Bec's Story: creating and selling handmade jewellery
Bec’s journey started with a simple spark – watching a YouTube video that ignited her love for creating handmade jewellery with polymer clay. Bec soon found success at her local markets, but with a desire to reach more people, she needed a professional online store – without the high costs or complexity.
THE CHALLENGE
Selling online without the overhead
For many creators like Bec, setting up a professional website can feel overwhelming - especially with limited time, budget, or technical know-how.
Bec needed a way to sell online that was affordable, easy to manage, and would reflect the care she puts into each of her handmade pieces.
THE SOLUTION
An online store built with Little Big Shop
That’s where Little Big Shop came in. With an easy-to-use platform and no hidden fees, Bec launched a clean, professional-looking store without needing a developer. It gave her the freedom to focus on creating, while the shop took care of selling.
THE OUTCOME
A store that reflects her individual style
Bec now has a place to sell that matches the quality of her creations. Her online store has opened new doors, allowing her to connect with more customers across Australia - and do it all without expensive overhead or tech hurdles.
Bec’s story in her words
Can you tell us a little about Handcrafted by Bec and what you create?
Handcrafted by Bec started as a hobby at home on my kitchen bench.
I remember a reel popping up in my YouTube feed and I was drawn to watching the artist work with the clay, their creative process, how they combined colours and textures, and moulded or cut a unique shape into a piece of jewellery.
I was hooked after that one reel and it wasn’t long before I found a supplier and ordered some products that would lead me to start creating earrings that I would sell at my town’s local Boutique Market the following year.
After a little over a year of working with polymer clay, a friend who ran a coffee van offered and encouraged me to display a small range for sale and I was hesitant at first. But, I thought, all this passion, excitement, all this work – it deserves to be for other people to see and enjoy, and to get feedback. So, I let my friend display my small selection. I received a great response from customers and Handcrafted by Bec was born.
I was soon planning and producing a range of earrings, small studs, large studs and dangles all made of polymer clay, an ultra-lightweight material finished with surgical steel findings, metal and coloured joiners, each pair proudly carded on my personalised display cards ready for market. What a step and… where it has led to today!
The creation process
Can you describe your typical creation process – from idea to finished piece?
If I’m making a signature slab, I take different colours and sit them on the tile, swapping colours in and out of the group to see how they like each other. I think about which colour will provide the best base, and how much each of the others need to contribute to make the slab balance with the best finish I can get.
- I start with rolling, cutting, then placing big and prominent shapes on the slab, pressing them into the base, then follow with a range of different shapes and colours accordingly. Once I’m satisfied with the design it’s time to cut.
- I like to get a range of danagle cuts and stud cuts from the one slab. Each cut sits differently on the slab making each piece a one-off.
- Cuts are then baked at a low temperature which sets the clay. Once out of the oven and cooled, I lightly sand the backs and edges and they are ready to have earring posts adhered.
- After glueing the posts on I either bake on a layer of clay to the back over the post or, apply a film of resin. Both of these techniques ensure the post back is secured and won’t detach from the stud.
From there, the product is carded up and ready for photography, then to market or uploaded on the website.
Seeing which colours work together
Before rolling the slab out and confirming the colours work well
Shapes cut, baked and ready to be assembled into earrings
Finished earrings ready to sell at the markets or online
Selling handmade jewellery at local markets
What do you enjoy most about selling your products in person at markets?
I love chatting with people face to face, and hearing people chat to each other about what they’re seeing on my displays. Interacting with customers lets me know what I’m doing right and what I can improve on. This is where I gain inspiration directly from my customers, it gives me the opportunity to get to work on something that I know may be the next design that will hit the mark, and prompt more ideas.
Why did Bec choose Little Big Shop?
We were curious to learn what inspired Bec to start selling her handmade jewellery online with Little Big Shop. Read on to find out.
What made you decide to have both an online store and a market presence for your business?
I decided it was time that inbetween markets, my products were accessible to a wider customer base, not only so I could reach an audience outside the parameters of my hometown but for customers that would often message to see where and how they could purchase in between market dates.
It was time to have my whole range accessible to be browsed, to be able to include a link on my socials for customers for easy browsing and ensure opportunities for sales were present for both customers and my small business.
How easy was it to set up your online shop and start selling?
After some browsing around website platforms, and considering what was going to work for me, Little Big Shop was the obvious choice.
After entering the trial period, I soon found the site was a very smooth and logical process. I love that the company is an Australian owned and operated site, I was always able to speak to a technician, the support was fantastic and the help and tips I received in the set up process ( and still am) was just amazing. I truly felt the team was a part of my business, wanting the very best for me. It was an easy choice to stay and continue building my site with Little Big Shop.
What advice would you give to other small business owners thinking about selling both online and at markets?
Whatever capacity you have to get in among different customers and selling spaces – just go for it!
To see a product in the flesh is ultimately the best, and face-to-face is where you get honest feedback but, we don’t trade primarily in a face-to-face space anymore. Use your technical skills to showcase your product online, practise your photography to showcase your talent and, allow the power of a site like Little Big Shop to reach the customers in locations that they can!
Are you a maker like Bec?
Does Bec’s journey, from crafting handmade jewellery at her kitchen bench to selling at local markets and online, sound familiar?
Whether you’re a jewellery maker, artist, candle creator, or any kind of handmade seller, Little Big Shop makes it easy to build a beautiful online store – no tech skills required.
Ready to take the next step? Start your 14-day free trial today and discover how simple it is to share your products with fellow Aussies!
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