How to Start a Crafts Blog

Having a blog is one of the most remarkable ways to elevate your passion for crafts. If you love a specific craft and want to explore it more, you should consider coming up with a platform where you can discuss it. Indeed, there is no better way to do that than on a professional blog. When people hear about blogging, they often imagine it is a complicated process. However, starting a crafts blog can be very easy if you approach it with the right strategy.

Getting Started with your Crafts Blog

If you have been toying with the idea of starting a blog, you should not keep waiting. You will be surprised at how things will quickly come together once you have made up your mind to begin, even with limited resources. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide on how to create your blog.

Choose a Name For Your Blog

The name of your crafts blog is also your domain name. To come up with an ideal name for your crafts blog, you need to consider your niche and your target audience. Also, it will be best to follow the tips provided below.

~ Choose a short name. Short names are memorable. Moreover, you can use the same name across all social media platforms if it is concise enough.

~ Avoid words that end & begin with vowels close to each other. This makes your blog’s URL hard to read. For example, iloveanimals.com

~ Do not include words that require an apostrophe. For example, Werethebest.com.

~ Check to confirm if the name is free or already in use. You can also for your blog name on social media platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

Choose a name that is capable of growing with your business. As you begin operation, your passion develops with time. Therefore, it is crucial to go for a name with a high potential to evolve with your business.

You can consider using your name. However, if you choose to use your name, you need to ensure that the name has never been used. Nevertheless, if you face challenges coming up with the perfect name for your brand, our blog name generator is there to ease your brand naming process.

Select a platform for your crafts blog

As a startup, you can use WordPress.org for your crafts blog. This platform offers several benefits. First, it gives you the freedom to tweak your designs and run adverts on your blogs. There are several other free platforms to start a blog, but they offer a limited number of design changes. These websites include WordPress.com and Blogspot.

These days, WordPress is recognized as the standard for blogs as it is regularly updated. In addition, this platform also provides several customized themes & plugins to spice up your blogging experience.

You should go for free blogging platforms like WordPress.com or blogspot.com if you don’t intend to make money off your crafts blog. Nevertheless, if you wish to generate income from your crafts blog, you should choose a good hosting platform like WordPress.org.

Choose a Domain and Website Host

The next step is to purchase a domain and choose a host for your website. As mentioned, your domain name is also your blog name and your internet address. Choosing a blog name different from your address is possible, but it is best to use similar names to avoid confusion. Hosting is where your craft blog will be located on the internet.

Furthermore, hosting companies store all your business and website-related files on their servers and also help display your content to your website visitors. Therefore, we recommend Bluehost to provide reliable and affordable hosting services for your new crafts blog.

The registration process on Bluehost is simple, and the company also provides a chat feature that you can utilize when confused. Fortunately, WordPress is now automatically installed for Bluehost platforms, saving users some technical know-how.

Pick a Theme

A domain serves as your blog’s house, while the theme is the decoration. Using a free WordPress theme may be good for a start, but you will desire so many improvements as time goes by. Several theme developers out there have different abilities and qualities, but knowledge in areas like graphics design can help determine if a theme design is legit.

You need to choose a specially designed theme for your craft blog to make your website stand out and look more professional. WordPress provides a lot of amazing themes that you can pick. However, it would be best to consider the factor below when looking for an ideal theme for your blog.

Speed
Mobile Responsiveness
Easy Customization
Prompt Tech Support
Beautiful Designs

It is important to know that all WordPress themes have all the listed features, and they come with several benefits. These include:

Intuitive Design: WordPress themes have a great appearance on any device
User-friendly: This is ideal for anyone without no technical expertise. Moreover, these themes have a simple layout making them easy for beginners.
Top-notch Security: Themes have in-built security to combat malicious codes.
SEO: WordPress websites can rank high in the search engines with the right usage and understanding of SEO.
Outstanding Designs: You can create a unique website and even use family & child themes.

If WordPress themes are less appealing to you, you can explore theme marketplaces like StudioPress, ThemeForest, and Envato to find the exact type of theme you’re looking for.

Craft Blog Theme Choices for WordPress

We recommend Thrive Theme Builder on WordPress because it’s customizable. You can modify your blog to have an exact look you want by clicking/pointing, which is more straightforward than hiring a developer. Additionally, this theme is the most cost-effective type you’ll come across.

Prepare Your First Ten Posts

We know you may start asking questions like, “does it have ten posts?” For real? Yes, really. We strongly suggest launching your blog with at least ten substantial posts. Your post shouldn’t feature clichés like “This is my new crafts blog, and I’m happy to be here,” but quality content is valuable to your readers.

What type of DIY projects & crafts do you find interesting? Begin with them.

How To Develop 50 Crafts Blog Ideas In 20 Minutes

Get a few 3×5 cards. Then, write your major topics on three to five of them as they will be the items on your blog menu. For example, DIY Crafts, Life, Hacks, Letter-writing, etc. Set the alarm on your phone for 20 minutes and think of many other DIY crafts, projects, and ideas in those categories. You can move to the next category if you experience any creative blocks.

Do not limit your creativity by doubting if a project is feasible or not, just keep writing! Finally, go back and refine your list whenever the alarm stops. It is better to have numerous ideas than nothing!

Take Beautiful pictures

Photographs can break or make your crafts blog. You don’t have to own the best indoor lighting or a fancy camera to take amazing photographs. Nevertheless, you can start with the items below.

~ Purchase a minimum of three pieces of white foam board from a craft store.Your items will be placed on the first piece while the other two will stand to form a box-like structure around the piece on the floor. The standing pieces of foam core will then reflect light on your piece. Alternatively, you can use scrapbook paper sheets with minimalist designs as your background.

~ Use natural lighting. Switch off your bright kitchen light & take photos in the brightest area of your home. Indirect light works best. Therefore, you need to avoid glaring sunlight and shadows. Several photographers love taking photos in the golden hours before sunset, you can also try taking pictures at that time of day.

~ Learn the best ways to use your camera. You can read your camera manual or watch YouTube videos to know the best ways to use your camera. Moreover, you may need to buy or borrow a tripod if you have problems with blurry images.

Get Familiar with Instagram and Pinterest

It would help if you created a business Pinterest & Instagram accounts for your crafts blog. It is also important to create an account on other social media platforms, but you’ll get more traction on Instagram and Pinterest because they focus more on images.

Furthermore, it is important to make boards related to your niche and curate beautiful and high-quality pins. For Instagram, posting clear pictures with a similar color palette and a good call to action is the key. It would help if you also used relevant hashtags for more engagements. Check top bloggers in your niche and click the hashtags they use. If the photos are related to your target audience, you can copy them and use them for your photos. Compile a list of hashtags on your devices, so you can easily copy & paste them.

Tips on Increasing Traffic to Your Blog

At least for most people, the essence of doing a blog is to reach as many people as possible. The good news is that the internet has crushed the geographical barriers that prevented people from having a wide reach.

The first tip is to know your audience. You have to understand who you are talking to for you to know how to talk to them. Knowing your audience will help you define the language to use and the ideal interface for your blog.

You should also consider collaborating with other bloggers. Reach out to them and ask them to share tips and ideas about what is working for them. Networking is a great way to understand the needs of your target market.

Do not be afraid of marketing your blog and treating it as a business. Share links on your social media. Establish an email list that alerts your audience as soon as you post a new blog.

Remember that running a blog requires being proactive and interactive with your audience. This means that you should respond to inquiries and feedback from your audience as soon as you can.

Monetizing Your Crafts Blog

It is possible to turn your crafts hobby into a money-making venture. You are a step in the right direction when you add blogging into the equation, and you can try out the Amazon Associates program. Links to the site will be displayed on your blog, and you earn a commission anytime someone makes a purchase from those links. There are many other companies that provide affiliate links to content creators. Go for affiliate links that are directly linked to crafts. Your audience is likely to engage with that kind of content because they are passionate about crafts.

Another way to make money with your crafts blog is through Google AdSense advertising. You get paid every time people click on the adverts that are placed on different sections of your blog.

When you have grown your blog and gotten good numbers, you can approach potential sponsors and ask them to collaborate with you. This they can do through sponsored posts that are embedded in the content on your site or by simply placing adverts on your blog.

A crafts blog gives you a platform where you can actually sell your crafts. Create a marketplace where other people who are making the same crafts as you can sell their products and pay you for hosting them on your site.

Additionally, you can do tutorials like how to make jewelry and pottery. You can then charge people for these tutorials by holding workshops or putting the content behind a paywall on your blog.

Top #3 Crafts Bloggers

#1 CraftersCompanion.com

Sara Davies started the Crafter’s Companion site in 2005. It “aims to make paper crafting a fun and simple process,” so that anyone can enjoy it. Sara and her site have won numerous awards in the crafting, and the popular Ultimate Pro and the Rock-a-Blocks stamping system were developed through Crafter’s Companion. CC can be found on Facebook (35.7k followers), Twitter (1.5k followers), Pinterest (245k monthy viewers), Instagram (11.1k followers), and YouTube (32k subscribers).

#2 Claireabellemakes

This blog is the “creative lifestyle brand” and Claire Wilson (Cambridge), who has her graduate studies degree in Arts Management and Marketing. She also has to be creative and is “obsessive” about it, which is why she started Claireabellemakes in 2012. In 2017, she was selected as one of the world’s first Etsy Educators. Claireabellemakes can be found on Facebook (1.7k followers), Twitter (4.8k followers), Pinterest (547.2k monthy viewers), Instagram (9k followers), and YouTube (3.4k subscribers).

#3 JennyBlatt.com

Jenny Blatt is an artist/illustrator in Charleston, South Carolina. She thinks owning original art is for everyone and not just people who can afford the big-ticket paintings. Her style is ecclectic, and she is all about “DIYs for real peeps.” jennyblatt can be found on Instagram (6.6k followers) and Pinterest (58.7k monthly views.)

Conclusion

The internet has opened up limitless possibilities for what people do with their talents. Now, you can not only explore the craft that you love, but you could also end up making money out of blogging about it.

Consistency, creativity, and curiosity are key drivers to a successful crafts blog. Feel free to be yourself and put your personality into your content without being inappropriate. Give people a slice of yourself; what your dreams and ambitions for your crafts are, what drives you and why you started the blog in the first place.

Use the contact form here to reach out if you have any questions or comments on how to use the tools that have been provided here. So dare to get started on your blogging journey today, and you will not regret it.