Sounds easy? Making a Treasury that actually gets featured on the home page is a mystery to some of us though, so I thought I'd ask a few curators who've achieved that goal. Firstly - this is what Etsy says at the moment:
"If you'd like your list to be chosen for inclusion on Etsy's home page, here are a few tips:
Be diverse! No more than one item per shop.
Don't include your own items. Spread the love!
Make it beautiful."
Their rules change though - so check what they are saying when you make one.
Craftcult is a great way to see front page treasuries, just put in the name of a curator and up they pop!
'love, love, love.... shadows and light' by leapinggazelle
Thanks to Etsy and congrats to all. You are beautiful!
 mens 9 - 9.5 womens... $ |  Earrings. Hedgehog ... $26.00 |  Love Amour Burlap P... $35.00 |  Black and White But... $ |
 Buttons, Stoneware ... $5.00 |  Cocktail Dress with... $99.00 |  Tree of Life Charm ... $9.00 |  Armwarmers 33 Punk ... $17.50 |
 Horsehair Sculpture... $125.00 |  Sterling Silver Dai... $27.00 |  Fly Fishing Pothold... $ |  White dress with bl... $72.00 |
 Black Chenille Wris... $ |  Black dress-Legs on... $68.00 |  Black Evening Choke... $18.00 |  Amigurumi Kawaii Bl... $15.00 |
Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.
I asked LeapingGazelle, who has curated six front pages, what she looked for when choosing items to feature:
"Great clear pictures are a must! I prefer clean lines with backgrounds that don't compete with the item. I try to include a good range of categories and prices. I also look for undiscovered shops with fewer sales to help give them some exposure.
I move my items around on my poster sketch a lot.... until I feel there's a flow, where your eye moves easily from one item to the next. It's hard to describe, but to me it's like music. It can feel harmonious or screechy and out of tune!
While I make treasuries based on themes, I've discovered that my most common thread is color and light, maybe it's because I'm a photographer, lol. Right now I'm happily obsessed with that golden afternoon light that you only see in autumn.
I love treasuries that evoke emotion... nostalgia, a wistful poignancy... and treasuries that bring together unexpected color combinations in a gorgeous way. I recently saw a beautiful treasury with soft lavenders and key lime.
For me, it's all about the collection. To see an already amazing item become so much more when grouped with a collection gives me a real kick. There are so many wonderful curators, I like creating treasuries but I also love looking at them.
Actually I would add one more thing: I see so many treasuries based on color and create so many myself. Buyers search by color too. I really feel it's important to use some of your tags for color. There's a great link for a wikipedia color page with links to all of the shades of the rainbow, and a fabulous post on the Etteam blog about tagging for Treasury exposure.
Thanks Lauren!
GlassriverJewelry has recently made her first appearance as a Front Page Curator:
'Peachy Keen' by GlassRiverJewelry
 Gold and Opal cele... $48.00 |  Dress - Pale Peach ... $ |  Simply Peachy Pearl... $ |  Decorative flower p... $4.75 |
 Yellow Garden Rose ... $10.00 |  Sunset Meadow - lam... $18.00 |  Goldfish Backpack $30.00 |  INTRO OFFER - 2 Hug... $1.20 |
 Blooming Ring, Pe... $12.00 |  Pale Yellow Bowl / ... $26.00 |  Cocktail Dress with... $99.00 |  I Do - Large Freshw... $83.00 |
 wake me up and call... $ |  Beige Hydrangeas in... $25.00 |  Peach Pink Yellow P... $55.00 |  Skelton Key Gift Ta... $ |
Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.
GlassRiverJewelry said:
"When I make a treasury, I approach them several different ways. Sometimes I have recently made a piece of jewelry, and I like the color, so I look for things in that color. The day before I made the T that hit the FP, I made a pair of earrings that had peach and persimmon in them. I decided to look for peach items. I found a rose photograph that I loved, and built the T around that. I try to look for a wide variety of items and to avoid using more than 2 or 3 items in the same category.
Today I was trying to name one T when the title Fall In Line came to me and stuck in my head. I decided to try to make a T around that title. I am happy with how it turned out, but I think it got lost in the shuffle of the etsy site loading problems.
One that I made around the song "Black Magic Woman". That one took me hours to do, but I found a lot of fun new shops."
Thank you GlassRiverJewelry!
MyMothersGarden has had several front pages.
'AUTUMN CHOCOLATE' by Mymothersgarden
 Formal - Brown Mod ... $30.00 |  Satin Finished Mamm... $155.00 |  Handled Soup and Ch... $44.00 |  Books to read alter... $ |
 Beaded Cuff Bracele... $135.00 |  Mustard and Cranber... $ |  Mid Century Modern ... $25.00 |  Golden Pearls with ... $75.00 |
 Hazelnut Clusters-B... $ |  Chic cocktail Mini... $ |  Ceramic Raku Fired ... $ |  my ocean... dark se... $23.00 |
 Handmade Journal or... $35.00 |  Fish Fridge Magnet ... $ |  Earrings Ruby Red G... $22.00 |  Amy Butler Snack Ba... $10.00 |
Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.
Here are her tips:
"Include a lot of diverse items (vintage, supply, fashion, housewares,food etc.), make sure the treasury flows well visually, has some sort of movement and includes humans or animals in the collection. I usually find one item that I like, then build the collection around that inspiration piece, then I search for colors/items that complement the inspiration piece. I like to make it look interesting, not just a bunch of random pieces arranged by color...you almost want to give it a feeling or mood/atmosphere of some sort. An interesting title always helps too. :)"
Thank you MyMothersGarden!
CardsandCraft included my meerkat in one of her front page treasuries!
CardsandCraft only started making treasuries in August, but has already had four front pages (that's four more than me!) She gave me some thoughts on treasuries in the form of questions:
"Should I include myself in a treasury? no, Etsy say not to but if you are making one that is just for fun, why not, it won't do you any harm and you might even sell the item in it."
(Nifty: the guidelines from admin say "You can create a list of items for any purpose and edit as often as you desire" I decided to include one of my trekkies recently, it was the only item in that treasury to sell.)
'Live long and prosper!' by niftyknits
I want to believe...what about you?
 Star Trek Science O... $35.00 |  SZ 3XL Leonard Nimo... $22.99 |  3 matching groomsme... $90.00 |  Rocketship Reusable... $8.50 |
 Cutest amigurumi al... $19.00 |  Danny Dunn and the ... $4.50 |  Galactica Lampwork ... $25.00 |  Small Painting Scro... $16.00 |
 Brass Star, Hammere... $15.00 |  Dark Meteorite ring... $122.00 |  Orbital Beaded Earr... $15.00 |  Time and space poly... $22.00 |
 Set of 3 Sandwich/S... $ |  Shooting Star Perso... $46.25 |  I Want To Believe A... $18.00 |  2001- A Space Odyss... $ |
Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.
How do I decide on a theme for a treasury - read the Etsy marketing reports on the kind of things they might be looking for in any given month, see what other curators are doing, look at world events, things in the news, holidays, team challenges, completely random idea.
Do I have to follow the Etsy suggestions/what everyone else is doing - absolutely not, there are no rules on this and Etsy select whatever they see fit which included one on a very British theme that didn't fit into any suggested theme at all.
'A Nice Cup Of Tea' by CardsAndCraft
As us Brits are apparently obsessed with a nice hot cuppa and we can put the world to rights over one, or is that just on EastEnders, what better subject to feature some wonderful British talent in. I am sure I am not the first person to think of this and won't be the last but here is my take on it.
 simple grey and whi... $9.00 |  Handmade Tea Cup Bu... $5.00 |  Full English Breakf... $14.00 |  Afternoon Tea - tea... $ |
 Ring featuring trad... $12.00 |  Amigurumi Kawaii Wh... $13.00 |  SALE - Red Spotty T... $8.00 |  I love tea mug, blu... $12.50 |
 Meerkat afternoon t... $36.00 |  Tea for Two - Origi... $ |  Tea Cosy in Denim B... $35.00 |  Slice of Victoria S... $42.00 |
 MILLIONAIRE'S S... $6.00 |  I Heart Tea Mini To... $22.00 |  London Tea Pot $115.00 |  1920 Silver Spoon P... $75.00 |
Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.
"Who do I make treasuries for? whoever you like, friends, teams, favourites, anything and anyone you like.
What shall I call my treasury? anything you like, quirky titles are good, anything with adjectives added in so it does just say red and green. Funny titles are good as are tongue in cheek but it isn't always easy to find something different to say. Just don't give a dull title.
Do the background in images matter? yes and no, no two images are likely to have the same background, so a good mix of dark and light and even different colours is fine. Like the main image only you can decide what looks good to you and arrange in your template accordingly.
Do treasuries with supplies and vintage in get on the FP? absolutely yes and as a supplies seller I make a point of always including several supplies items whether commercial or handmade in every one I make if it is appropriate to my theme. The same applies to vintage. Supplies and vintage sellers have outstanding photographs too and there is no frowning on them being on the FP at all. Equally you don't have to include if you don't want to.
Should I focus on the first three spots that appear on the treasury list? yes, again there are no rules on what to include there but make those three eye catching, say a little taster for what the viewer will see if they click on your treasury.
Should I include images with people in? absolutely yes, obviously you can't in every treasury as it depends on your theme and your finds but for some reason a person wearing that dress draws you in for example.
Should I tell people I am featuring them in my treasury? absolutely yes, people love to be told as the sooner you tell them the better after you start your treasury. Most people in it will comment on the treasury and many will send you nice convos by return. (Nifty adds: this is NOT considered spam, admin changed that rule some time ago)
Should I reciprocate with treasuries? it is entirely up to you but many people do, if you include them in a treasury, they'll include you in their next one. That's how I got on the FP as myself for the first time. Obviously reciprocation only works back for you if the those you include make Ts themselves and many don't. Great friendships have been formed this way, or at least I've got to know a few people a lot better this way.
Who else should I tell about my treasury? again up to you, use your own social networking methods e.g. FB, Twitter, your blog and post on any relevant team threads.
How do some Ts get thousands of views and stay on the first or second page for hours even days? often they are stunning, often it's down to timing or there simply being something about it that catches the viewer's eye. The longer it stays on the first page the more views it is likely to get however you can't make it stay there, getting people to view it in conjunction with Etsy's current algorithum that we are not party to is key!
Do I have to be in a team to get on the FP? absolutely not. Checkout out the FP vault in Craftcult to see that there are a lot more individuals including buyers only who get on the FP than you might think.
Are my own items suitable to be in treasuries? if other curators place you in treasuries then the chances are yes. Even if you sell something unusual like knitted meerkats (LOL thank you!) or have burnt out white background on your images you have a place. Even if your own images need work there is never anything to stop you making your own treasuries."
Thank you CardsandCraft.
Wow - this turned out to be a much longer post than I'd anticipated, but I hope these tips will help us all. Many thanks to my featured front page curators, and Good Luck everyone! I'd love to hear your tips in the comments!
30 comments:
Nifty, Thanks for taking the time to put this together. I think all 4 of these women do a phenomenal job with their Ts and the FPs were well-deserved!
ByThe...
Great job Heather!!!
Nifty- another great feature!! It was so interesting to see how different artist approach the same task.
Thanks Nifty for including my ideas. Everyone has great tips and ideas!
Thank you so much for such an informative post. There are so many great tips here!
What a great post, Heather! I loved seeing everyone's wonderful tips and thank you for including mine. Now I feel like making a treasury :)
great blog post nifty, thank you! very informative and interesting, love the way you put it together.
Heather, This is great and so informative! I loved reading about everyone's different methods for creating treasuries. Thanks for sharing my tips! ~Karrita
This is such a wealth of information! I love knowing the story behind 5 of my favorite treasuries!
what a great little article! Thanks for continuing to feature such great stuff, nifty!
Heather, this is an EXCELLENT resource for those who make, and want to make, treasuries. Have you posted the link to the Etsy forums? You really should.
And thank you for including my humble bit. Hugs to you, Heather!
T
Thanks for all the great insight this post offers!
What a wonderful post Heather! So much great information, I hope it encourages people to make many treasuries :) I loved reading everyone's tips. Thank you for including mine.
What a terrific post. I am soooooooo into making treasuries. I, too, have noticed they sometimes get lost in the shuffle. I have made about 20 and yet, only can find 4 or 5 of them. That's ok! I love looking at the creativity of other crafters and artists and then, sharing that with other people. Getting on the FP has never been my focus (but of course, it would be nice), I just like sharing all that great creativity. I have not put myself in one yet, but I am doing one this afternoon on Mexico artisans and maybe I will go ahead and include myself!!! Thanks! Linda Lou
lots of great info here- thanks so much for sharing it with us...
Thanks for sharing ~ i love making treasuries and hope to make FP one day!!
cool..thanks for sharing
great to see so much interest - good luck everyone!
Brilliant... thank you so much for all that fantastic information.... very happy ;-)))
heather this is such a great post! thanks for taking the time to analyze this elusive beast!
Well done Nifty, well done!
Loved reading these ideas about how to make excellent T's. I love making them and I think I'm good at it, but I can always use more ideas.
One of my T's made it to the FP. I was very surprised, but it was the one I worked hardest on so that makes sense.
I get a kick out of making treasuries. It's great way to discover new shops. Thanks for the "Nifty" info ;)
Thanks! Some great new information in this article that I didn't see in the official etsy guidelines. I'm so glad you clarified that it IS okay to let people know you featured their product in a T. I was thrilled when someone let me know they'd included one of mine -- it's wonderfully encouraging!
It was a pleasure to read all these things about the mysterious way to create a treasury list which hits the FP. I want more posts about it, many thanks, great job!!!
Thank you for the wealth of information about making Treasuries. Now I feel like making one, I took some notes, hopefully it will be better than before.
Thanks everyone, it's good to know my blog is being useful :-)
My only new years resolution is to plunge in and do some treasuries. This will be a big help. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Nifty - Thank you so much for taking the time to share. I'm just re-setting up my Etsy-shop after a years hiatus and it is wonderful how the Etsy network is alive and well.
Great post! I love, love curating! I curate to reciprocate, colors I like, favorites. I've even curated to express my feelings like when I first heard about the length of time expected to rescue the Chilean miners and when my lost wallet was returned (with all my money) right before Christmas.
It's a great feeling to have your treasury featured on FP, I've been honored 4 times!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/corrnucopia
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