Should you sell your patterns on Spoonflower? My experience so far
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Are you an artist itching to break away from your day job and generate some extra cash with your creative talents? Or maybe you're a budding surface pattern designer who's been searching for the perfect place to sell your fabric designs. As someone who's been in your shoes, I'm excited to share my personal experience selling on Spoonflower and offer some tips to help you get your first sales on the platform.
As a fellow creative soul, I know how important it is to find ways to monetize our passions and turn them into a thriving business. I have been doing my own thing working as a surface pattern designer for nearly a decade, and I am always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to leverage my portfolio.
So, when I heard about Spoonflower, I decided to take the plunge. It's been a little over a year since I started, and now that my shop is gaining momentum, I want to share my journey with you, including the challenges I faced, the lessons I learned, and the strategies that helped me succeed.
So if you’re asking yourself, “Should I be selling on Spoonflower?” read on!
Is Selling on Spoonflower Worth it? My Story So Far
Since I have been working as a surface pattern designer for a few years, I already had a large portfolio of surface pattern designs that I could upload to my Spoonflower account, so it seemed like an easy choice to give it a try. (After all, you can never have enough sources of passive income.) But before jumping in with both feet, I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision, so I did a lot of research to see if others had experienced success with Spoonflower.
After scouting the web and getting fired up by some inspiring Skillshare classes, I was finally convinced that you could make good money selling fabric and wallpaper on Spoonflower and even build a full-time business around your designs! After getting the green light from other designers online, I decided to go for it and get my shop up and running.
One year later, I can honestly say that setting up a shop on Spoonflower has been a fun and rewarding experience! Not only have I been able to generate another revenue stream, but it's also given me extra motivation to create more designs and stay inspired.
The customer service on Spoonflower is top-notch, and orders are fulfilled quickly and accurately. Additionally, the Spoonflower community is full of awesome makers, interior designers and companies looking for fresh new patterns and designs to license for their products, which has helped me get my designs in front of more potential customers on and off the platform.
So, If you're a surface pattern designer considering selling your pattern designs on Spoonflower, I think it could be a great opportunity for you.
How Much I Earn On Spoonflower
Overall, Spoonflower has been great for me so far. As of March 2023, I have already made more in these three months than what I earned in the entirety of 2022. Of course, my little Spoonflower shop is still in its early stages, and I am nowhere near the 10k a month other top sellers have achieved on Spoonflower, yet I have reached a monthly income of $300 to $1100, which is a decent amount of extra money every month, considering I only occasionally upload new designs and I only work on it a couple of hours a week.
The Benefits of Selling Your Patterns on Spoonflower
There are so many benefits for surface pattern designers to sell their patterns on Spoonflower, but here are some of the biggest advantages I've seen so far:
It Has Great Earning Potential
Spoonflower is a great way to make passive income. Many experienced surface pattern designers have created successful businesses on the platform, earning thousands of dollars each month. Even better, Spoonflower's base payout rate is also great, with a 10% royalty on each sale compared to the industry standard of 5%. Spoonflower is also non-exclusive. This means you can also sell your designs on other platforms, so you're never tied down to just one platform, and you can still sell your designs on other print-on-demand shops.
It's Easy to Set Up and Manage
Setting up the shop and account settings was super fast and easy compared to other print-on-demand shops - to post on all Spoonflower products, you only need your seamless swatch, a few tags and a short description, and you are ready to go. The whole process is a breeze compared to other print-on-demand platforms, which can be very time consuming as they require you to create and upload different files for each product they offer. And managing the shop doesn't take much time at all - you can set up automated “thank you” messages for orders, and Spoonflower fulfils the orders for you, so it's almost totally hands-off.
It has A Fun Bonus Commission System
This is probably my favourite part about selling on Spoonflower: the bonus commission system. As your sales increase above certain thresholds, you can qualify for bonus commissions which can really add up over time.
For example, if you sell between $300 - $999 per month, you will qualify for an extra 1% bonus for a total of 11% commission on all your sales! The bonus commission can bring you up to a total of 15%, meaning if you make $1500 in sales per month, you are bringing home $2250 after the bonus has been added.
I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty awesome! If you find having a sales target goal motivating, you are going to have fun with this one, but be warned - there will be a few months where you will miss the mark by $1, and it will be a bit of a bummer. I try to think of it as practice for your patience and perseverance - after I have a good pout, of course.
It to Can Help You Find Licensing Opportunities
One of the great things about selling on Spoonflower is the chance to get amazing licensing opportunities! Many companies search Spoonflower for unique patterns they can license and feature on their own products. So, just by sharing your designs on Spoonflower, you are also building an online portfolio without having to worry about marketing and driving traffic to it - although it isn’t a substitute for your portfolio website, it is a fantastic addition to it.
And that's not all - Spoonflower also holds weekly design contests where they feature the winning designs on their home page and social media channels. This is an awesome way to get more exposure and Spoondollars and is another opportunity for potential licensing agreements.
It Has a High Barrier Of Entry
It may seem strange to list a high barrier of entry as a benefit but hear me out.
Having a high entry barrier can be a good thing. While it may deter some people from starting, it also means that there is less competition in the marketplace, giving you a better chance to stand out and make sales. This might sound harsh, but if you have ever tried selling digital downloads on Etsy you probably know that not everyone posting on these open-to-everyone marketplaces has the best intentions or ethics (reposting lots of stolen work from hard-working artists and designers), and these people don’t like having to spend a small printing fee, so they are more likely to stay away from the platform.
My initial investment was $72.72, which has paid itself back very quickly.
The cost of a test swatch on Spoonflower is only $0.45 per design, which is significantly less than fees on other platforms such as Etsy. However, the fact that there is a cost involved makes you think more critically about what you post. This encourages you to choose only your best work and to keep your target audience in mind, giving your designs the best chance of selling.
So, while the barrier of entry may seem daunting at first, it ultimately results in a higher-quality pattern portfolio and a better chance of success for those who are willing to make the investment.
To be completely transparent, my initial investment was $72,72, which has paid itself back very quickly, and now I can comfortably use my shop's profit to proof new designs. I also didn't pick the cheapest swatch samplers to proof my first batch of designs because I didn't know any better, so It could have been much less. Whoops.
It Cares About Sustainability
Spoonflower prides itself on being an environmentally-conscious company. They use water-based inks and have some sustainable fabrics like organic cotton available to customers. So if you're looking for a platform that cares about the environment, Spoonflower could be it.
It Uses Quality Materials
In addition to its sustainability efforts, Spoonflower also uses top-notch materials to produce their fabric and wallpapers. As a serious artist or designer, you probably want your customers to have a positive experience when they order your work, so using quality materials is important. You don't have to worry about that when you sell on Spoonflower because they make sure their fabric is durable and high-quality, ensuring your customers get the best possible product.
Pro Membership
Finally, the last benefit of using Spoonflower is their Pro Membership, which offers exclusive discounts and free standard shipping. This could be a great way to save money if you plan to create a dropshipping business or sell your fabrics on your own website too. I don't currently have a Pro membership, so I can't speak to the details, but I have heard great things about people who have successfully integrated this system into their Etsy store, e-commerce business or website.
So there you have it - a few of the reasons why I think selling on Spoonflower could be a great option for you. With its commission structure, licensing opportunities, quality materials and sustainability commitment, Spoonflower has much to offer. So if you are ready to start selling your own designs, let's dive into some tips to get you started.
Tips for Success On Spoonflower
If you have made it this far, you are probably rearing to start designing fabric and start selling your art on Spoonflower. To give you a bit of a head start, I have compiled some tips and tricks I've picked up during the last year to help you get more sales on the platform.
Know Your Target Market
I have spoken at length before about how important finding your niche is as a surface pattern designer, and it is no different when selling on Spoonflower. It is worth taking the time to understand who your target market is and what type of surface pattern design that they will be looking for so you can tailor your designs, tags and descriptions accordingly. This will help you create a more focused collection that has a higher chance of success. If you fall into the trap of creating blindly, it is quite easy to lose focus, dilute your brand or create designs that no one is searching for - we have all done it, trust me. It is a painful waste of time, and it can be avoided! I even created a free workbook that can help you narrow down your target customer, so you can skip the learning curve and get straight to creating for your ideal customer avatar.
Action Points:
- Know your market: Tailor your designs, tags, and descriptions to your ideal customer on Spoonflower.
- Use the free workbook: Get the free workbook to help you understand your audience and create designs that resonate with them.
- Avoid creating blindly: Take the time to understand your target market to create designs that are more likely to sell.
Keep The Final Product In Mind When You Design
When creating designs for Spoonflower, it is important to keep the final product in mind. This means taking into account how the fabric or wallpaper will be used. For example, if you think about wallpaper, you immediately think about decorating walls, but there are some crafty wizards out there who use it to line drawers, make notebook covers, and even lampshades!
If you do the work and figure out what your ideal customer is looking for, comes October, for example, you should be able to think about whether your ideal customer will need spookily cute Halloween wallpaper to make party decor for their kids or if they are more likely to be looking to cosy up their livingroom with some luxurious fall aesthetic velvet curtains.
Action Points:
- Design with use in mind: Consider how the fabric or wallpaper will be used when designing your patterns for Spoonflower.
- Get creative: Think beyond the obvious use of the product and explore creative ways in which your customers can utilize it.
- Cater to your market: Identify the needs and preferences of your target market and design patterns that cater to those specific needs.
- Stay on trend: Keep both evergreen, seasonal and holiday trends in mind and design patterns that align with them.
Think About Color
I cannot stress enough how important a role colour plays in the success of your designs. The right combination of colours can make even the simplest surface pattern design stand out, while the wrong ones might cause confusion or make the most beautiful design look unappealing. All surface pattern designers can benefit from understanding, at the very least, the basics of color theory, as it is a key element of what makes a repeating pattern looks professional and well thought out.
When it comes to selling designs on Spoonflower, uploading multiple color versions of your popular designs can be a great way to maximize your sales and reach. This is because the more options you provide for customers, the easier it is for them to find something that fits their needs. I like to upload one of my designs in at least 3 colour variations, but I have heard great things from designers who upload up to 10 different colorways for their best sellers.
Action Points:
- Learn color theory: Understand the basics of color theory to make informed choices when creating your surface pattern designs for Spoonflower.
- Use color strategically: The right combination of colors can make even a simple design stand out, so use color strategically to make your designs more appealing to potential customers.
- Offer multiple color options: Uploading multiple color variations of your designs can increase your chances of making a sale by providing customers with more options to choose from.
Brand Your Shop
There is no way around it, we like pretty things, and when it comes to spending money, we want to spend it on great quality products in shops we trust. Would you buy something in a back alley store from a faceless seller? Probably not! So, branding your Spoonflower shop is important to build trust and show that you are fully invested and believe in your own designs.
Branding, in broad terms, means creating a cohesive look and feeling for your shop that helps customers identify it quickly and recognize your work. Remember that customers are always looking for something they can relate to, so make sure your shop reflects who you are and what type of design you produce.
Branding yourself can be time-consuming and scary, but it is time well spent, and you should not be afraid to put your name out there. It isn’t “show offish” - people genuinely want to meet the artist behind the designs they love.
Branding For Fun and Profit
Now if the idea of going back to the drawing board to design banners and logos makes your stomach churn - I feel you, but hear me out for a moment.
Good branding is so powerful it can change how we feel about a product, how much we value it, and even how much we enjoy it! Cue the famous wine experiment where participants were given three bottles of wine to taste, one cheap, one medium price, and a fancy-looking premium one. While tasting the wines, the participants were told the prices of each bottle, and when asked to rate the wines in terms of taste, their answers were heavily influenced by the price and look of the bottle - the fancy wine tasted better. The plot twist? All three were actually the same wine! So the moral of the story here is, make sure you are the fanciest wine bottle in the room, and your shop (and your customers) will see the benefits.
This doesn't mean you have to look like a posh brand. If you dream of licensing your surface pattern designs on baby clothes, you don't need to make your shop look like a high-end fashion boutique. It can simply look like an adorable kids’ corner full of fun and colourful illustrations. The point is to make sure you visually connect to the right people who appreciate what you do and clearly communicate your vision and value to them.
Action Points:
- Create a cohesive shop design: Make sure your Spoonflower shop looks consistent and reflects your personal style and design aesthetic.
- Include your name or logo: Including your name or brand logo in your shop can help build trust with customers and make your brand more memorable.
- Cater to your target market: Consider the needs and preferences of your target market when branding your shop, but also showcase your unique personality and design style.
- Invest in good branding: Good branding can enhance the perceived value and quality of your products, so put effort into creating a memorable and appealing brand for your Spoonflower shop.
Quality Over Quantity
When it comes to selling on Spoonflower, quality over quantity is always a great rule of thumb. After getting my first few sales, I made the mistake of posting a few "common" simple designs for the sake of having more designs in my shop - I liked seeing the “designs for sale” number go up, but alas, long story short, they didn't sell at all.
Sure, it might be tempting to upload as many designs as possible in the hopes that one or two will become best sellers, but realistically this tactic won't get you far if you don't do so strategically.
People come to Spoonflower to find what they can't buy in a conventional store, so posting 100 different colours of simple polka dots is not going to make your shop attractive. Instead, stick to a posting strategy that covers your target market's needs and seasonal and evergreen trends that are harder to find anywhere else.
Action Points:
- Focus on quality designs: Create designs that cater to your target market's needs and seasonal trends, rather than posting common designs for the sake of having more products in your shop.
- Offer unique designs: Stand out by offering unique designs that customers can't find in conventional stores.
Offer Different Scales Of Your Designs
I had a few designs that I was proud of, yet none sold for months until someone kindly asked me to upload a pattern in a new size. Once the altered pattern went up, it became an instant hit! This opened my eyes to the fact that people might like a design but could be looking to purchase it in different sizes or colors.
To save yourself from missing out on potential sales, create scale variations of your best sellers. For example, if you are designing fabric for quilting, the scale of the pattern will be very different from the same design on a roll of wallpaper. Since Spoonflower also offers a wide range of home decor products going from tiny napkins to bedding and tablecloths, it is worth uploading multiscale versions of your designs so they can be used in different projects.
Action Points:
- Create variations: Create different scales and color variations of your designs to cater to customers who may be looking for a different color palette or different use for your design.
- Upload multiscale sizes: Upload multiscale sizes of your designs to cater to a wide range of Spoonflower's home decor products, from tiny napkins to bedding and tablecloths.
Getting Your First Sale
"It took me 34 days from ordering my first fabric swatches to getting my first sale on Spoonflower."
Alright, now we have covered all the basics for branding your shop and of course making sure you have quality designs. The only thing left is to get that first sale!
Maybe you have heard stories of people who uploaded their designs on Spoonflower and only got crickets. Maybe it even happened to you - If so, I am really sorry you had to go through that. I know how demotivating and upsetting it can feel - I have been building passive income from my art for over a decade, and I know how hard it is at the beginning when you put in so much effort and don't get any revenue back.
To help you make sure this doesn't happen to you and that you can start selling as soon as possible, here are some valuable tips that can help you skip or troubleshoot the cricket orchestra.
Build It (Tailored To Them) And They Will Come
Art can be quite self-indulging. We start the creative journey by making things we love because it makes us feel happy, but to turn your art into a reliable source of income, (especially with a commercial art form like surface pattern design), you have to think about it as a service you do to others - Michelangelo didn't paint the Sistine Chapel because he loved painting the heavens, he did it because the Pope paid good money for heavens, I doubt he would have got hired at the time if he insisted in only painting rainbow cat portraits (although that would have been spectacular).
The truth is that plenty of people are surfing the internet right now, ready to purchase something from you, but if you aren't selling what they need, they won't find you.
Define Your Target Market
First and foremost, it is vital to make sure that you are designing for your target market. This might sound obvious, but do you actually know who your ideal customer is? If not, it's time to do some market research and define the person behind the profile.
What I am trying to say is that it is essential to research your target market and make sure you are creating designs tailored to them. Gather some insights on what they need, what they are looking for, and what trends they prefer in art, fashion, interior design, and so on - Then make sure you have pattern designs that fit those needs.
If that sounds daunting, don't worry - I wrote a big blog post to help you figure out your art niche in a way that is authentic to you and what you love while still being hugely profitable.
Join Weekly Design Challe To Gain Momentum
A great way to get your designs seen and gain momentum for your shop is by joining and participating in weekly design challenges. Spoonflower hosts a challenge every week, and they usually revolve around a certain theme or color which is trending. So if you are still unsure about your target market, joining the challenges is a pretty good way to start creating popular designs.
Another perk is that if your design is in the top 20, you can also make it available for purchase without having to order any swatches. I have had the luck to win third place in one of the challenges with my Witchy Things pattern, and it became a really popular design in my shop, but most of the designs I have enrolled in the challenges had considerably better sales on average.
Patience Is The Virtue Of The Strong (And Successful!)
Now for the big question: How long does it take to make your first sale? How long it takes will depend on a number of factors:
Are your designs targeted to your ideal client?
Are your tags optimised to reach your clients?
Are your patterns the correct scale for their purpose?
Does your shop properly branded and looks trustworthy?
Do you have enough patterns for sale to test the market?
It took me 34 days from ordering my first fabric swatches to getting my first sale on Spoonflower. I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit yet at the time, so I ordered 60 swatches and went on with life as usual for a bit to see what would happen. Nothing happened… until it did!
Once I started getting some orders, I took it as "proof" and began uploading more designs regularly. Now, at the time of writing this blog post, my shop is just shy of 400 designs and is making sales daily.
Now 34 days can sound either painfully slow or pretty fast, depending on your perspective, but the truth is that it takes time, strategy and patience to establish a successful shop.
If you already have a shop and you are past the 30-day mark - don't give up just yet! Perhaps you just need a bit more time, maybe tweak a few things, or if you feel like your brand might need a bit of help, you could go over the art niche builder guide on my blog to give you a new perspective on what kind of surface design you could offer.
Moving Forward
We got to the end of the blog post, but this isn't goodbye. I plan to keep you updated on my journey every few weeks, so join my newsletter to stay tuned for more tips and tricks on how to set up a successful shop with Spoonflower.
In the meantime, remember that you don't have to be perfect in order to start - You just have to show up! I know firsthand how frustrating and confusing setting up a print-on-demand shop can be in the beginning, but I'm here to tell you that you can do it and that it's all worth it in the end.
Keep in mind that every top seller on Spoonflower was once in your shoes. They faced similar struggles and setbacks but didn't let that stop them. Instead, they persevered, learned from their mistakes and kept pushing forward.
So, don't let fear hold you back. Embrace the journey, celebrate your wins, and learn from your losses. Remember that every small step you take towards your goal brings you closer to success.
And if you ever feel discouraged or stuck, know that you're not alone and that you will make it if you stick to it.
Above all, keep showing up and putting your heart into it. The more you create, the more you learn, and the closer you get to your dreams. So keep going, keep growing, and keep sharing your unique gifts with the world.
Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to sharing more tips and insights with you soon.