How To Make Your Craft Show a Success

Hey everyone!

It’s been a while since I last posted on here.  So sorry for the delay.  I have been busy with creating new items for my Etsy shop for summer selling…Barefoot Sandals and Wayuu Tote Bags.  http://www.offthehookbychrissy.etsy.com

Anyway I wanted to share my success and tips at my first craft show that was in the fall of 2016.  See picture below that’s me and my Beautiful Daughter, Chase, who volunteered her day to help me out.  Which means she handled the I-Pad and card reader as I’m not very good with technology.  Oh by the way I’m the one on the right with light brown hair.  He He!!!  

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Here’s my list of tips

1. 1.  Plan out way ahead of time of how you will merchandise your products so it is customer friendly shopping experience.  No matter how you merchandise it should be so every item can be seen without having to move another item out-of-the-way.  Most shoppers are cruisers they don’t want to dig for an item.  I got my fixtures from antique shows, going out of business stores and my sweet husband, Greg, even made me a stand out of PVC Pipe.  Pinterest is a GREAT place to go for ideas on different merchandising stands, tables, crates and baskets.  Check out my Pinterest board https://www.pinterest.com/OTHByChrissy/everything-craft-shows/  for some GREAT ideas!  
   2. Next you will want to secure a card reader either through Etsy or do like I did and just go buy one.  Do the start account  for the reader and do a test run for both through the card reader accounts and your Etsy shop account.  You will want to be very familiar with how to use the reader.
   3. Next you should consider getting business cards and banner to call attention to your craft booth.  Then when people are near your booth hand out business cards.  Also,  be friendly to people and invite them into your booth.  If you are not excited about what you are doing then neither will they.
   4. Next I suggest figuring out your pricing.  I have heard from lots of people who say only cheaper items sell at Craft Shows but I’m here to tell you yes there are those people who look for the bargain and there are those people who just love what they see and are willing to pay for it.  Will you have price point destinations or are you like me and have many different price points.  Either way you need signs for destination displays or tags for each item.  I had tags for each item and used my business cards as tags with price point on the back.  Start early because it takes quite awhile to put all of those tags on each item.
   5.  For sure place on your table business cards, e-mail sign-up list and cash box so it is handy.  You can set up small wrap station under table like I did to include tissue paper, 2 different sized paper bags with my logo stamped on the front and back of the bags.
   6. Make signs that shout out what the items actually are ie. Barefoot Sandals, Scarves, Ear-warmers Finger-less Glove.  Get the idea.  Check out the picture below I got this stand from a K-Mart that was closing in our town and use the big sign for shouting out any sale I have going. 
   7. Since I sell accessories for women I have a mirror handy in case someone wants to see themselves with one of my items on.  Most people do like to see how it looks on them.  
   8. I packed all of my product into totes per category of items.  Way more organized then just throwing everything in together.  The only thing I am going to do different next time is to mark every tote with its contents mainly because if I have other helping me them they can identify easily what is in each tote.  Pack enough so you have the product to refill displays with.  The more there is to choose from the more likely you will get a sale. 
   9. I pack 1 tote with my junk stuff as I call it.  Things like calculator (I’m no good with math), hole punch, duck tape, packing tape, back up business cards, pens markers,  charger for phone or I-Pad, extra bags, scissors, hand wipes, e-mail list sign-up sheet and whatever else I might need.

The last thing to pack is your happy face.  People are drawn to happy smiling faces and are more likely to approach you and your booth.  It’s okay to take some of your crafting items so you can work on projects during downtime but your main focus should be the people.

Well I hope I gave you some ideas to make your craft show successful,

Let me know in comments if you have any other ideas you would like to share!

Chrissy 🙂