My Life as a Surface Pattern Designer: Earning an Income as an Artist
- Yoli Fae
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Establishing A Creative Space
I have been creating surface pattern designs for more than ten years now. There's just something so relaxing about sitting with my iPad or sketch pad and creating repeat patterns that I envision on beautiful fabrics, home furnishings, and paper products. It just makes my heart happy! Creating also takes me out of my head, where my thoughts are consumed with to-do lists, schedules, negativity (which can totally block your creative flow), and anxiety.
I have learned the importance of being very methodical when it comes to my creative time. My goal? Create an atmosphere of peace that steadies my heartbeat, and calms my soul. This is not only important, but so necessary when nurturing the creativity inside of me. I recently started adding a vase of fresh flowers to my creative space. There's just something soul-satisfying about gazing up at colorful florals whenever I'm in the middle of sketching a design and suddenly hit a mental roadblock. It's like the flowers are saying to me, "You've got this." The subtle aroma of florals filling the room is an added enjoyment.
Whether you love to journal, garden, crochet, sew, or paint; having a well, thought out space, that welcomes you to exhale, thrive, and even be challenged creatively, is authentically yours. When you close your eyes and picture a space that nurtures your creativity, what do you see? What do you hear? Maybe there's soft jazz playing in the background of a sun-lite room. The window is slightly ajar and a cool breeze is flowing in, as you sit with your best friend; you. How about out in your garden? It's a warm, sunny day and you have prepared an ice cold pitcher of lemonade or sweet tea. You have some oldies music, like Simon and Garfunkel playing in the background, and you're ready to create the most gorgeous landscape that will rival even the best of Home & Garden. Whatever your creative jam, design your space first!
Whether you enjoy arts and crafts as a hobby or an escape from life's demands, or you have enjoyed making money from your creative talents, the ability to earn an income as an artist is definitely not a pipe dream. It does however, require consistency, and a passion for whatever you are creating. When I was working a 9 to 5 job and building my design business after work hours, scheduling time to work on my passion was priority #1. When I entered my creative space, which at one time was my bedroom, and I shut my door, the feeling of freedom I experienced was amazing. As tired as I was many times from my 9 to 5 job, when I came home and began building my dream, all tiredness left, my shoulders relaxed, and a strong sense of peace and purpose were my companions as I answered customer emails for commissioned designs and began creating beautiful illustrations and patterns. I was in my element.
My Life As A Surface Pattern Designer
As a surface pattern designer, I have fallen in love with Spoonflower. Since joining the ranks of millions of independent artists on this amazing platform, my designs have been purchased on Spoonflower's fabrics and home and living products. About 5 years ago, I was absolutely on cloud nine when I saw my 'Christmas Peppermint' design on their tea towels, advertised on walmart.com. This was made possible
because I opted-in, to join Spoonflower's design distribution. Since then, I've been busy growing my pattern collections and entering my designs into Spoonflower's design challenges. These challenges are so exciting and open the door for your design to be featured on products by top, name brands that collaborate with Spoonflower. If you would like to know more about the amazing programs and options Spoonflower offers designers and Diy-ers, I encourage you to check out the 'For Business' tab on their website. I also love these challenges because they stretch me as an artist, and give my surface pattern designs tons of exposure that I would have a hard time acquiring on my own marketing efforts.
I devote about an hour to my Spoonflower store at least three days a week, working on SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Each of my design listings have tags that help to lead prospective buyers to my store. As I monitor the changing trends in fashion and decor, I adjust my tags and I create new patterns. Although I try to stay up on current trends, I also stay true to my artistic style. I love simplicity in design as well as the power of when and how to apply bold color. Brands are always attracted to an artist's signature style, when looking at current trends. When I'm not working on SEO, I'm busy creating surface patterns and growing my collections. All in all, you can find me devoted to my designs and storefront Monday through Friday. My weekends are for family. Thats my non-negotiable.
Driving Traffic To My Spoonflower Store with Pinterest
Pinterest is one of the most powerful (and underrated) tools for driving consistent, organic traffic to my store. I have one pin that I created from one of my blog posts, featuring links to my Spoonflower storefront. This particular pin has over 38.55k engagements! No paid ads were used! Just excellent SEO, good photography and sharing my pin on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to use Pinterest to grow your visibility, attract your ideal audience, and turn casual browsers into loyal customers.
Step 1: Set Up a Pinterest Business Account
First things first—if you’re serious about driving traffic, you need a Pinterest Business account.
Why it matters:
Access to analytics
Ability to run ads (optional)
Rich Pins for better visibility
Quick setup tips:
Use your brand name as your profile name
Write a keyword-rich bio (My example: “surface pattern designer,” “fabric prints,” “wallpaper design”)
Add your Spoonflower store link to your profile
Step 2: Optimize Your Spoonflower Store for Pinterest Traffic
Before you even start pinning, make sure your store is ready to convert visitors.
Checklist:
Have clear shop banner and branding
Keyword-rich product descriptions
Organized collections (florals, holiday prints, nursery designs, etc.)
Eye-catching mockups (this is HUGE for Pinterest success) I use Nano Banana.
💡 Tip: Lifestyle mockups (fabric in real rooms, wallpaper on walls, etc.) perform significantly better than flat designs.
Step 3: Do Keyword Research (Pinterest SEO)
Pinterest is a search engine, not just social media. That means keywords are everything.
How to find keywords:
Use the Pinterest search bar (auto-suggestions are gold!)
Look at what similar creators are using
Focus on long-tail keywords
Examples:
“Floral fabric design”
“Boho wallpaper print”
“Nursery wall pattern ideas”
“Vintage botanical fabric”
Step 4: Create Click-Worthy Pins
Your pin design is what stops the scroll. It needs to be both beautiful and strategic.
What makes a high-performing pin:
Vertical format (1000 x 1500 px works great)
Bright, clean visuals
Text overlay (optional but helpful)
Clear focus on your design
Pin ideas for Spoonflower:
Fabric mockups in real spaces
Before-and-after room transformations
“Ways to Use This Fabric” posts
Seasonal design inspiration
💡 Pro Tip: Create multiple pins for the same product—Pinterest rewards fresh content!
Step 5: Write SEO-Optimized Pin Titles & Descriptions
This is where many people miss out on traffic.
Pin Title Example: “Boho Floral Fabric Design for Home Decor and Sewing Projects”
Pin Description Formula:
Start with a strong keyword phrase
'Describe the design and its uses
Add 3–5 relevant keywords naturally
Example: “This boho floral fabric design is perfect for DIY sewing projects, home decor, and wallpaper inspiration. Ideal for nursery themes, vintage aesthetics, and cottage core interiors.”
Step 6: Link Directly to Your Spoonflower Listings
Every pin should lead somewhere intentional.
Best practice:
Link directly to the product page (not just your homepage)
Make sure the image on your pin matches the product page
This creates a seamless experience and increases conversions.
Step 7: Pin Consistently (Not Randomly)
Consistency beats volume.
Ideal strategy:
5–15 pins per day (can include your content + others)
Schedule pins using Pinterest scheduler or a tool like Tailwind
Spread out your pins throughout the day
💡 Tip: Focus on consistency over perfection. Even 3 pins a day can work if done consistently.
Step 8: Create Niche Boards That Attract Your Audience
Your boards help Pinterest understand your content—and who to show it to.
Board ideas:
Floral Fabric Designs
Modern Farmhouse Decor
Nursery Wallpaper Ideas
DIY Sewing Projects
Cottagecore Aesthetic
Make sure every board has:
A keyword-rich title
A clear description
Relevant pins
Step 9: Use Seasonal & Trending Content
Pinterest users plan ahead—sometimes months in advance.
Examples:
Christmas patterns → start pinning in September
Spring florals → start in January
Back-to-school → start in June/July
Align your Spoonflower designs with seasonal trends to boost visibility.
Step 10: Analyze What’s Working (and Do More of It)
Pinterest gives you powerful analytics—use them!
Track:
Impressions
Saves
Outbound clicks (this is the BIG one!)
When you see a pin performing well:👉 Create more designs like it👉 Make similar pins👉 Double down on that style or niche
Why I Wrote This Blog: Earning an Income as an Artist
It's been my experience as an artist, that arts and crafts have the power to promote healing and restoration. I'm sure that many clinical and holistic art therapists would agree. My journey in art actually began as a form of healing from chronic physical pain and emotional depression that was on the verge of being debilitating. I thank God for the day I picked up a paint brush! That first time painting was simply black brush strokes on a blank canvas. It wasn't elegant. It wasn't what some would call, "fine art." But, it did tell a story of the pain I was experiencing. Art gave me a voice, an outlet that screamed out loud through criss-cross brush strokes on an 11x14 paint canvas. So, writing this blog has a very special place in my heart and I hope to inspire you the reader to create your own sanctuary and embrace your creativite voice.
If you desire to turn your creativity into a steady income over time, Pinterest is the key to driving traffic to your storefront or blog. Just remember, Pinterest isn’t about going viral—it’s about building a steady stream of clicks over time.
Think of Pinterest as your long-term marketing engine:
Pins can drive traffic for months (even years!)
Consistency compounds
Small actions lead to big results
If you stick with it, optimize your content, and stay consistent, Pinterest can become one of your top traffic sources—and a powerful tool for growing your creative business.
Happy creating,
Yolanda
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