Craft Fair Tips and Experience

Attending craft shows can always be a little intimidating. You never know how much you are going to sell or who is going to be there. While it can be intimidating, it can also be exciting. I attended a craft show yesterday at a local library. I attended this craft show for the first time last year after hearing about it from a former co-worker. They had a craft fair this past spring as well, so I was happy to see that they included a fall craft fair this time. I’m always looking to branch out and discover new craft shows, so I was excited to be back again at this location.

I thought I would share with you some of my craft show tips as well as my experience attending them. These tips are in no order, and I hope you find them useful if you are planning on attending a craft show in the future.

I decided it was time to come up with a new logo for my business. I never really had a logo before, so it was nice to finally get one made. For my business cards, I was using a basic, simple design that I created using WordArt. Nothing fancy, but at the time it worked. However, I wanted an upgrade, and since I’m not a graphic artist, I asked for help. One of my friends is a graphic artist and came up with the design. I came up with a few colors I wanted to use and he added them into the logo. The overall result is amazing. I love it so much! I tweaked my logo slightly to include different variations for different social media platforms, but I kept the overall logo he created for me.

I also had a new banner made for the front of my table. I wanted something that would stand out, but also went with the theme of my business. My sister helped me out with this, and I couldn’t be happier.

Choosing a target audience is essential when making and selling your craft items. Most people think they’ll just make a few things so everyone has something to choose from. However, this just makes your table, and you, look a little unorganized as you don’t have a main focus. Since I love making blankets, I decided to focus on making baby and child items such as baby blankets, newborn-child hats, and baby sweaters. I know I’m going back on what I just said, but I do have some dishcloths, mug cozies, scarves, and a few teen/adult sized hats leftover from previous craft fairs. I included them on my table just to see if they would sell.

Setting up your table or booth area is probably the most important part of any craft fair as this is how you are going to draw people over to your table to buy your items. While I’m not completely sold on my set up, I feel like I’m trying to improve each craft fair I attend. First and foremost, you want a tablecloth that will cover your table as well as the sides of your table. Underneath your table is where you’ll keep your bins and extra supplies, so you want to keep all that hidden so your table doesn’t look messy. You want a banner or sign in the front of your table that is big enough and clear enough for people to read. You want people to remember your business name.

In past shows, I’ve used baskets to hold some of my items, which I used again at this craft fair. I find that it’s better to have your items displayed at various levels rather than having everything lie flat on the table. You want the customer’s eyes to travel up and down your table as they’re more likely to buy something if something catches their eye. I used a collapsible storage bin to display one of my hats. I also used some items I had around the house to display my sports hats and minion hats as well as my blankets. If you have the space, you might as well make the most use out of it.

You also want to make sure you display the prices so people can easily see them. A lot of people are shy and they hate having to ask how much something is. I placed a sticker on each of my items. I also included little easels, which I found for less than a dollar at Walmart, to display my prices a little better. This seemed to work out great.

Another thing I incorporated this time that I haven’t in past is that I purchased a credit card reader. I purchased the Square Reader off Amazon for around $5. You can purchase this reader for free on the SquareUp website, but it wasn’t going to come in time for my craft fair. However, I was able to get a $10 rebate by entering the code included with my reader. This helped me get a few sales, so I was happy I had this with me. There are various credit card readers out there that you can choose from. I chose this particular one because it was easy to use. You can also customize this reader to include a receipt for your customers, which they’ll receive via text message/email once the transaction is complete.

Another tip I find extremely helpful is having a buddy with you. They can help keep you company and look over your table when you want to get up to use the bathroom or walk around to see what other people are selling. I’m lucky that my boyfriend was happy to attend this craft show with me as he kept me company and helped a lot. Don’t forget to bring a snack and some water, too!

As far as the sales went, I had my very first sale even before the craft fair officially opened up. A lady ended up buying a baby blanket for her soon-to-be-born daughter. The minion hats still seemed popular, so almost all of them went. Dishcloths, hot pads, and coffee mug cozies also seemed to be hot sellers this time around. I felt like this craft fair was busier than the one I attended in the spring, which helped out my sales a ton. A couple of people also requested custom orders, so I’m excited about that.

This has been my most successful craft show yet! I’m always learning what works best and what I need to change up for next time. I’m excited to attend my next craft show in the future.

Have you ever attended a craft fair? What was your experience like? Do you have any tips you would like to share? Please leave a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from you!

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