Behind the Scenes of an Etsy Store aka The Barn

One of the things I've had folks ask about is organizing and running an Etsy store.

I'd like to show you a bit of the behind the scenes of my little Etsy operation.
I'm fortunate that I have a barn, it's a small barn but it works beautifully. Most of my barn has a dirt floor, which is great for projects, no need to protect it. But can be bad for storing things. So I have one section that has a plywood floor and that is where I store my Etsy treasures as well as take the pictures.

Here you see a shelf with boxes, each box is somewhat organized with already listed etsy items. Most of these items are metal and most are small. I have one box with only breakables and another with only clocks etc. On the shelf there you see a bottle of windex. That is a necessity when making things look their best for the big moment. I also keep an old paint brush to keep everything dust free etc, some Scissors, cloths, rulers etc. All needed to make the photo process go smoothly.

Some of the larger items are stacked here. Not all of this is etsy stuff, some of it is for the booths but most of what you see here is etsy. I don't store anything fabric or paper out here. All of that has a closet space in the house.

Here's the Photo Booth, I have couple of photo lights, a surface and backdrop. That is all that is needed. I tend to stack stuff up in this area and take all my pictures at one time. That lantern is next in line for it's picture to be taken.

I also use this place for general junk storage and you'll find mirrors, frames, trim, shutters, spindles, unfinished projects... all kinds of wonderful things out here. It's a regular Prop Shop of treasures. Mr. R says I have to keep my junk within the boundaries of the Barn, that's the rule, I can't let it overflow to the rest of the house. I really don't mind though, it's plenty of space.
Shhh! don't tell him I store the Vintage Christmas in the Attic. And don't tell him about that closet I mentioned either.

Here's a sample of the kinds of shots I get with this photo booth.


I like the added warmth that the wood surface gives the items and it's easier to keep clean than a plain white backdrop. The backdrop I use is a crinkled craft paper. Very forgiving for the camera and easy to change out.
A Little imperfection makes the editing process easier. I don't have to worry too much about a stray bit of dust messing up the shot, it just blends in with the surface of the wood.

That's a little peak at the inner workings of my Etsy Operation. Keeping all this stuff strait is no easy task, but this is only 1/3 the work, first it has to be found and cleaned, and when it sells and it has to be packed and shipped, and that is a whole other story, and a post for another day.