How to get into your first handmade Craft show!

    I struggle to open my eyes and wonder, "How can it really be time to wake up" already?   My phone says it's 6:40am on Saturday morning, but how can that be?  Didn't I just go to sleep?  (It's important to note here, that I'm not a morning person, lol.)  Okay, to be fair, I was up until midnight Friday night finishing up sewing two more Christmas party doll dresses! Oh, but the Christmas dresses are so pretty I just had to get them finished so I could bring them to the craft show! 

    It's in those early waking moments on a Saturday morning when I wonder why am I doing this?  But then I get up, get ready, pick up my mom, who helps me at my shows, and go to my booth at the venue.  At 8am customers, with smiles on their faces, eagerly start coming in to find those unique handmade creations! Some are new customer that I get to meet for the first time, and others are repeat customers that come back to my booth year after year to see what new creations I have made that they can give their daughters/granddaughters/nieces this year for Christmas, and suddenly the alarm going off at 6:40am is worth it.

    Saturday's show was fun and I'm glad to be a part of it!  Outside, the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are turning colors, inside some of the vendors have their tables decorated for fall, and are selling fall decor items, while other vendors have their spaces decorated for Christmas!

    This year I was told by those organizing the show that they had 109 vendors, so there was lots of beautiful, creative, products to be found!

If you're a crafter, have you every wondered how to be a part of a local craft show?

Do you love creating items and wish you could sell them at craft shows to make some extra money, but feel overwhelmed with where to start?

Keep readying for some tips I've learned from over 14 years of doing craft shows!

1) Decide on what type of products you want to make.  

    A) If you're having a hard time deciding, start thinking about what type of crafts you already like to do and are good at? Do you like working with yarn, fabrics, beads, paper, food, etc.?  

   Type of Craft: Examples

• Sewing
• Crocheting
• Knitting
• Jewelry Making
• Paper art
• Baking (be sure to check with local/state/national laws when selling food)
• and so many more options.  

     B) Once you've decide the type of craft, then decide what type of items you want to make within that craft: 

Just a few examples of items to make:

• Clothing 
• Kid's toys
• Dog items
• Home Decor
• Jewelry (Necklaces, earrings, rings, etc.)
• Craft items for other crafters to use on their projects (stickers, crocheted lace, etc.)
• Decal items: Mugs, t-shirts (will you offer personalization?)
• Accessories (scarves, purses, hair bows, etc.)

    There are so many items to choose from, but it's a good idea to make decisions about what you want to make before you start looking into finding shows, as you will be asked what products you sell.  Some shows will only allow a certain number of the same types of items to be presented, so you need to already have this info decided.  

    *However, don't worry, it doesn't mean you will always have to make and sell that type of item if you find there doesn't seem to be a market for it.  

    When I started I was embroidering on items (baby bibs, blankets, towels, basically anything I could embroider on!).  At first it was fun, but I found they didn't sell very well for me, and wasn't really something I enjoyed making long term.  So I started making other items to see what I would enjoy and what other people were looking for.  Eventually, I found that I really enjoyed making 18" doll clothes!

    So, start with something you think you'll enjoy and give it a try!  Don't let fear of the unknown keep you from starting your dreams!

2)  Find a show.

    A) Here are some easy ways to find out about shows in your area:    

• Have you attended shows in your area as a customer?  Talk to other vendors, there.  They can point you to the person in charge who will likely have info on their show for next year (lots of shows are done annually at churches and schools).  
• Search on facebook for local or state craft show groups.
• Local Newspapers may list upcoming craft shows in their local events column.
• Friends: Ask your friends about craft shows they have attended in the past

    B) Once you've found out about some shows, the next step is to contact the administrator of the event for information, and ask for an application.

3) Fill out the application

    A) The applications are usually pretty easy to fill out.   They will ask for info like your name and address, the name of your business, and a description of the items your are selling.  Some will ask for photos of your work if this is your first time doing the show.  

    The application will also include the rules of the show, so be sure to read everything.   Okay, don't get scared, the rules are usually reasonable.  

    For example, most shows don't allow open flames.  So, for example, if you're a candle maker, you need to know that you can't light your candles for people to experience how they burn.  You will need to figure out another way to let customers know the benefits of your candles.

    B) Cost.  The cost depends on the show and your location.   Usually larger shows that have been running annually for years and are well attended are going to cost a lot more for a space than smaller and newer shows.    

• Small shows can be a good place to start if you haven't done a show before, so you can get hands-on experience of setting up at a show, an idea of how much product you'll need to make, and get used to talking with browsers and customers (especially if you're an introvert).  
• The positive side is that they don't usually cost very much (maybe $20 to $40) a show.
•  The negative side is that they do not usually have a large attendance of customers coming through, so sales may not be very good. (When I started, there were a few of these shows that I did not make enough money to even cover the cost of the booth space).
• Large shows: 
• The positive of large shows that is usually bring in a lot more customers, which means more potential in sales.  
• However, they do usually cost quite a bit more per space. 
• You do need to have a lot more products made so that you don't completely sell out at a show.  These shows don't want their vendors to sell out before the end of the show, as there will be people coming through all day long.   While not all specify in their rules that you have to have enough product to not sell out, I have read some applications that do specify this.  (Of course, you don't want to sell out before the end, anyways, as that means you've lost out on sales.)  
• So take into account for large shows, if you can get enough product made by the time of the show.

    C) Timeframe: Depending on the size of the show, most applications will be available at the end of the current show (and returning vendors get first option to come back), or a few months before the show's event date.   Start looking for the shows as soon as possible as they will fill up.

4)  Make your Product!!!!!

    Okay, finally the really fun part: make your items!  Have fun!  Be creative!  

But there are some questions that may be coming to your mind:

    A)  How many items do I make?

• The reality is when you're first starting out, a lot of that is a guessing game.   I would say depending on your items, you probably want to have a few of each item, though.  Keep in mind, some customers will look at everything at a show before going back to make their purchases.  So, you want to have some in stock for when they come back looking for it!

    B) How much should I charge for my creations?

• There are so many formulas online for what to charge for a handmade product.  And I won't go into all of that here, as it would take at least one blog post all itself.  But I will say, that you need to figure out the cost of the items your making, take into account the cost of your booth space and other expenses (gas to travel to the show, food to eat while you're at the show, etc.), and how long it takes you to make the items.  Having these numbers will give you a better idea on what prices you need to charge for your beautiful creations.  Remember, you don't want to put all that work into your items just to lose money.

5)  Setup for the show

     Setup times for craft shows are usually the day before, or early the morning of the show.  It's a good idea (if you have the room) to mark out the space of your booth at home some weeks before the show and practice how you'd like to setup your booth space.   This will give you an idea of how much time it will take you to setup and also let you know if need anything else for your displays.   

    Get there early, especially for your first show, to give yourself plenty of time so as not to be stressed out and to be sure you're finished setting up before the show starts.  

You want everything ready for your customers!

6)  Enjoy the show!

Congratulations!  You are ready for your first craft show! 

Be sure to have on hand:

• pens
• receipt book
• tape
• extra paper in case you need to make another sign
• bags to put the items in when purchased    

Have fun and enjoy your first craft show/s (even if your alarm has to wake you up early, too!)!