Etsy wants to be your online source for craft supplies

Etsy has made a name for itself as marketplace for handmade goods, but today the company announced an ambitious new initiative: Etsy Studios, an online storefront dedicated solely to craft supplies. The company is aiming for it to be your main source when you need a specific type of yarn, or you’re seeking out new fabric designs for inspiration. Etsy Studios will also have projects for the creatively inclined — naturally, it’ll also point you to all of the supplies you need to build, along with step-by-step instructions.

Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson describes Studios as the biggest new marketplace for the company since its launch. And, as you’d expect, it’ll also rely on participation from existing sellers. The company plans to launch Etsy Studios in April.

You can bet it’ll also trigger some sort of reaction from Amazon, which became a direct Etsy rival a few years ago with its own craft marketplace. Most hobbyists rely on chain retailers like Michael and Jo-Ann for their craft fix, and while they have some online offerings, it sounds like Etsy Studios is aiming to be far more complete.

In other news, Etsy is also revamping its dashboard for sellers with a new “Shop Manager” interface. Basically, it puts everything you need to manage your online storefront in a single location. It looks a lot more organized than Etsy’s previous interface, based on the little we saw.