Banana Bottoms- Etsy Shop

BANANA BOTTOMS
Introduce yourself. What is your shop name/url?
My name is Kristen and I love cloth diapering! I have four kids and live in beautiful Nova Scotia, Canada. My shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/bananabottoms.
How long has your shop been open on Etsy?
My shop has been open for almost two years.
Is your Etsy shop a hobby or a career?
Well it started as a hobby. Now, as the kids are getting older, I’m able to devote more time for it to be a business.
How did you get started?
I started cloth diapering with my oldest almost 12 years ago, yikes! I was a single mom looking to save money and my mom suggested using cloth diapers. I started sewing my own diapers for him and perfected my pattern and materials over time and kids. My mom suggested selling them and eventually I did. Thanks mom!
Do you sell your product(s) elsewhere? If so, where?
Yes, I sell on Artfire – http://www.artfire.com/users/bananabottoms. I also sell locally at craft shows and through word of mouth.
Do you feel that Etsy has provided you with a supportive community to sell your products?
I love Etsy! Joining a supportive team is probably the smartest thing I ever did. I am part of the Natural Kids Team and Etsy Cloth Diapers Team. Members are super and the team is such a great place to get support and ideas when you need it. I love bouncing ideas off of them and listening to other suggestions. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned since joining.
What is/are the product(s) that you sell?
I sell cloth diapers and covers and accessories. I am looking to expand my wares to include something more for babies and children in the New Year.
What is the most popular item that you sell?
My fitted cloth diapers are the most popular item.
What materials do you use to create your product(s)?
I use mainly bamboo/organic cotton fabrics. I started looking at alternative fabrics a couple of years ago and tested a whole array before settling on bamboo blends. They are soft and absorbent and extremely durable. Perfect for cloth diapering!
Do you create your product(s) with the environment in mind?
Yes! Respecting the earth is one of my biggest passions. Cloth diapering is better for the earth -period. It’s such an easy thing to do and can make such a difference. I shudder to think of all the disposables in dumps around the world. I think cloth diapering reinforces a nurturing, caring feeling, not only for your child, but for the earth as well. I also try to use organic fabrics as much as possible and to purchase them locally. I reuse scraps with my kids for crafts and in other projects. I don’t use excessive packaging. And I usually walk to the post office to mail packages.
What makes your shop unique?
I offer a variety of prints. Although there is a certain beauty in a plain velour outer cloth diaper, a printed one offers such a pick-me-up at a diaper change.
What do you love about what you do?
I love everything about it! I love that I am making a difference for the environment. I would stay home with my kids anyways, but I love that I can work from home, too. I love sewing cloth diapers and snuggling them before they go off to their new homes. I like seeing them all lined up and ready to go. Especially newborns – I hold these up when I’m finished and my husband and I ooh and aah over the itty bitty-ness of them.
How do you market your products?
I use twitter http://twitter.com/bananabottoms, Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/bananabottoms; Flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/bananabottoms/; my blog -http://bananabottoms.blogspot.com/ and Etsy forums. I also use my Etsy teams blogs and sites(http://naturalkidsstore.com/, http://natural-kids.blogspot.com/) and my Artfire team blog (http://artfireclothdiapermamas.blogspot.com/).
Why do you make and sell products through Etsy?
Etsy seemed like a good fit for someone with little to no experience with websites (like me!) and has a huge base of customers. It’s a great place to start selling on line. Very easy to set up and get going.

Thank you, Kristen for giving us an insight as to what you do.  I encourage everyone to visit her etsy shop and other links where she sells her products!

Tagged as: absorbent, bamboo, bamboo blends, cloth diaper covers, cloth diapering, Cloth diapers, durable, etsy, etsy mom, Handmade, Organic cotton, WAHM

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