If you have an ETSY shop, you will have seen different packages of stationery for sale. This is a great product to sell for holidays and celebrations.
In a recent survey, it was reported that writing notes and letters is a lost art. 97% of the population reports that it has been five years or more since they have written a letter.
Despite that-and maybe because of it, hand written letters and notes have more impact than many emails, videos and texts. Why? Well here are some reasons:
1. They Are Personal
I have a stash of letters that students have written to me. Some of them are offering helpful hints to be a better teacher (Please try to talk slower, we can’t listen that fast) and others are just thanking me.
These notes are precious to me and I will keep them forever. And if you write a letter of thanks to someone, they will cherish it just as much. It will mean more than just saying thanks in person or by text.
2. They Get Opened And Read
I receive hundreds of emails each day. While I do open most of them and skim them, there are some that I may not get to right away. But Mail? Yes, that gets opened and looked at each day.
Even junk mail–because people that send junk mail are very clever and disguise it. Especially if they are addressed to me by name.
3. It Generates Curiosity
When I open mail, even if it is something I have no interest in, it may suggest an idea. Perhaps the idea will be acted on later. It could also be that it generates an interest that I am research, see what others are saying, what does it cost, is it really a good product, etc.
It seems that all of us do that. A study showed that 25% of people made a donation or bought something based on mail they had received. And 97% of people did more research on products after receiving mail.
This type of curiosity is not replicated by an Instagram post or a TikTok video. It lasts longer. The ideas stay with us.
4. It Gets Shared
Unlike the email or texts that we receive, hand-written notes and letters are shared with others. I have shared those notes from students with other teachers many times. 15% of mail gets shared ensuring that the sender remains in our thoughts longer.
5. It Is Creative
Think of all the cards you have received. They are all different, some funny, some endearing. It expresses the creativity of the sender and often the recipient as well. You can have some fun when you send something in the mail or take the time to write a personal note.
6. It Remains
I recently came across a to-do list I created several years ago. It actually made me smile because the things that were so important then are not an issue now. As time passes, we need to reflect on all that we have accomplished and put everything in perspective.
Writing in a journal does just that. We have the space to write about our hopes and dreams. I don’t know of anyone who saves emails for the future in case they need inspiration. But, we do tend to save written pages.
Creating the Pages
Now that we understand the value of writing notes by hand. Let’s think about creating some stationery. These pages can be used for more than hand written notes, they can become a journal or pages in a planner. Create a “One Good Thing a Day” journal and use your stationery as pages with a writing prompt each day.
Put a Bible verse on each page and it becomes a Bible study guide, or prayer journal. Put motivational quotes on each page and you have a motivational journal. Vary the types of tables and create to-do lists or habit trackers.
Stationery is just the beginning…so let’s get started.
SET UP PAGE
In PowerPoint or a similar program, create a portrait page for your design. I use 8.5 x 11 but you can also use 6 x 9, 8 x 10, A4 or A5. In fact, the more sizes you offer of your designs, the more desirable they will be for customers. Pick a size and make all your variations first. Save the presentation and then change the size and adjust individual slides as needed. Repeat for as many different sizes as you want to offer your customers.
CREATE A SHAPE
Insert a rectangle shape. On some of the pages you can vary the transparency so the paper design will show through or you can leave it a solid fill. I make it white, but you can choose any color. I would suggest you keep it lighter so the writing can be seen.
INSERT A TABLE
Add a table to your shape. Make it fill the shape and leave an inch or so at the top. If you add quotes later, it is easy to delete a few lines. I like to leave a small margin at the side so the table doesn’t meet the edge of the shape.
Adjust the lines so it is a space reasonable for writing. I like to use a width of just slightly less than one half an inch. When I print it out, I can easily write on it without there being too much wasted space, but you can print it out and adjust to suit your personal taste.
ADD PAPER
You can either add the paper individually by using Design-Format Background-Insert Picture or You can use the Master Slides. If you place several different papers on the master slides, then you can use different papers in the set.
And the paper doesn’t have to be a colored pattern. You can use those full page coloring backgrounds you have been saving. That way someone can color and write notes at the same time.
VARY DESIGNS
Those are the basics. You can vary transparency, use the round edge rectangle instead of the square corners, and add several shapes/tables of different sizes to a page to change the look.
Packaging and Pricing
If you are selling stationery for personal use, you will provide the customer with a PDF of the pages. In PowerPoint, when you have finished designing, just save as a PDF and you are all set. If you are selling stationery for commercial use, then you will provide a PDF as well as a PowerPoint file so customers can edit.
Pricing is all over the place on ETSY. 4 pages of Easter stationery are priced at $2.47. 2 sheets of Rose decorates sheets are $1.68 while 12 sheets of 8.5 x 11 plus A4, A5 are $2.26.
It would seem that the highly colorful and decorated pages sell for more and offering multiple sizes are a big plus. If you need some more help on pricing and trends, check our ERANK. This free tool can help gain insights on what is popular on ETSY.
I hope you will make some stationery, planner pages and even a planner using your digital paper. If you are looking for more ideas on products to create and sell check out these blog posts: 13 Tips for Creating Printables to Sell and Creating and Selling Coloring Pages.
If you have any question, drop a comment below or email me at hello@creativeplr.com.