Gearing up for a craft fair
Starting last year I decided to dip my toe into selling my art by participating in a craft fair. I figured it was the easiest way to get my stuff out to an audience and see how it would sell. Plus I love going to craft fairs so it was always a dream of mine to be in one selling my creations.
My first one I chose to do was my favorite local one to attend at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in St. Mary’s County Maryland. It’s always in the beginning of November and kind of kick starts the holiday season for me. When you attend it is so festive with Christmas Music playing, a bake sale of yummy goodies, raffles, and tons of vendors with their homemade items. All the volunteers that help make the event possible are all so friendly and fun. It really is a lovely event. Plus it is a great place to kick start your holiday shopping and support local artists and crafters.
After last year‘s craft fair was successful and fun I decided to do it again this year. Of course that was after I had forgotten one very important thing….how much work they are. Doing a craft fair takes so much prep work to make sure you have plenty of items to sell at the event. I have been working for months and months.
This has made me rethink how I want to run my art business. I think I need something with a slower pace. So this upcoming year I will make smaller batches of things or prints and then launch them on my website. At the beginning of owning a business it takes some time to work out how you want to do things and that is okay.
Anyways, so I am down to the final countdown of 4 days until my craft fair. I have made Christmas cards, art prints, magnets, nativities, mini paintings, mice ornaments, my books, and heirloom hand painted ornaments. The heirloom hand painted ornaments are my favorite to make because they are very nostalgic to me that seem like they are from a different more simple time. I have made these on wood slices with high qualities paint and sealed with high quality varnish to keep it from fading. They are meant to be passed on for generations to come. Hopefully you love them as much as I do.
After the craft fair on November 8th I plan on putting any left over items that don’t sell here on my website. So be looking for that. Do you love craft fairs? What do you love to look for at one?
Below is my practice set up for how I want to display at the craft fair. This is fun and helps me to know how I want it to look on the day of the craft fair.
