Etsy Insights: My Etsy Design Awards Story | Etsy Success

MarigabyDesigns · 2024-07-18T13:18:44.556000Z

Hi everyone, My name is Maria and I’m the owner of Marigaby Designs. I sell handcrafted bags and accessories made out of leather alternatives like cactus vegan leather. I'm so proud and happy to be the 2023 Grand Prize Etsy Design Awards Winner, an unexpected and life changing experience. I deeply enjoy making pieces of art in the form of handbags and small accessories. It all started about 10 years ago when I made very simple fabric totes for myself. Everyone around me loved them so much that I decided to give it a try and started to sell them to help me with some college expenses. Once I had my engineering degree, I opened my Etsy shop and haven't done much of anything else besides this; always learning, experimenting and improving my skills as a self-taught handbag designer. My favorite product would definitely be my “Emma” mini bag. This bag embodies my signature style and has been my lucky charm with every new client and opportunity I've had since creating it. I felt so proud to enter it in the 2023 Etsy Design Awards. When I heard about the Etsy Design Awards, I was amazed by the previous winning items and designs. Honestly, my business wasn't doing very well back then and I thought the Etsy Design Awards would be a great opportunity to put my bags in front of a bigger audience and receive real feedback about my shop items. If you’re thinking of applying to the Etsy Design Awards, just do it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Here are a some of my top tips for entering to keep in mind: Try to showcase your product in the best way possible with good photos and videos. Do not underestimate the power of a product or process video. I had to work slowly but consistently using the few resources I had instead of waiting for everything to be perfect. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from other sellers either! There is a peer-to-peer listing critique happening now. This is a great place to engage with others for feedback on your photos. Take the time to talk about how and why your item is so unique and special in the application. Consider weaving your incredible story into your About section. This can really help you connect with your buyers! Lastly, I want to emphasize this again - you literally have nothing to lose. It just takes a few minutes to change the course of your year or maybe your entire life. Winning the Etsy Design Awards was like a sign from heaven to not give up on my dream and to keep working even harder. I never ever thought I could win. This has definitely been a dream come true for me and my family. I'll always be so grateful to Etsy and the entire team for being so kind, supportive, and awesome. I can now show my daughter that it is really possible to make a living and be successful by doing what you love, no matter where you are, where you come from or your circumstances. I encourage you all to take that leap of faith, get out of your comfort zone, work hard, show the world your gifts and see what happens. Submit your item today. What steps have you taken so far to prepare your application? Whether you’re just thinking about applying to adding the final touches to your application, share with us in the comments below so we can cheer you on! Best of luck to everyone this year!

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Etsy Insights: My Etsy Design Awards Story | Etsy Success | Etsy Community