Maker guide

Selling on Maker's Nook

Your guide to setting up your shop, listing your work, managing orders and selling through Maker's Nook.

Maker's Nook is built for independent makers. Your shop is your own space within the marketplace — a place to show your work, tell people who you are and sell directly to customers who value what you create.

This guide covers the tools currently available to you as a Maker and what you need to do from the moment your application is approved through to fulfilling an order and requesting your payout.

Section one

Getting approved & your first login

Every Maker's Nook shop starts with an application.

Applications are reviewed before selling access is enabled. This helps us keep Maker's Nook focused on genuine independent makers and original work.

Once your application is approved

You'll receive an approval email letting you know that your shop has been accepted. You can then log in using the email address and password you created when you applied.

After logging in, you'll be taken to your Maker Dashboard. Your dashboard is where you'll manage:

  • Your shop
  • Products
  • Orders
  • Shipping
  • Nook Notes & QR codes
  • Payouts
  • Account and banking details
Set up your shop first

Before adding products, we recommend completing your shop setup.

Section two

Setting up your shop

Your shop is your piece of Maker's Nook. Customers should be able to understand who you are, what you make and where your work comes from.

Dashboard → Settings

Shop details

Shop nameThe name customers will see throughout Maker's Nook.
Logo / profile imageThis represents your shop on your storefront and around the marketplace.
Shop bannerA larger image that gives your shop its own personality.
Maker story / bioTell customers a little about yourself and what you create.

Keep it genuine. You don't need to write a company profile. Customers are here because they want to know the person behind the work.

Contact information and location

Keep these details accurate so your shop and orders can be managed correctly.

Banking details

Complete your payout banking information before requesting a payout. Your banking details are used for payments from Maker's Nook and should always be kept up to date.

Your progress is tracked

Your dashboard will show your shop setup progress so you can see what is still outstanding.

Section three

Shipping & delivery

You are responsible for configuring how your products will be delivered.

Dashboard → Shipping & Delivery

The current Maker's Nook shipping system supports:

Flat-rate shippingSet the shipping amount that should be charged when a customer orders from your shop.
Free-shipping thresholdYou can set an order value above which shipping from your shop becomes free.
Local pickupIf you want customers to be able to collect their order, you can enable local pickup. Only offer this if you are comfortable arranging collections with customers.

Processing information

Keep your processing and delivery information realistic. Some handmade pieces are ready immediately. Others take time to make. Customers should understand that before ordering.

Orders can span several makers

Customers can purchase from more than one Maker in the same checkout. Each Maker fulfils and ships their own part of the order.

Section four

Adding your products

Dashboard → Products

From here you can create and manage your current product listings. Maker's Nook currently supports simple products through the Maker Dashboard.

When creating a product

Complete the information available in the product editor, including:

  • Product name
  • Product description
  • Price
  • Product images
  • Gallery images
  • Craft / category
  • Stock information
  • Relevant product information available in the editor

Product photographs

Use photographs that genuinely represent the piece being sold.

Your main image should make it easy for someone to understand what they're looking at. Additional gallery images can show different angles, details, texture or scale.

Product descriptions

Tell the customer what the piece is. Useful information may include the materials used, how it was made, dimensions or other information the customer should know before buying.

Don't try to sound like a large retailer. Your advantage is that you made it.

Craft categories

Choose the category that best represents the product. Maker's Nook's craft categories are curated by the platform.

If your craft doesn't fit an existing category, this can be reviewed by Maker's Nook rather than creating arbitrary marketplace categories.

Publishing

New products may require review before they become publicly available.

If you cannot select Live for a new product, submit or save the listing in the status available to you. Once the product has been published through the review process, you can continue managing it from your dashboard.

Current product limitations

The Maker Dashboard currently focuses on simple products. Features such as variable products and advanced product attributes are not currently part of the Maker workflow.

Section five

Handling an order

When someone buys one of your products, the order appears under:

Dashboard → Orders

The dashboard helps you identify orders that still need to be fulfilled. Open an order to see the information you need to prepare it. Depending on the order, this can include:

  • Products ordered
  • Quantity
  • Customer information
  • Delivery information
  • Nook Note status
  • QR information
  • Tracking information
  • Private order notes

Preparing the order

Check the order carefully before packing it. Make sure:

  • The correct product is being sent.
  • The quantity is correct.
  • The delivery information is correct.
  • Any Nook Note requirement has been completed.
  • The parcel is packaged appropriately for the item.

Tracking

Once shipping information is available, add the tracking details to the order using the tools provided in the dashboard. This helps keep the order information together and allows the fulfilment process to be tracked properly.

Private notes

You can add private notes to an order when you need to keep information relating to its fulfilment. These are for managing the order and are not a customer messaging system.

Section six

Nook Notes & QR codes

Nook Notes are one of the things that make gifting through Maker's Nook different. A customer can add a personal message or memory to their gift, which can later be accessed through a Maker's Nook QR code.

There are parts of this process handled by Maker's Nook and parts handled by you.

The process

The customer places an order

The customer purchases a product from your shop.

The customer creates their Nook Note

Their personal content is submitted to Maker's Nook.

Maker's Nook reviews the Nook Note

Nook Notes are reviewed by the platform. You do not approve customer Nook Notes yourself.

You are notified when the Nook Note is approved

Once approved, the Nook Note becomes available for the gift workflow.

Link a QR code

Open the relevant order in your Maker Dashboard. Use an available QR code from your QR inventory and link it to the approved Nook Note or order.

Prepare the QR with the gift

Make sure the correct QR is included with the correct order.

Fulfil the order

Once the required QR has been linked, the gift can proceed through fulfilment. When the recipient scans the QR code, they can access the Nook Note connected to their gift.

This step matters

A QR code is linked to that customer's Nook Note, so always confirm you're working with the correct order before packing the parcel.

Your QR inventory

Dashboard → QR Codes

This shows the QR codes allocated to your shop and whether they are available or already linked.

Never reuse a QR code

Do not reuse a QR code that has already been linked.

Section seven

Getting paid

Dashboard → Payouts

This is where you can see your available payout information and withdrawal history.

Before requesting a payout, make sure your banking details are complete under Settings.

Requesting a payout

When your available balance meets the required withdrawal threshold, you can submit a payout request. You do not need to wait for a particular day to request your payout.

Once requested, the withdrawal enters the payout process for review. Approved withdrawals are typically paid on Fridays.

Friday payment is not automatic

This does not mean an automatic payment is made every Friday. Payment depends on an eligible balance, a payout request and approval. Your Payouts section will show the status of your requests.

Section eight

Talking to customers

Customers may have questions about:

  • Your products
  • Materials
  • Custom work
  • Sizes or specifications
  • Whether you can create something different

Your public shop provides an enquiry form for customers who want to contact you. These enquiries are sent to the email address connected to your Maker account.

Check your email

Maker's Nook does not currently provide a messaging inbox inside the Maker Dashboard. If a customer sends you an enquiry, the conversation is handled through your email. Make sure the email address on your account remains current and that you check it regularly.

Custom requests

You decide whether a custom request is something you can make. You are not required to accept every request.

Be clear with the customer about what is possible before agreeing to custom work.

Section nine

Crafts & marketplace standards

Maker's Nook exists to give independent makers a place to sell the things they create. It is not intended to become a general reseller marketplace.

What belongs on Maker's Nook

The marketplace is intended for work created, designed or genuinely produced by independent makers and small creative businesses.

Our craft categories include areas such as ceramics, woodworking, jewellery, textiles, art, leatherwork, toys and educational products, homeware and other forms of independent making. The category system is deliberately able to grow as new makers join.

If your craft isn't listed

When applying, Makers can select Other and describe their craft. Maker's Nook reviews these suggestions and can:

  • Place the Maker within an existing craft.
  • Create a new marketplace craft category.
  • Keep the work under Other where appropriate.

This allows the marketplace to grow around what real Makers are actually creating.

What Maker's Nook is not for

Belongs here
  • Work you created or designed
  • Independent makers
  • Small creative businesses
Not for
  • Dropshipping
  • Mass-imported products
  • General reselling
  • Counterfeit products

Applications and marketplace categories are reviewed by Maker's Nook to help protect the character of the marketplace.

Need help?

You don't have to figure everything out alone. If something isn't working as expected, or you're unsure how to use part of your Maker Dashboard, contact Maker's Nook.

For questions about your account, an order, Nook Notes, QR codes or the platform:

Contact Maker's Nook Support

For customers asking about your products or custom work, those enquiries will come directly to the email connected to your Maker account.

Welcome to your Nook.

Your shop doesn't need to look like everybody else's.

That's the point.

Maker's Nook gives you the tools to put your work online, manage your shop and reach customers — while keeping the person behind the product visible.

You make the work. Your Nook gives it a home.