Meet our Creator of the month: Cass from Crafting with Cass
She sees it, she likes it, she makes it (but better)! Cass is a DIYer who dabbles with lots of medians from painting to sewing to building and more. She lives in the colorful city Atlanta and finds inspiration everywhere she goes.
As soon as her camera opened in our meeting her personality and art was front and center. When your crafts look this good, why not hang them all around the house?
Cass has been blogging for about four years and started her YouTube channel before then. A picture is worth a thousand words and Cass says that’s why it’s so important to have high quality photos and videos. Even though she is self taught, she is ready to share everything she’s learned.
How did you get into DIY and why do you craft?
I like to use the resources I have so nothing goes to waste. A lot of my crafts use everyday items I find in my house. And I like to do a mix of everything DIY: home decor, outdoor, apparel, party supplies/decorations, and since I’ve had a baby I’ve branched out to doing DIYs for him too.
What prompted you to create a blog for your DIYs?
I actually started by posting on YouTube. That’s the first place I started posting my projects and I was looking for ways to get more viewers so I joined a Facebook group. One of the lead people in the Facebook group had a blog so it got me thinking I should make one.
I asked that person how important having a blog was and they really encouraged me to branch out and create one to grow my brand. So I started putting my projects on YouTube and my blog, Crafting With Cass.
How long does it take to create a YouTube video for a project?
It actually takes me a while to do a project. I do a lot to make sure the quality within the content is good. I have to mess with the contrast, brightness and lighting because how it looks really matters to me. It’s a whole production for me to do just one video.
Usually I film something on multiple devices. Nowadays it’s important to have horizontal video for YouTube but you also need vertical video for reels. I’m working timers and hitting record and stop on the iPad, phone and camera and then I have to transfer all the footage to my laptop to edit and add voice over. I even overthink the thumbnails I choose - the whole process takes a while.
Where does most of your online success come from?
When I say I DIY everything I mean EVERYTHING! I’m self taught so I’ve done a lot of research since I do everything by myself for my YouTube channel and blog. I watch videos on how to grow my brand and make sure I’m following creators who talk about keywords and tags because some of those videos can be really helpful.
What advice would you give to a new content creator?
SEO is really important, so make sure you are using searchable words in your posts. That way you come up when people search for what you’re doing. High quality pictures are also very important! I work really hard to make it work with my lighting and making sure the photos I take look good once they’re posted.
When it comes to being the face of the brand I’ve seen success both ways. I’ve seen some people create an entire blog without ever showing their face. Just make sure you do what you’re comfortable with.
What is one of your favorite projects you’ve done?
I really liked the Dollar Tree DIY High end Christmas decorations I made last year.
Do you sell your crafts?
For the most part I haven’t sold anything yet. I usually keep it or give my crafts to family and friends as gifts. Lately, I’ve made so much stuff I started donating it to Goodwill because I don’t have space for it. I have storage containers full of crafts.
How far ahead do you plan your content?
I’m already working on Christmas crafts!
I try to always work ahead but doing everything on your own takes time and I can be a perfectionist. Realistically, sometimes life gets busy and that delays things, so I try not to be too hard on myself when that happens.
How did you hear about Hometalk Inc.?
The blogger traffic program has been so helpful, without it I probably wouldn’t be able to have some of the exposure that I’m having so I definitely appreciate it. When the company introduced Upstyle I got really excited and joined that community, too.
Since I post on Hometalk and Upstyle it really helps me drive a lot of traffic to my site because I get features from both sites. If it wasn’t for the program I don’t think I’d be where I am.
What are other resources that help with traffic?
I recommend talking with other content creators even if you have to put yourself out there and meet people in different cities you can join a Facebook group.
I’m also on all of the social media platforms you can join! Even though I started on YouTube I didn’t just stay there I branched out. You have to be willing to try new things.
What’s next for you in terms of projects and your blog?
I’ve used a drill and screwdrivers, but I haven’t used bigger tools yet so I want to start dabbling with that. I feel like using different types of tools will help me grow and open me up to more project possibilities. There’s also a project with resin I have been wanting to do, so look out for that.
I also want to start to do more branded projects. I’ve already been able to go from full-time to part-time to focus more on my crafts so being able to monetize this to be my full income is definitely the next step.
To see more of Cass’s crafts you can visit her Hometalk and Upstyle profiles. Also give her YouTube channel a follow and check out her blog Crafting With Cass.
Is there a creator on Hometalk, Foodtalk, or Upstyle who you think we should highlight next?
Let me know at christina@hometalk.com!
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