Filling Out Etsy Policies- A helpful Outline

Creating your own policies can seem like a daunting task. What most people don't realize is that you already have policies that you follow! You just have to convert them to your Etsy page! For example- Shipping. We all do it, but is there certain days that you ship? This is your shipping policy! Below is a basic outline I have created stating what should go here. If you have any question, as always, please feel free to ask! The outline is in the order the policies appear on your Etsy shop!

Your Shop Policies

1. Welcome
• Here simply state a brief welcoming statement
• A short blip about your shop and what you do is appropriate
2. Payment
• What types of payment methods do you accept? State them here
• Are there certain payment options that should be discussed before using them?
• Example: I have the "other" option available on my shop, but in my policies section it states that this option is only to be used for Heartsy Orders.
• Also include how long a person has to pay and what actions will be taken if it is not paid for.
• Example: If you say a person has 2 days to pay for their item, what actions will you take if payment is not received. For me I send out at least 2 Etsy convo's (a few days apart) and a final Email message. If I don't receive an answer in a day or two I cancel the transaction and leave appropriate feedback. I will only leave negative feedback if the person failed to respond to any of my messages.
3. Shipping
• Who do you ship your packages through? (USPS, FedEx, etc.)
• What days can you ship? No need to explain, just state what days you ship.
• Do you include insurance or delivery confirmation? If not can it be added?
• Is insurance automatically added to certain orders?
• Do you refund shipping overages? 
• For this you may have a limit. For example I only refund shipping overages if the overage is over $1
• How long (on average) does it take before you mail a package?
• Do custom orders normally take longer to ship?
4. Refunds and Exchanges ***VERY IMPORTANT***
• Do you accept exchanges?
• When?  (Goes along with last bullet)
• Will you refund?
• When? (Goes along with last bullet)
• In what situations do you refund instead of exchange?
• Are there certain criteria that has to be met in order to qualify for a refund or exchange?
5. Additional Policies and FAQs
• Do you accept custom orders?
• Is there a certain process for custom orders?
• Links to any relevant pages
• Here I link to my fabric gallery in which customers can choose fabrics for their items
• I also link to a frequently asked questions blog post.

This is my little policy outline! I hope it helps every fill out their policies and makes things a little easier! See something I forgot? Let me know, I'd be happy to add it!

Heartsy Gone, Top Hatter Opened

Well I had every intention of creating a post with my experience and thoughts about Heartsy. But now, I guess it doesn't really matter! As of March 30th Heartsy will be no more! So instead, I'm going to give you a little briefing about their new site!

Tophatter Auctioneer 

With Heartsy closing an new site has emerged. TopHatter is to "take the place" of Heartsy, but in its own unique style. TH is a live auction site, sort of like Ebay, But instead of bid and watching for days, each item takes a few second to a couple minutes. Everything is much like it would be in an actual auction house.

A "lot" goes up to bid. Anyone interested may click the bid button. The bidding continues until it comes to a slow. The auctioneer (seen at left) will give the lot two chances before he closes the lot. (ie. going once... going twice... sold to -----) Most auctions also have a fair you can TRY to join. Once the regularly scheduled items start to finish the fair spots open. With sometimes 200+ people at an auction its hard to get a spot. You have to be quick! (Oh but you can pay the 50 cents to get a guaranteed spot in the fair... a rip off in my opinion.) TH invoices you for 10% (min. $1) of each thing you sell, so you better cross your fingers it sells for more than a buck! (You can't list your item with out first checking the I agree box)

Oh and you have to try and schedule your spot. And if there isn't any open in the next week it won't let you schedule it. Don't get me wrong I love the idea, and its quite fun. But there are certainly a few things that need to be worked out first! Feel free to check it out for yourselves and let me know what you think!

Frequently Asked Questions and Tips

This post is dedicated to answering frequently asked questions, as well as providing a few tips for using reusable bags.

**Please feel free to post questions in the comment section, along with your email. I will answer your question through comment, and send you an email as well.**

~Frequently Asked Questions~

1) What are your reusable bags made with?
A~ My bags are made with 100% cotton exteriors and nylon interiors.

 2) Why are the interiors nylon?
A~ The interiors of my bags are made with nylon for a few reasons. Not only is nylon food safe it is also water and stain resistant. Nylon is also very easy to clean, it can be wiped with a damp rag or added to your normal wash. Most importantly nylon contains no harsh chemicals, such as PVC, Phthalate, BPA, or Lead. Making my bags user friendly and completely safe.

3) What is the easiest way to clean your bags?
A~ For everyday messes I recommend simply flipping your bag inside out and wiping it with a damp cloth or paper towel. For sticker messes (like PB&J) simply add to the wash with like colors. If adding to the wash, I would recommend not using fabric softener. As it has such a strong smell the food can pick up the sent.

4) Your bags are made with Velcro closures, what is the best way to keep the Velcro crumb free?
A~ The answer is very simple, a toothbrush. Using either a new tooth brush, or an old clean toothbrush, simply brush the crumbs from the Velcro. Because there are so many little bristles on a toothbrush it is very good at getting into the groves of the Velcro strips.

5) Would you recommend your bags to your own family members?
A~ Most Certainly! Not only do I have my own set of reusable bags, my mother uses one of my sandwich bags, and my litter sister uses a lunch buddie!

6) What makes your bags different from all the other available?
A~ The biggest difference is the Velcro. In my personal opinion, the stitches from sewing on the Velcro should not be seen. The Velcro is mean to be functional, and should be just that. I sew my Velcro on so that there is no stitching on the exterior of the bag to take away from the overall appeal. Also, each of my bags is made very carefully and to be the best quality. I have critiqued, and changed, and edited my design until I came up with the design I currently used now. I know that it is the best that it can be, and I am always double checking my bags during the entire creation process, to make sure the bags will hold up to anything that you can throw at it!

~Tips~

*These tips work for most reusable bags, not just the ones made by me!*

~ If you are having trouble with your bread drying out try one of these simple tips: Try a different bread, some breads are softer and hold moister better than others. Or, wrap your sandwich in paper towel before placing it in your reusable bag.

~ Wash your bags weekly. This will make sure that your bags are clean, and ready to be used!

~ For small stains or spots on the cotton exterior of the bag, place a small amount of dish soap on the spot. Scrub the spot with a toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly and hang to dry.

~ Are your bags wrinkly when the come out of the wash? Bags with a Nylon interior can be ironed. Simply warm your iron to a low or nylon setting and iron the bags. I recommend keeping the bag closed and ironing the front then the back.

~ Don't use a dryer! While the bags can be placed in the dryer (on a low heat cycle) I recommend hanging them to dry. Nylon is sensitive to heat, and should not be exposed to heat for long periods of time. 

~A great way to hang these bags for easy drying, without the need of a close line, is your shower curtain! Simply open the bag, and using a clothes pin, attach one side of the bag to either side of your shower curtain. Your shower will catch any access water, and there is no need for extra room just to dry your bags!

**Once again, Feel free to share any tips or questions in the comments! I would love to hear your tips, and I'm happy to answer any questions!**

A Peek into the Studio

First off Happy New Year everyone! My new year has started out great! So far, and only 2 days into the year, I have found myself featured in 3 treasuries, and made 4 sales! Which may not seem like much to some, but for this college girl its great!

Since its the start of a new year I wanted to start fresh, so I cleaned my "Studio" or my sewing room as I call it! Lets just say that normally its not any where near as nice and clean as it is now! While everything always has its place, and most of those place are labeled, things don't always make it to their spots!

Lets start with an over view. Here is a look at my whole (tiny) sewing room! Its perfect for me, although I wish I could figure out how to stick another table in here!

Now I'll go into each section. The hardest thing, by far, for me to keep organized is my desk! Its where I create everything, and often things get left on it, pushed aside, and piled up. When I get sewing I'm more worried about what I'm making than not making a mess! But some times the mess is just too much! I'm hoping now that the whole room is clean I can keep it that way, at least for a little while! (My favorite BNR is even up on my computer screen! Yay BNR BABES!)

Next up is ALLLL my fabric! Let me tell you, there is a bunch! I had to come up with a clever idea to organize it, something that wouldn't take up too much space but where I could still easily access all my fabrics. Then I get a genus idea, to use a book shelf! It works great and i can always see my whole assortment of fabrics!

Lets see, next is the not so exciting but all important ironing board and iron. Notice the polka dot ironing board cover and the bright pink iron! Two of my very favorite things (polka dots and pink that is!). And of course notice my brand spanking new AccuQuilt Go! Let me tell you I LOVE this thing, it has to be one of the best inventions ever made! What is an AccuQuilt Go! you ask? Its a machine to cute out cute little fabric shape, you can see examples in my shop such as the butterfly and dragonfly applique bags currently listed!

Then comes my photo center! Simply put its where I take all my pictures, next to my white background is a bin with all my props. Under the desk is my little storage area. It has all of my pre-cut fabric, ribbon, appliques, shipping materials, and holiday fabrics.

Last but certainly not least, the most important thing, my inventory. Which may I add has a label on each drawer so everything is easily accessible. May not look like a lot of space, but you would be surprised what fits into these drawers! Oh and notice all the thread? It from my grandma! And of course the AccuQuilt Go! dies are in the photo too!

Well there is the quick version into my Studio! Hope you enjoyed, I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories about your own studio or crafting room!