Craft Fair Tips & Tricks

Hello!  I haven't formally introduced myself yet.  My name is Ashley, I'm an avid crafter and lover of paper.  You can see some of my past work at Joyful Creations.  I hope to bring you some fun tutorials very soon.  In the mean time I'm preparing for my 1st craft fair.  I've been in search of lots of tips and tricks from others that are more experienced with fairs.  I thought I would share what I've learned and some of my own thoughts.

Things to have on hand at your craft fair:

Price signs - use clearly marked price signs with a description of your item and the price.  A great way to up sale is to list it like "1 for $5 or 2 for $8.50".  It gives the customer an option to buy more and save some money but in all it will put more cash in your pocket.  And usually when someone buys multiples of handmade items they will be gifting them.  This brings me to my next tip.

Always include your brand info on your handmade product.  Put a label on your product somewhere so that if the item is gifted to someone they will know how to contact you in case they want more.

Guest book - encourage your onlookers to sign the guest book even if they don't buy anything.  Host a small giveaway as an incentive for them to sign it.  Include space for name and email address.  Let them know that you will contact the winner by email.

Business Cards - enough said!

Calculator - add up that money, but you want the transactions to go easy so price your items so that adding is easy for you and your customer.

Notebook & Pen - take notes during down time.  Jot down the pros and cons and things that you may see from other crafters around you that inspires you for your next show.  

For more ideas on what you might want to have on hand check out 160 Things to Bring to your Art or Craft Show.

Things to do before your craft fair:

Take inventory of everything that you will be selling and the price you will be listing it at.  After the show it will be easy for you to take note of your best selling items and keep track of your income.

Test out your display before the big day.  Set up your table, play with risers, screens, table clothes, shelves and your product.  Figure out exactly how you want to set your table.  When done, take a picture of it or map it out.  Print the picture or be sure to have your table map with you on the day of the show so that set up is a breeze.

Display tips:

Use either white or black table clothe to cover the table.  Use smaller scraps of fabric in brighter colors to highlight your products and draw the eye to different areas of the table.

Photo Source: PaperSparrow

Don't underestimate the power of risers.  Use different sizes of boxes or even a small book shelf or re-purpose a spice rack.  If you use random boxes, cover them in pretty paper or slip them under the table clothe and adjust how the clothe lays on it.

 Photo Source: Flapper Girl

For more tips and tricks on your displays check out Craft Show Display Tips & Must-Haves :: Etsy Blog.

So, there you have it.  Please, feel free to share your ideas and tips in the comments below.  I will share my personal experiences after the fair on March 26th.  HAPPY CRAFTING!!!