It’s been a while since my craft table at the Festivus Games at my husband’s gym. I didn’t feel like writing about it because it was honestly really disappointing.
I’m an extreme night owl and an extreme introvert, so it was really exhausting to wake up early and be around people all day. I also spent about a lot of time preparing, and for all that, I made less in sales than what I spent on setup materials.
It was still nice to get some sales and interact with buyers in person, I just didn’t feel that the experience was worth the effort overall.
So I have a few things to keep in mind for next time, like making sure the event is the right fit for my business, communicating with event coordinators, finding out if local people are interested, and being prepared for weather conditions.
But mostly I would like to share about my table setup. I am by no means an expert, but I think I made some improvements from my first couple events – including the products themselves!
I tried to think outside the box with my displays. You can save money and make your booth more interesting by using random items like crates, shelves, racks, easels, etc instead of purchased displays. I used some of each and painted, added nails, etc where necessary.
But with my first table, the multi-colored cards and displays were very distracting. Because my items are already colorful, they look better with a neutral background. And because they’re nature-inspired, a touch of rustic works too.
I separated my items into categories and placed a few sets on busts in the center. I made sure everything was pretty visible, minus my extra stock, and that the price signs were readable.
Lastly, I found it helpful to bring a few extra things like a checklist, free magnets, a visual of how my canes are made, and beading for my down time.
Here are some of the resources that helped me:
Top 5 Craft Show Display Trends
There’s more on my Craft Business Resources Pinterest Board.
If you’re a crafter, let me know if this was helpful, and your most important or most forgotten craft fair items! If you’re a shopper, what would make a booth most attractive to you?