Itybityblog

Summer brings Craft fairs!

The season of craft fairs is upon us! Summer brings shorts, ice cream and the handmade artist friend the craft fair :) I recently moved in February of this year and decided to take part in a local fair in my new home town! The Hawley-Lake Wallenpaupack Arts and Crafts fair was my first pick! It is set in a very scenic part of Hawley,PA and was for one Saturday only. I took the weeks ahead of the craft fair to organize, beef up my stock, and take care of any little loose ends. It was a lot of work and a whole lot of sweating in the sun but overall I think the experience was a good one!

Here are some basic things that became very apparent they are must haves for craft fairs!

1. Tent/Canopy

2. Chairs

3. Bottled Water

4. A table watcher (so you can hit the bathroom)

5. Enough Change

6. A magazine (to read and fan yourself)

7. Signs or banner

8. Quick and easy take down and set-up

9. Business cards

10. Promos or Samples

Ok, just to briefly go over why I think these things are important. The tent for the obvious reasons, to keep you out of the sun and rain. Many brands of tents are very affordable now (I got mine from Kmart for $59.99.

A good idea is to make friends with a booth neighbor to ensure safe bladder expulsion. And this also helps the day pass by with conversation.

I found the banners and promo items really draw people in. When people got excited over free samples, this made other passers-by stop to checkout the commotion!

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Below is a picture of my strictly promo and sample table. I included "Buy Handmade" goodie bags filled with samples and promotional items from an assortment of Etsy sellers. I had a basket of my own samples for adults and kids like bookmarks, small pouches, and pins. I set any larger postcards or brochures in separate baskets or out on the table. And last but not least I added a small notebook and pen to collect email address for my newsletter.

The greatest thing about this is it open people up to Etsy, outside artist and crafters and got them excited!

So if you haven't done a Craft show yet...jump in with both feet! It is something worth experiencing even at least once! Just remember to have fun and keep hydrated ;)

Happy Monday!
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