Countdown to my first craft show...tips for the day?

Find and share ways to earn extra cash. No schemes or scams allowed.
Forum rules
No schemes, scams or advertisements allowed -- just legit ways to make extra money.
Vaeagen
Posts: 168
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 8:03 pm

Countdown to my first craft show...tips for the day?

Post by Vaeagen »

Hi all,
Getting close to the day of my first, public craft show on Nov 14th. to recap, I am starting slow and just sticking my toes in for a small (very small) side job for now and maybe after retiring (6 year to go, dh just retired) to make a little side, mad money. I am sewing items from reclaimed fabric. I thought this is a good "sales" tactic since going "green" and recycling are popular and plus if I had to buy the fabric I would never make any money after charging what the market will bare. The other "appeal" is that each item is unique, since there is never enough fabric to make 2 or more of anything. I get my fabric from a friend of a friend who is an interior decorator and she get me the sample books that are discontinued and any other samples they are getting rid of.
That said...the big day is Sat Nov 14 at my local library. Low pressure and a learning experience. I have done one other show at my Church but that was a very friendly crowd of mostly friends of mine....not a lot of "outsiders". Anyways what I was thinking was....I need to bring change (singles and maybe a few 5's and a couple of 10"s to make change), I will have to bring some bags to put the purchases in, something to keep the money I make in, and I was thinking of what "props" to bring to add "interest" to my dislay (like a sample book to show where the fabric that I use come from, some cut up jeans which I also use), also will bring some baskets, etc to use to set things up....but not too clear on that yet. What other sugesstions do you ladies have?

Valerie
dlrcpa
Posts: 1546
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:45 am

Re: Countdown to my first craft show...tips for the day?

Post by dlrcpa »

At the yard sale I used a cooking-type apron with deep pockets to hold money so I did not have to lay it down somewhere. Are they going to have tables? Things at waist or eye-level are easier than making people bend over or look down. If clothing or something that needs to be displayed I had considered taking my collapsible laundry racks and hangers to help hang things up for display. If washable then I safety-pinned on fabric content and washing instructions. For quilts and such I measured and added the measurements to the washing instructions. You can find label templates in Microsoft Word and type them up or just hand write. I also learned a bit by talking to the ladies at the next table, they were old pros and did this many weekends. Since you are making custom items, people may be interested and want your contact information so take some business cards or pre-printed slips of paper to hand out.
Vaeagen
Posts: 168
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 8:03 pm

Re: Countdown to my first craft show...tips for the day?

Post by Vaeagen »

hi and thanks! I totally forgot about contact info!! You know what I think I will get an email just for the "business" again to seperate it from my personnel stuff. I also have labels that I can sew on and even though they don't say the business' name they say my name so I will still put them on.
I have done the appron thing too at garage sales I have run. I think I will make myself a cute little, recycled jeans apron I saw online. That will fit the "theme".

I am a bit (ok maybe more than a bit when it is something that I love) of a talker so talking at the fair should be no problem. I hope to suck up as much info as possible. Like I said, this is a long term plan....I think you have a lot to learn before you really can expect to make "real" money. The money when I get to "full scale" will always be for extras. I have no illusions that I can do more than that but it is fun and if I can make a little extra change that is great.

Thanks for the insights...keep them coming.

Valerie
dlrcpa
Posts: 1546
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:45 am

Re: Countdown to my first craft show...tips for the day?

Post by dlrcpa »

It occurred to me if you get a good response to a particular item, you could consider teaching a class in how to make that item. Our community rec center has classes like this, I think the school board also offers some adult craft-type classes. Anyway that is an additional thing you could think about. JoAnn and Michaels also offer classes of different sorts - some for kids, some for adults.
frugalmom
Posts: 1710
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:52 pm

Re: Countdown to my first craft show...tips for the day?

Post by frugalmom »

Vaeagen wrote:Hi all,
Getting close to the day of my first, public craft show on Nov 14th. to recap, I am starting slow and just sticking my toes in for a small (very small) side job for now and maybe after retiring (6 year to go, dh just retired) to make a little side, mad money. I am sewing items from reclaimed fabric. I thought this is a good "sales" tactic since going "green" and recycling are popular and plus if I had to buy the fabric I would never make any money after charging what the market will bare. The other "appeal" is that each item is unique, since there is never enough fabric to make 2 or more of anything. I get my fabric from a friend of a friend who is an interior decorator and she get me the sample books that are discontinued and any other samples they are getting rid of.
That said...the big day is Sat Nov 14 at my local library. Low pressure and a learning experience. I have done one other show at my Church but that was a very friendly crowd of mostly friends of mine....not a lot of "outsiders". Anyways what I was thinking was....I need to bring change (singles and maybe a few 5's and a couple of 10"s to make change), I will have to bring some bags to put the purchases in, something to keep the money I make in, and I was thinking of what "props" to bring to add "interest" to my dislay (like a sample book to show where the fabric that I use come from, some cut up jeans which I also use), also will bring some baskets, etc to use to set things up....but not too clear on that yet. What other sugesstions do you ladies have?

Valerie
Hi! I don't have any suggestions but I like to go to craft fairs-although I haven't been to one lately. BUT I just wanted to wish you much success and hope you get a good turnout and make lots of profit! :D
Karianne85
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 6:08 am

Re: Countdown to my first craft show...tips for the day?

Post by Karianne85 »

Not much advice but I have noticed that sometimes there isn't much at tables for kids. One time at the elementary school fair I made some bean bags that sold well. Not sure kids nowadays would know what one is but you could toss it in the air to show them.

Just thinking that if you can have something cheap for kids, that might force parents to come to your table that maybe they'll buy something else.

Kari
Post Reply