Recap of My First Craft Show & Top 6 Takeaways
To be honest, I don’t always love to put my face out there in public, whether that’s a networking event or sharing a video of myself on the socials. I like my little studio space bubble, where I can listen to music most of the day, draw things, and pop around the internet for ideas and inspiration. It’s comfortable, it’s safe. But I knew that it would be good for me to put myself out there more. Plus, I’m finally at a point where I have a wide enough array of products to sell! So I signed up for my first craft fair at Heritage Prairie Farm, a little organic farm and event venue just 10 minutes down the road.
Let me tell you. I didn’t realize how much work would be involved, or how much fun it would be, to have a booth at a craft fair! I spent the months leading up to the event planning my table layout, buying packaging materials, waiting for said package materials because of supply chain issues, figuring out Square payments, working with online and local production companies, saying daily prayers to the universe to keep my home printer in tip top shape, and another million tiny things. I realized that craft fairs can be as much or as little work as you want it to be. And being the list-maker and recovering perfectionist that I am, I leaned toward more work haha. But I’m so glad I did, because I ended up having a really great show with no issues!
Top Takeaways
If you’re interested in exhibiting at a craft fair at some point, here are my top takeaways:
If at all possible, try and have a buddy with you. I was so thankful that my husband, Ryan, was willing to be my buddy for the entire weekend! I also had another close friend and fellow small business owner, Sarah Jo, volunteer to come by and give us a break for a bit to get fresh air and network with other vendors.
The little details make a difference. When you’re only given an 8-foot table, there’s quite a lot left to do to transform your space. I invested in a pretty linen tablecloth, different containers and displays for products, and I even hand-lettered all the signage! But it was a balance of not wanting to go overboard with spending, while also wanting to invest in a few special items to create a professional display. (For example, I decided it was worth it to purchase this greeting card display) But other things I was able to buy from a local thrift store or find around my house!
Have an elevator pitch of your business ready. I struggled a bit at first because I didn’t want to come across as sales-y, but I realized toward the end of the show that having a few things to say about what you do is important. And people generally like to hear about your process! They are there to support small businesses, so it’s not weird to promote your small business!
Be sure to mingle with the fellow artisans. Just as you’d like to be supported as a small artist, it’s important for you to support other small artists as well! It doesn’t mean you have to drop tons of money at the fair, but buying a few items and at least exchanging contact information and encouraging each other is the nice thing to do!
Keep track of what sells well! I was surprised to see certain things like wrapping paper and a last-minute illustrated greeting card fly off the table! But then something new that I was really excited about didn’t do as well. Take it all as feedback and use it as you plan new products moving forward.
Use it as an opportunity to create new ongoing connections. I offered a free coloring page to anyone who signed up for my newsletter, knowing that it would be valuable to stay connected moving forward! I also gave all customers a coupon to use in my Etsy shop, knowing that if they like my work enough now to buy it on the spot, they might be interested in purchasing again in the future!
All this to say, I had a successful event in more ways than one, and I’ll be on the lookout for a few more shows and festivals in 2022!
Thanks again to everyone who visited me, and I’ll be sure to let you all know about any future events!
