
You might hold off on the brain surgery, though. ●
A Personal Note
There is no way I can think of everything that
belongs in the industry timeline. If you have any
suggestions for events, business start-ups, or other
things I should add to the timeline, please let me
know. Email me at [email protected].
Should I carry these magazines in my store?
These 3 magazines will:
1. Bring your
customers back
every month for
the newest issue.
2. Help you build
a passionate
community.
3. Be a great selling
tool for the
products in your
store.
Stampington & Company
Call (Toll-Free): 1-877-782-6737
[email protected]
Founders of the craft kits category
Leaders of the Creativity Comeback
Develop imagination,
problem solving &
critical thinking skills
needed for future success
www.CreativityforKids.com
www.CreativityCan.com
Craft
13000 Darice Parkway
Strongsville, OH 44149
Bu sin ess
In sid er

Craft Business Insider

Transcription

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