Craft Business Magazine Sep-16 Vorige editie

Welcome to the September issue of Craft Business magazine.

In the aftermath of Brexit, our attentions now turn to the fast-approaching season of Christmas! While it may seem some way off, now is the time to start prepping for many craft business' busiest time of the year, if you haven't already of course.

On page 15 we discuss how to make the most of your festive shop window, with some great advice from Jennifer Ralton, visual manager at Paperchase and Kevin Wharton, marketing manager at ExaClair. Anne-Marie Catterall, designer at Hunkydory Crafts, uncovers the latest festive papercraft makes and trends on page 24, while on page 19 we uncover five pages of Christmas crackers ready for you to peruse at your leisure. Plus, if you’ve ever considered offering a gift wrapping service - but dismissed it as an expensive outlay - Neelam Meetcha from All Occasiations Gift Wrap shows you how to get it off the ground in a cost-effective way on page 25.

From Christmas to closures, the recent news of Coats Crafts UK winding down its business was a shock to many in the industry. Turn to page 10 to find out why the big brand will be shutting its doors for the last time in October. Meanwhile, on page 14 we take a look at retail giant Amazon, which unveils its latest shopping trend report and ask how it is affecting the crafts industry. With a fascinating piece on the rise of needle felting on page 28, how to create web appeal for your beads and jewels on page 29 and an exclusive interview with Hochanda TV's hottest new presenter Helen Johnson on page 35, this issue is not to be missed.

Enjoy reading!