Free plan for pottery and craft studios
The Holiday Gift Card Plan
A week-by-week plan to sell class gift cards from November to Christmas Eve, then turn every gift into a regular.
A class is one of the easiest gifts to give: no size, no shipping, and a night out built in. Most studios sell a few gift cards without trying. This plan sells them on purpose, then makes sure each one turns into a student, because a gift card nobody uses is a customer you never met.
Want it as a PDF? 7 pages, to print or keep. Enter your email and it downloads.
How to use this plan
- One play at a time. Start with play 1. Each one is a small change to how you already work, not a new system.
- Swap in your words. Words in braces, like {first} and {time}, are yours to fill in: the customer's first name, your open times, your link.
- Track one number. Every play ends with the one number to watch. Check it before you start and again a month later.
- Text people who said yes. Only text customers who agreed to get texts from you, and give them an easy way to stop. Email is fine for the rest.
What's inside
Play 1
Make it easy to buy in two taps
People buy gifts on their phones, often late at night. If they have to call or email you, many won't bother.
Do this
- Put a "Gift a class" button on your homepage and booking page by November 1.
- Offer 3 clear choices: one class, a date night for two, or any amount.
- Send the gift card by email right away, with a version they can print and wrap.
Track: Gift card sales each week, November through December.
Play 2
Tell your past students first
Your past students already love the studio. Many will buy one for a friend, a partner or themselves.
Do this
- Email your list in the first week of November, with the 3 choices and one great photo.
- Text the students who agreed to get texts from you, with the link.
- Remind them once more in early December.
What to say
The gift they'll actually use: a class at {studio}
Hi {first}, it's {owner} at {studio}! Class gift cards are live for the holidays: {link}. They arrive by email right away, so they work for last-minute gifts too.
Track: Gift cards sold from the email and the text.
Play 3
Sell it at the counter and in class
A student holding a piece they made is your best salesperson. They already know what the gift feels like.
Do this
- Put a small sign at checkout and by the pickup shelf.
- Mention it at the end of every class in December.
- Keep a few printed cards in envelopes, ready to hand over.
What to say
If you're stuck on a gift for someone, a class makes a great one. It comes by email or as a card, and they pick the date.
Track: Gift cards sold in the studio.
Play 4
The last-minute push, December 20 to 24
Plenty of people buy gifts in the final days. A gift card that arrives by email is one of the few gifts that can still get there in time.
Do this
- Send one short email on December 20 and one on December 23.
- Lead with the fact that it arrives right away.
- Put the link in your Instagram story both days.
What to say
Still need a gift? This one arrives in a minute
Track: Gift cards sold December 20 to 24.
Play 5
Turn every gift into a booking
A gift card only fills a seat once it's booked. The person who got it may not know you yet, so make the first step obvious.
Do this
- At checkout, ask the buyer if they'd like to share the recipient's email.
- Send the recipient a short welcome with the next 3 beginner classes.
- In January, remind anyone who hasn't booked yet.
What to say
Hi {first}, someone gave you a class at {studio}! Here are our next beginner classes, and your gift code is {code}: {link}. See you at the wheel.
Track: Gift cards redeemed by the end of February.
Play 6
Bring them back for a second class
A gift recipient who takes one class is a new student. The second class is what makes them a regular.
Do this
- Offer the next class before they leave: the glaze class finishes their piece.
- Send the kiln-out text with a photo when their piece is ready.
- Invite them to your next beginner series.
What to say
Your piece fires in about two weeks. Want me to hold a seat at the glaze class so you can finish it?
Track: Gift recipients who book a second class.
Play 7
Follow the gift card rules
Gift cards come with legal rules. Under federal law, most gift cards can't expire sooner than 5 years after they're bought or last loaded, and some states require longer.
Do this
- Check your state's gift card rules before you set your terms.
- Print the terms on the card and in the email.
- Keep track of unused balances, and remind people instead of letting them lapse.
Track: Unused balances, checked every quarter.
Copy this
Your gift card choices
Put this on your gift card page and on the counter sign. Swap in your prices.
One class: {price1}. A beginner class, with all clay, glazes and firing included.
Date night for two: {price2}. Side by side at the wheel, or hand-building.
Any amount, from {min}: good for any class or workshop.
Gift cards arrive by email right away and can be printed. {terms}
Your first week
Four things to do this week.
- Add a Gift a class button to your homepage.
- Set your 3 gift card choices.
- Write the email to past students.
- Print a counter sign.
Want it as a PDF? 7 pages, to print or keep. Enter your email and it downloads.
Free to use and share. The plays are advice on what to do and what to track, not a promise of results, and the templates aren't legal advice. Example names and times in the texts are fill-ins.
