I've got some tutorials on making a banner if you do decide to use GIMP here:
•Simple Text Banner:
http://pareandfocus.com/index.htm/etsy-shop-gimp-text-banner/•Banner with Photo Background:
http://pareandfocus.com/index.htm/take-charge-of-your-etsy-shop-make-an-easy-banner-with-a-photo-bac...•Collage banner with text, and graphics:
http://pareandfocus.com/index.htm/making-an-easy-etsy-banner-for-free-using-gimp-part-three/...Your banner should be a reflection of your shop, and it should speak to your target market. If you haven't narrowed down who your target market is, Now is the perfect time to think about that.
•Are they young or older? Are they urban sophisticates or country mice? Do they eat granola for breakfast or bacon and eggs? These things will clue you into the kind of style and feel your shop banner should have (and help you build a brand that's consistent).
Once you get your target market narrowed down, you can think of how your banner will speak to those people. Will it be minimalist and clean, or frilly and fancy? Will you use a photo background, or a simple solid color? Will you just have your shop's name, or will you include a tagline too?
Choosing the banner that's right for your shop and your style is a really individual process, But, there do seem to be some 'best practiced for Etsy banners' to keep them easy to read and nice to look at.Such as:
• Keeping fonts large and easy to read
• Avoiding fonts that are too curly, fancy and stylized
• Sticking to just one or two fonts per the entire banner.
• Use dark colored text against a light colored background (or vice versa) to keep things easy to read
• If you use a photo background, crop it to the correct dimensions rather than scaling it to fit etsy banner dimensions (scaling or re-sizing will stretch or squish the banner, whereas cropping will cut out the correct proportions so nothing gets squished)
There are lots of people here on etsy (like Phanie above) who make custom banners, but it will be really helpful to think about the specific style you're going for before you ask someone else to make your banner. It will make the work faster, and you'll be more likely to get a banner you're happy with.
Hope that helps!!!
P.S. I sell jewelry too. My target market is a younger, artsy, granola eating crowd who will appreciate my small business and environmental conscious practices. I tried to make a banner that fits that, while still being obviously about jewelry. Check it out in my shop, and how it fits with the theme I created for my website at
http://daintychain.com
