Hello! We’ve been thinking about ways we can support you all through these tricky times, as well as ways we can help people stuck at home, and come up with a few ideas. Could you let us know if you’d be interested, if and how you think they could work or if you have any other brilliant strokes of inspiration? Thank you!
Idea 1:
Run a series of online workshops. These would be led by Folksy sellers, possibly using materials people are likely to already have in their houses or alternatively as kits that can be purchased in their Folksy shops. The workshops could either be run as live webinars which we host (and which would be available afterwards too), or as Instagram/Facebook Live sessions or as YouTube videos. They could be free or there could be an option to donate to the workshop leader?
Idea 2:
We host some online craft fairs, possibly arranged by region (eg Nottingham) or a theme (eg Easter). We could set up dedicated pages on Folksy with items from sellers who want to take part, and groups on the forum and hubs on Instagram with the sellers for each fair. Then, on the day of the craft fair, we could promote items from the virtual stalls social media and possibly go live on Instagram or Facebook with some of the “stallholders” for studio tours or interviews? We’ve also been talking to Pedddle about collaborating with them on an online craft fair, so that could be an option too.
Idea 3:
Skillsharing. We could set up some sort of skillsharing network where people who have the time and want to learn a new skill trade their skills with other people. For example, you offer to teach people how to crochet a planter, and ask people what they can offer or teach you in exchange. We’re not sure how or where this would be hosted but it would be good to know if the idea is interesting in principle!
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These are all great ideas, especially like the online craft fair one 
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Definitely keen on the online craft fair 
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Love the idea of online craft fair . X
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I like the idea for the online craft fairs…but how do we know if the post offices will be open for the whole time we are dealing with coronavirus? Or if the postmen will still be working?
The online workshops might be better…if people are stuck at home, doing something creative will be a pleasant distraction.
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After I wrote that, I thought that I sell knitting patterns. So if you go ahead with the online craft fairs, I could participate with my knitting patterns which are sold & delivered by email anyway.
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I like the regional online market idea the most! I’ve almost finished putting together my ‘Paint your own penguin kit’ featuring my very own penguin design, but I’m not sure if I would be able to do an online workshop for it as my house can be very noisy 
~
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howdy c!
online craft fairs sound like a good idea.
cheers
james
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Online craft fair is my preferred option
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Yes, definitely Online Craft Fair is a good option for me.
I send Greeting Cards, and our Post Box is only a few houses away, so could incorporate that with my daily walk. Oh, and I have an online Account with Royal Mal called Click & Drop, so not only do I print my own Greeting Cards, but I can buy and print my online postage.
SallyAnn xxx
An online Folksy craft fair could be a great promoter for Folksy during these stay at home times .
Thanks Camilla
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Like the idea of online craft fairs - I’m trying to get round to the possibility of opening the shop an a restricted basis to cope with problems with posting sales.
I am sure you are all aware you can visit royal mail online, make a payment and download and print your postage label so if your item will drop in a mail box there is no need to go to the post office, so like that craft fair would work.
Idea 2: This one is great. I can set up a craft stall at home and walk through the products like I would do at a craft fair. you could assign 2 minutes per designer. All the products must be listed on Folksy. Sellers can also promote with special discount codes if they want.
Sounds a good idea to me something to take the blues away and support
