Tips for Preparing for Your First Craft Show

Make Sure You Enjoy the Day!
After several weeks of preparing for my first craft show, the day of the event went pretty smoothly. I feel that the set up and the day went overall well because of the planning that was done prior to the craft show. Although no matter how prepared you may be, something unexpected still might come up. But stay calm, have fun and enjoy the day!



My first craft show setup

Prepare Early

Things to consider during planning:

How will you create different heights for your display?

What will your displays consist of?

How will you package & price your items?

What will you do if it rains?
What kind of bags will you use for customers?
(I used brown lunch bags and brown bags with handles and
printed off my logo on a name badge label from Staples.)

                                   Set Up


I had a plan in mind for my set up for the allowed space. The night before I did a very brief mock setup to make sure I had enough table space. I do not think you need to set up every detail the night before but you should have a basic idea of where your items will go and how you will display them.  I was fortunate to have a lot of help setting up. My family was there for the mock setup so they also had a rough idea of where everything was supposed to go.

Should you buy a tent? I would say you definitely need a tent however I would try to borrow one from someone if this is your first craft show. The tent I borrowed was actually 14x14ft. Even though the space was 10x10ft I made arrangements with the person in charge prior to submitting my application for the extra space. There was no problem. I would encourage you to ask if you have a bigger tent size, depending on the type of show you may be able to get away with a little bigger space.

 What did I use to build my display? I used a 8ft banquet table and (2) 4ft plastic tables that I pushed  together. I knew I wanted my note card sets to be hanging for customers to see them easier and I had several decorative frames and photograph prints that would need hung up too. My husband made me (2) pegboard stands for about $16.00, we added pegboard hooks for the note cards and he used screws in one to hang my decorative frames and prints.

I used antique wooden boxes to add height to the table and I found a old wooden 7up box to display my single note cards in.

I discovered how to make a craft display with a baby crib and use all of the parts when I was searching for ideas.
Use your creativity and think about what you have in your house, what your family has and what you can find in a thrift store.

 Also if you are active in any online craft forums ask other members about their experiences. Remember to custom everyone's ideas to your needs.



7up Wooden Box: Divided into 4 sections

Promoting Your Crafts & Your Shop

Grab your potential customers attention with an eye catching sign that displays your name and logo. I had a small banner made from Vista Print and with shipping it was about $15, including the four adhesive tabs for hanging. I have heard some debate about the quality of the these banners. However, I was pleased with mine. It does have a small bar code in the right corner that cannot be removed. The bar code is only about a inch and a half, so I didn't mind.

If you do not have a professional banner and you are looking for a graphic for your studio to start branding, I would highly suggest Yini from RRPFGrapics on Artfire. She did my banner for my online studio and I love it! Yini's customer service is top notch too! She will provide you with different size options upon request which makes ordering banners or uploading your image to other sites a breeze!

Mailing List! Encourage customers to join your mailing list. I only send one monthly newsletter so that helped to sweeten the deal and let them know I wouldn't be filling their inbox. Think of a creative way to draw the customers attention.

A great summer example:  Use a lemonade pitcher to put the new clients information in and then have a cute glass with yellow tissue paper and pens beside the pitcher of "lemonade." You could even add lemon slices to the glass. Finish with a friendly sign inviting them to join!

Signage!! Try to have signs for everything and not just saying "note cards," make the buyers want to come check out what you have. Use phrases like "Great Father's Day gift!" "For the young at heart," etc.

MAKE THEM LARGE TO ATTRACT ATTENTION. This is one area I will be working on next time.

Remember to bring business cards. Don't just lay them on the table, display them in something that is creative and attractive. Try this inexpensive and cute business card holder. 

 Here is a helpful checklist for preparing for a craft show (from artisimportant.com)! 

Best of Luck to You!