Your local creative network
Helping makers find an engaged audience
Handmade in Norway is here to bring Arts & Crafts back to the forefront. By giving makers a place to sell, and engage with their audience in person, we create a platform from which they can grow their business. We double up on the benefits by arranging markets AND coaching creatives.
Our two-fold approach
But it doesn’t stop there. Because of our two-fold approach (arranging markets and coaching creatives), we create an atmosphere like no other. By arranging markets AND coaching creatives, we make sure that both makers and customers get the most out of the experience. Confident, well-organised creatives meeting enthusiastic customers.
Personalised Coaching
Kelly Palencia, founder of Handmade in Norway, coaches creative makers – teaching branding, social media mastery, and non-salesy sales techniques. Our focus is to help makers to find their loyal audience and maintain a great dialogue with them.
Support and Growth
Handmade in Norway is here to help and support creative businesses. We help creatives to stand tall and grow because we believe in creating a more sustainable and circular economy for small creative businesses. We also believe that by arranging markets AND coaching creatives we can further the reach of handmade products, giving more stability to makers and more choice to customers.
This is YOUR creative network!
Our Markets
Our markets have a superb reputation for high-quality products, and a great atmosphere.
By arranging markets and coaching creatives, we create a welcoming, interactive sales arena where customers can visit a world filled with creativity and inspiration.
Makers can confidently promote and sell their products, knowing that they are doing it right.
Customers get the best handmade products, presented by confident and enthusiastic makers.
Creative Coaching
You’ve learned your creative skill, you’ve made some great products – But what now?
Getting the most out of markets, social media and your website is not as easy as it sounds.
At Handmade in Norway, we are dedicated to arranging markets AND coaching creatives. We want local makers to feel confident in what they are doing so that they can get the absolute most out of each move they make. Whether posting to Instagram or attending a market, knowing how to present yourself, and your products will I’ve you maximum effect, in minimum time. No guess work – You can tell your story cohesively, each and every time.
By joining Handmade in Norway HQ, and taking part in our many workshops and courses you will get the knowledge, experience and support you need to succeed in promoting your creative business effectively.
Join the Scholarship Program now!
We tackle all the things that are stopping you from getting started!
This four week course will give you a solid base from which to build your creative business!
- Story Telling and Social Media
- Pricing , Tax , Mva
- Branding, Communication and Audience Building
The Scholarship program gives you community support and learning, packed full of tips and helpful information. You’ll find the answers to all of your questions.
Each week brings a new section and new topics. We’re going to work on developing your story and telling it to your audience. We’ll cover social media and how to build a loyal and engaged audience. Then we move on to the setting up and maintaining of a healthy business. Removing stress by planning and keeping on top of things. The final stage gets us rolling up our sleeves and working on your brand. What is a brand and how do you create and maintain it?
During this course you will have up to two weekly video sessions with Kelly Palencia, Illustrator and Founder of Handmade in Norway. Kelly has built a thriving network and is focused on giving you all the tools you need to run your business AND work with what you love.
With her creative soul and passion for supporting others and coaching creatives, Kelly will share her skills and experience with you, giving you a huge advantage when you need it the most.
We will work in small groups to develop all of the skills and tools that you will need to run your business effectively, giving you the time to focus on what you love – Making the products!
Clarifying your story
If I were to ask you right now to sum up in 30 seconds who you are and what you do, would you have a good, and memorable answer? Or would it be filled with umms and babbling? I think we’ve all been there!
It’s amazing how many businesses do not give a clear message of what it is they actually do. This is even more of an issue with makers. Why? Uncertainty plays a big part in this, as does being completely unprepared.
During two evening sessions (Monday and Wednesday from 20.30 – 21.30) we will work together to clarify your story.
Social Media
We’re going to look at 12 different types of social media post that you can use to stay in contact with your followers and tell your creative story. Each post type is different, and each one has a purpose.
We’re going to talk about how you can use these posts to tell your story in small bite-sized chunks. This gives you lots to post about!
We’re also going to look at the Insights on Facebook and Instagram, and how you can use this information to get the absolute most out of every single post you create.
Finally, we will learn how to plan and schedule posts, how often you should post, and we will talk about when, and where you should share your posts for maximum exposure.
This week is filled with some of the most vital information. This is where we really tackle the fear and take away the anxiety related to business admin and accounting.
It’s time to quite literally, get down to business. In week three you will learn when you should register a business, and how to go about it.
we’re going to talk about tax, how much you have to pay? when you have to pay it? and how you go about paying it?
We will also be demystifying mva/ sales tax. When should you add it to your prices? How can you do this without totally shocking your existing, loyal customers, and what does the process of collecting mva look like?
Branding your business
Branding is not just about having a logo – Although that is important. There are many other aspects that are equally important that you will need in place to ensure that your brand is easily recognisable to your customers. We’re going to cover all of these aspects in this section.
We will look at:
- Brand Position
- Brand Promise
- Brand Personality
- Brand Story
- Brand Associations
Testimonials
I am so lucky I ended up in this group 
And so thankful for everything you do Kelly, I really am. You’re a very capable woman, talented, with lots of knowledge, approachable and with ability to ‘lift’ people – after each and every conversation I have with you, I feel optimistic and full of hope, like ‘I can do it’. I really appreciate all information and tips you selflessly share with all of us who wants to learn and be even better in what we do and in setting up and building our own small business. You’re a true spokesman of handmade!
Thank you, Kelly, for your advice, this opened new doors for me. I learned how to schedule posts and started to show my dolls with poems and short stories. I sold 3 dolls in December!
Handmade in Norway is a perfect platform for those who are just starting out with their own business. It is a source of inspiration, a place where you find wonderful people and support. When I didn’t know who to ask, I found answers here. When the ideas overwhelmed me but I couldn’t decide, here I found support in clarifying my ideas. In addition, here are many tips and arrangements for creative minds/souls/hands. Thanks for all you do for us!
Handmade in Norway HQ
The Handmade in Norway network was created on Facebook, but we have grown up and ventured out. We now have our own space online where we can learn and grow together.
Our network has grown quickly because we all need a place where we can be together, where we can find like-minded people, that understand what it is to be creative.
HQ is a network space where you can work constructively to build your creative business. There are resources available where you can work alone, at your own pace or through Creative Coaching with Kelly.
Handmade in Norway consists of three circles. Each circle is designed to cater for different types of creative makers.
Let’s find the circle that is right for you!
About The Founder of Handmade in Norway
Kelly Palencia started Handmade in Norway in 2016. Driven by a passion for all things handmade, she strives to promote artisans and makers. Her deepest wish is for handmade to become universally recognised as being synonymous with high-quality.
Kelly now devotes a large amount of her time to arranging markets and coaching creatives to improve the availability of handmade products and to support the makers that sell.
Free resources to build your creative business
Join a market or workshop
Read the blog for even more insight
Meet the members
NK Jewellery
cards and collars
MaGu Smykker
We are proud to have longstanding partnerships with the following awesome organisations:
Reach Us
City
Phone
Say hi!
Handmade in Norway recommends:
best webshop solutions
creative resources
print on demand
