Holiday Countdown 2014
- Details
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 05 November 2014 18:22
With Halloween behind us, retailers are moving head-on into the holiday season. You may have seasonal shapes on your shelves and are putting up decorations and holiday displays.
Here’s a handy checklist as you move along in your plans and some tips if you haven’t!
- Create samples!
- Decorate holiday shapes and make samples on non-holiday shaped bisque. (Mayco’s Silkscreens make it easy to create intricate samples with ease.)
- Display a variety of samples (different shapes and designs) for handprints and footprints.
- Paint series (sets) of designs to encourage multiple bisque sales.
- Have a shape that isn’t selling? Paint it with a holiday theme.
- Customized Gifts – Create samples that your staff can easily personalize for customers on the go or those not-so-artsy feeling customers. Place sign next to the samples that shows one price for customizing and one price for paint-your-own: “You Paint - $25. We paint $40”
- Have tape of varying widths on hand to make stripes on gifts, ornaments and stockings.
- Stock up on holiday colors: Hot Tamale (SC-74), Candy Apple Red (SC-73), Sour Apple (SC-27), Green Thumb (SC-26), Cara-Bein Blue (SC-76), Fruit of the Vine (SC-33) and Sunkissed (SC-6).
- Pick a theme for your window. Like an old-fashioned Christmas, use retro wrapping paper to cover display tables or gift boxes. Hang ribbons from the ceiling. String colorful paper or fabric as a garland. Prefer a winter wonderland? Decorate with blues, greens and white snowflakes.
- Add props with your display that show the use/gift ideas for painted pieces (cookies by a Santa plate, hot chocolate with a mug, recipe with a platter, poinsettia with a planter, etc.)
- Create a “Days to Paint for Christmas” piece and update it daily. Chalkboard…
- Plan events and notify customers via social media, email, newsletters, bag stuffers and in-store signage. Need some ideas? o Canvas of the Month – Visit the Holiday & Seasonal project gallery on Mayco’s website for designs and techniques.
- Story time – Read a holiday story and paint a similar item or any holiday gift.
- Pictures and painting with Santa event. Kids paint while others meet Santa.
- Ornament painting party for families. Have treats on hand!
- Kids Gift Painting Night / Parents Shopping Night. Parents give kids a list of items or budget for creating gifts while they shop! Order pizza and make it a party!
- Dessert & Coffee (instead of Wine & Design) Create a design and lead a group through the process while they enjoy coffee and dessert.
- Prepare your studio for clay imprints!
- Host early morning painting hours for parents with little ones.
- Send press releases to local media about handmade gifts for the holidays and your events.
- Plan your social media posts and emails to let customers know what’s going on your studio.
- Buy elf aprons for your staff or silkscreen holiday designs onto plain aprons.
Remember to relax, breathe and enjoy the season - Happy Holidays!