Craft Show Lessons

It has been a while since I last posted.  Between work, my boys’ schedules, and preparing for the craft show, things have been hectic.  It has been a good hectic though.

The craft show was this past Saturday.  It was the first craft show I have done in several years and it was my first craft show selling non-jewelry items.  I chose to do this show to get my feet wet and maybe start selling at shows regularly.  I put a lot of eggs in this basket.  I wanted to make money but mostly, I wanted my work to be liked and appreciated.  Selling or displaying handmade work is like putting a piece of your heart (and your pride) out on a table.   It’s difficult not to take it personally when someone walks by without even a glance.  You want them to see the love, ideas, and work you put into each item.  I did my best not to give sad puppy dog eyes to everyone who walked by me. 

I learned a lot from this show and thought that I could share those lessons with other people who want to start selling at shows.  I did sell some items and I received some good feedback.  However, I did not sell much at all.  The first few hours of the show, it made me sad.  I doubted my talents and myself.  Then I started noticing some things.  No one was really selling much.  More than half of the show was independent consultants and not handmade items (candles, make up, kitchen items – the kind of items that people host parties at their house to sell).  That made it difficult for the handmade vendors to compete. 

LESSON NUMBER 1 – ALWAYS ask if the show is 100% handmade.  If it’s not, then reconsider if it’s the show for you.  There was some great talent at that show that was being overlooked because of the mass produced NON-handmade items.  One of the things I enjoy about shows is talking to other artists about their craft and their process.  I met a girl who had beautiful pottery and found out she set up a pottery studio in her backyard shed.  I bought a hand dyed silk scarf from a lady who had an interesting technique of dying silk using men’s ties for different textures and looks.  I also bought a fabric rug from a woman who uses a 100-year old loom to weave the rugs.  It has been in her family and the trade passed down over each generation.  I love that I have that history on my kitchen floor right now.  Can those mass produced items provide the same thing?  Nope.  The ladies at those tables were very nice and just trying to make money but I learned that I missed not having more artists to learn about and get to know.

LESSON NUMBER 2 – Figure out a way to accept credit cards.  I had decided not to accept credit cards because I wanted to see if it was something I needed to do.  I only lost one sale because of it but I need to figure out how I’m going to do that going forward.

LESSON NUMBER 3 – Be willing to take advice from seasoned sellers.  The lady at the table next to me was selling jewelry and has been doing shows for a number of years.  She was a wonderful resource.  She gave me some advice about credit cards and gave me the email address of a woman scheduling for an actual handmade show in December.  You would think that people selling would not be friendly due to the competitive nature of selling but it’s not typically like that.  There is a true community among artists and crafters and I love that.

LESSON NUMBER 4 – Just because you aren’t successful at one show does not mean that your work won’t be successful somewhere else.   I think part of my issue was that the show I did was at an older church in town.  The majority of the shoppers were much older people who were lovely and gave me good feedback, but I think my work would do better aimed at a younger demographic.  I just need to find the right shows for me.

LESSON NUMBER 5 – When all else fails, have your husband stop at the liquor store on the way home from the show.  It takes the edge off a bit.  Also, a date night right after the show is a beautiful thing for blowing off steam.

Was this show everything I’d hoped it would be?  No, but I decided to learn from it and move forward.  I have some ideas about some other things I want to do before I do another show.  I still love everything I put on that table so I know I’m doing what’s right for me.

I have a lot of things to share in future posts and some DIY posts to come.  I’m looking forward to a slow paced week and time with family.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Craft Show Jitters

A few weeks ago I made the decision to do a craft show this fall.  I participated in this particular craft show a couple of years ago and had a great time.  It's at a local church and they have a pretty good turn out of people.  I wasn't overly intimidated by the other vendors or clientele and I even made some money.  At that time, I sold primarily jewelry I had made because that was what I had stocked in my Etsy store at the time (my Etsy store is currently empty but will share the link as I add some items).  Every year in August I start considering craft shows.  Fall shows are my favorite and I've noticed that there is a much better turn out in fall and people looking to purchase more often with the holidays coming soon.  Most years I either chicken out or have too much going on that I don't have time to create enough items to sell.  The people who are regular craft show vendors have a TON of items at their table.  My fear of shows toggles between 2 things - either I won't have enough items on my table and it will look empty and pitiful -OR- I have plenty of items and no one even stops to look at what I've made.  It's scary to put your time and your heart into making things you genuinely love and not be sure of what the public reaction will be.

This particular show was a great experience for me - especially as my first craft show.  The people were nice, I had a lot of positive feedback, I sold some items, and I even walked away with a couple of custom orders.  That year, I also did a show at a local high school.  That show was not as good.  There were a lot of people and a lot of different vendors.  They overbooked the vendors so we were spread out throughout the school.  The majority were in the gym and that's where most of the customers wandered.  Me?  I was tucked away with a handful of other vendors in this weird side hallway that was a dead end.  There wasn't even many signs to point people in our direction.  The majority of the people who actually visited our hallway of misfits, were just people who got lost.  That show was a lot of work and very little reward.  So this year, I signed up for the show where I had a great experience and hope for the best.

Fast forward a few weeks and I'm still feeling pretty good about my decision but have my moments of panic.  I've decided that I'll be selling some crocheted items and some other home decor type things and recycled item creations.  I will be sharing some of what I make here on my blog as I prepare for the show. 

My goal with my crocheted creations is to stand out from possible other crochet items.  I want to create things that look more modern and am trying to pick my yarn colors accordingly.  I will have bright colors but I'm also trying to find some colors that are a little more chic.  I found this wonderful Ivory Tweed yarn recently and am loving the look.  I've also been mixing two yarns together in projects to form bi-colored yarns and also make the yarn thicker to help my projects go a little quicker.  I want to love everything I sell but I'm on a limited time frame and need to be efficient too.  If you've ever crocheted, certain projects can be pretty time consuming.

Below is the majority of what I've been working on lately.  I want to create different sized baskets and bowls for home decorations.  My plan is to showcase their use on my display table -- they are great around vases, bowls, Mason jars, maybe some potpourri or hard candy, in a bathroom they can hold cotton balls, etc.  They add a lot of color and are fun to add here and there in a home.  I'm not using any patterns so make these up as I go which is fun and keeps me motivated.  I spray them with a heavy starch to help them keep their shape better and I crochet them in a way so that they stand firm too.

The larger basket's handles are made from tying suede cord and then crocheting around it.  That way the handles don't stretch out and will hold the shape longer.

So far I think I'm on a good pace and am happy with what I've created.  Crocheting is also a great way to work out stress after a tough work day.  Now that school is back in session (which means sports practices, games, etc), I can throw my projects in a bag and crochet during practices or in between games.  I just have to keep plugging along so I can make this happen!

An off topic item, I've been working and reworking the design and layout of my blog this weekend.  If you've checked back and seen a hot mess occasionally, I apologize for the changes.  It is definitely a work in progress and I'm working to find my "voice".  Thanks for reading and please feel free to share with friends.