Craft Fair Tips

Having completed my fourth and final Christmas craft fair of 2017, I thought now would be the perfect time to share a few tips that I've picked up over the years.

Display

There's no point in making great products if people can't see them properly. I start with a plain table cloth to cover the table (I believe you can't go wrong with a neutral colour to let your products stand out). Then, I try to use levels to make my display more interesting, whilst ensuring that everything can be seen without be blocked. I often use boxes or baskets, which I'd stored my items in, to raise up elements of my display and cover them in cloth napkins to hide them.
One of the main elements of my display is a big notice board, which goes at the back of the table. I got at a car boot sale for £1 and then my Dad made a stand for it out of two planks of wood. I use it to pin up Christmas decorations and other things that hang. It's a great way of showing off a lot of items without using much table space.
Other things I use to display my products include: a Christmas tree cupcake stand from Hobbycraft which I sprayed gold, cutlery and mug stands from charity shops, and little wooden easels.
I find it helpful to group items in to boxes or baskets to keep everything from getting mixed up on the table, or to keep crocheted Pokeballs from rolling on to the floor. I try to arrange my products on the table according to the customer. For example, children tend to go straight for my emoji calls and keyrings and want to pick them up, so I make sure to put those baskets at the front of the table where they can reach.

Prices
As a customer, I don't like having to ask the price of something. With this in mind, I make sure everything has a clearly displayed price label. Not having visible prices could cost you a sale if someone is too shy to ask.
I make my labels by printing them on to card and pinning or blu tac-ing them next to the items. I use a lot of baskets to put my items in and I've found a good way to display the price label is to stick it to a clothes peg which is clipped to the edge of the basket.
I have a lot of labels that just have the prices which I can re-use each year with different items, and then I also have some labels with the name and the price of the item. I always use the same font to make everything look cohesive.

Keep a list
Each year, I print out a table of all the items I have for sale, as well as their prices. Having a pre-written price list makes putting the price labels on the items super easy because you don't need to think about it.
I put the list on a clipboard and keep it in an easy to reach spot behind the table. When I sell something, I mark it off on the list and then at the end of the fair I can tally it up to see how much I've made. I use the same list for all the Christmas craft fairs I do in a year, marking out a column for each one. It's an easy way to see which items have been really popular, as well as which ones have been less successful.
One final hint for lists: make sure to bring a working pen... or three! Those things always go missing.

Company
Where possible, I like to have someone with me at craft fairs. They can go on for quite a while and if you're on your own the time can go very slowly. It's nice having someone to talk to during the slow periods and keep your spirits up. Having another person with you is also useful when setting up your stall and means less trips to the car to unload everything!
I usually have either my Mum or my boyfriend with me. I'm not very good at engaging with customers so it's great when my boyfriend is with me as he's much more outgoing. He has no problem telling people "she made all of this!" whereas I find it a bit harder to big myself up.

Snacks
This is a tip I follow for life, not just craft fairs: always bring snacks. You might be lucky enough to attend a fair where the organisers bring bacon sandwiches round to you, or you might be placed next to stall selling irresistible cakes (and that's where a lot of your profit goes!), but you can't always rely on what's available at a fair, so bring your own.
With the fairs I attend, they nearly always run over the lunch time period, so my Mum and I like to treat ourselves to a supermarket meal deal. She had the good idea this year to take all the food out of the packaging, cut it into manageable pieces and put it in containers to take with us. This meant we didn't have to worry about rubbish cluttering up the space behind our table, which can sometimes be limited. It also meant I could just grab a bit of food at a time in between customers. I don't like to be seen stuffing my face when people approach my stall, which again is where having another person with you is handy. One of you can be sat down eating while the other deals with customers. My notice board display is also good for ducking behind.

So those are the things I do to help craft fairs run more smoothly.
Do you sell at craft fairs? Do you have any tips to add to the list?

Candy Cane Horses

My Mum saw this idea for candy cane horses on Pinterest.

Their creation is pretty much all down to her. She does the important crocheting and I just stick on the googly eyes and tie on some red ribbon for the reigns.

These sold pretty well at a Christmas craft fair a couple of weeks ago, with one woman saying they were the perfect present for a horse vet she knows.

This Week I...

...did my last craft fair of the year!

It was a small one at Dot to Dot in Letchworth and I did quite well.

After all the craft fairs I have one minion left, which is pretty good going. My Mum and I worked out that we've made about 30 minions this year! 

And as with the other two craft fairs I've done this season, the last thing to get made was one of the things I sold. See the Rudolph hat on the white head? My Mum finished that the morning of the craft fair and I sold it later that day.

How was your week?

This Week I...

...had a craft stall at my local Christmas fair.

My Mum and I had replenished our stock of Minions after our last craft fair which was a good thing as they were our best seller.

My Mum also made these snowman hats during the week ready for the stall.

Hats wearing hats! I love them.

What did you get up to this week?

This Week I...

...had a dentist appointment in London so used it as an opportunity to go to the Museum of Childhood to see the Jacqueline Wilson exhibit, though since it was half term it could have just been the museum of children.

Saturday was the first craft fair of the season! I really could have done with a bigger table because it turns out I have a lot of stuff the sell. My next one is in two weeks.

At the craft fair a couple were interested in one of my miniature fireplaces but wanted it with three stockings instead of two to represent their three children. So when I got home I made the third stocking and delivered the fireplace the same evening. How's that for service?

How was your week?

Craft Fair Set Up

I'm now done with all the craft fairs I'm doing this season - well the Letchworth Arts Centre one is on going but I'm done with the setting up - so I thought I would talk about how I arrange my stalls.

 

This is how my table looked this year.

At this particular craft fair I was fortunate to have the space to have two notice boards as part of my display, but usually it's just one.

The cork boards I use were purchased at a local car boot for £1 each! One was still in the packaging. Such a bargain, especially since I couldn't find one the size I wanted in the shops, let alone for such a cheap price.

My Dad made this stand for the board which is two planks of wood held together by three long screws which can be tightened around the board to make it stand up.

My displays this year have been all about baskets. In fact a lot of displays I saw this year used them.

Mine came from around my house and from charity shops. That round one in the middle was only 50p.

I always make sure everything is clearly labelled with its price because as a customer I hate having to ask how much something is.

This year I started using clothes pegs to display the price of everything within a basket.

It helps to group together things that have the same price.

To display the crochet hats my Mum made I bought this polystyrene head on Ebay.

I call her Creepy Maureen.

As well as the cork board stand I also have this rail stand, also made by my Dad.

I use this one to display my hand painted baubles and other hanging ornaments.

This is how my displays have looked in the past.

Before the cork boards I used a piece of trellis in the wooden stand. I also used bright blue cloths on the table to be eye-catching, but I prefer the simpler white tablecloths I use now.

Another thing I do at craft fairs is have a list of all the items with the prices and every time I sell something I mark it off. This helps me keep track of what's popular and how much I sell at different fairs.

Have any of you done craft fairs? Have any display tips?

This Week I...

I started the week with a trip to the Scrap Store. Man, I love that place.

I picked up a lot of fabric and zips, and also some wooden bag handles which I'm hoping to use soon.

On Saturday I did my first craft fair of the season. It went really well.

The venue had three rooms full of stalls and although I wasn't in the main room, I was in the warmest room!

And on Saturday evening I went to see some fireworks with my friends.

There was lots of 'ohhh'ing and 'awww'ing.

How was your week?

Christmas Craft Fair

The Arts Centre is having their Christmas Craft Fair at the moment, which is up for a month.

This is my table.

My Dad made me this stand for my hand painted baubles.

What a nice Dad.

I've displayed some of my small paintings on these mini easels.

Mini easels! I love them.

Then we've got my miniature fireplaces which are getting a lot of interest.

None sold yet, but there's still time.

I've also put up a few of my paintings.

I don't know if anyone will buy them, but it makes my table very eye catching.

Before I got a chance to take these photos the little old lady got sold.

I hope she's gone to a good home.

Craft fair

Yesterday I had a table at a little, very little, craft fair at my local mill.

You know the one; where I held those craft sessions.

And because of those sessions I didn't have to pay any commission on the things I sold (the table was already free) because I'd already given enough in terms of my time.

Win for volunteering! 

As well as selling my crafty accessories (which you'll soon see on my Etsy again once I get around to renewing) I also had a few little paintings, cards of my paintings, and bigger paintings for sale.

I didn't sell that much, but lack of commission meant I came away with a profit, and it was a good chance to perfect my stall layout for future endeavours and have a good chat with my friend Stef who was helping me out.