Mama-press: July 2012

Photo courtesy of lifeonthebalcony.com

The following is a guest post from Nancy Parker. Her complete bio proceeds the article.

If you have ever wanted a vertical garden, then this is the project for you. So easy to do and no
carpentry skills required! All you need is a pallet, some landscaping material, a staple gun, soil
and plants!

To make this fun, easy, and super convenient vertical garden, you need to find a pallet first. After
you have that, you can get started. Make sure the pallet is free of any rough spots or protruding
nails. Verify that the boards are tight and the wood is not rotting anywhere.

Now, lay out the pallet and cover the back, sides and bottom with the landscaping material. You
want two layers here. Secure firmly with staples, making sure that no dirt will be able to escape.
Make sure that the ENTIRE bottom is covered well, or you will end up with problems!

Now, flip the pallet over. It should not be standing up. Start with the top pocket, filling it tightly
with soil and plants. Make sure they are packed tightly so that nothing is loose enough to fall
out. Then dump the rest of the soil in the pallet. Start from the bottom and work your way up,
packing the plants in tight together so that there is no space left loose.

When you are done planting, DO NOT move the pallet. You have to let it sit for up to two
weeks, depending on the type of plants you chose. They have to have time to become firmly
rooted before you move the pallet into a vertical position.

Make sure that you water the plants well. Once the two weeks is up, stand up the pallet against a
sunny wall. Voila, you have a garden that takes up practically no space! Make sure to water the
bottom rows especially well, as they seem to get dry fastest.

It doesn’t matter what you plant here: herbs, flowers, anything that doesn’t require a lot of height
seems to work well in the pallet garden. Try this out and see how much you can grow in such a
small, convenient space!

Nancy Parker was a professional nanny and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, Parenting, Child Care, Babysitting, nanny background check tips etc. You can reach her @ nancy.parker015 @ gmail.com

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Pinterest is an online pinboard where people go to find inspiration. Recipes, crafts, projects, home decor, art, travel, education, books…you name it, it’s there. However, it’s not only valuable for the casual observer or hobbyist. It is extremely valuable for a small business when used properly. If you sell your handmade items via an online marketplace, your own website, or social media site, you should also have a Pinterest presence. It is by invitation only, so if you’re not on yet, request an invite (from the site itself or a friend already using it) and you can be on in a few days’ time. Then, follow this list to make your handmade business that much more pinteresting:

Create a Product Gallery. Make a pinboard for your products. You can pin directly from your website, or upload products from your computer. This is a great way to get free exposure. If your product gets re-pinned (similar to a re-tweet on Twitter), it is added to the re-pinner’s board and shared with her followers. This means more eyes on your product. You will receive credit for the pin, so anyone clicking on it will be directed to your online shop (just be sure to add a link url to the photo if you upload from your computer). Think of it as a free ad.
Show Happy Customers. Pin photos of customers happily wearing or using your products. Let them be a visual testimony to your product’s greatness. You can even give permission for others to pin to a community board. Be sure to include different types of poses and uses to show the versatility of your product, and only let other pinners pin if you trust them.
Connect with Influencers. Re-pin, like, and comment on pins from influencers in your industry. This can be bloggers, small biz experts, and valuable sites like Handmade Success and Sourcing Handmade. This will open the door to forming a relationship, and will create mutually beneficial re-pinning potential. You can also tag others using the @ symbol…another great way to create relationships.
Pin Other Interests. Don’t stop at pinning your products. Create boards for topics in which your target market may be interested. This can be recipes, projects, kids’ craft ideas… anything with which you think your target will identify. This will draw more people to your Pinterest page, creating more opportunities for people to find your handmade products. Try to keep it related to your market, and be sure not to pin anything that may be offensive (what is funny to some isn’t funny to all).
Pin Works in Progress. Show images of you in action, or before and after pictures of your product. Of course you don’t want to give away your secrets, but it will help to show you as an expert in your area.
Price your Products…with Caution. You can upload pins that also contain sales prices for your products. However, I advise using this with caution. If one is obviously using Pinterest as a sales method, it may turn off some people. Pinterest should be used for sharing information, photos, ideas, products, and inspiration, without blatantly asking for sales. Outright self-promotion is also against the Pinterest code of ethics.
Use Accurate Descriptions. Have a well written “about” section on your Pinterest profile, and include links to your website, Facebook, and Twitter. Be sure your profile and pin descriptions include pertinent keywords for SEO.
Organize your Boards. Organize your boards so the most relevant ones are in the first row. You do this by clicking the “re-arrange boards” icon in the center of the page, next to “edit profile.” You can also choose the board cover by hovering over the center of any given board. Be sure to use a pin that is an accurate and attractive portrayal of what the board contains.
Don’t Over-Pin. If you have thousands of pins, people may feel overwhelmed and jump off your page. If you love it, pin it. If it’s mediocre, don’t. People will appreciate your authenticity and value more if you don’t pin and re-pin everything.
Use Great Photos. Of course, you must pin high quality photos of your handmade products. If the photo isn’t high quality, no one will look twice at it. After all, Pinterest is all about photos, so make them good!

Feel free to comment below with your Pinterest link, and we will check you out!
(this article was originally posted on www.sourcinghandmade.com, '12).