Craft Fair Observations

I have had a week to reflect on the craft fair.  It was a useful experience in some ways.  The best seller was the item shown above.  A pack of six tags for £1.50.  These probably took the least skill to make than anything else on the stall and probably have at least £1.50's worth of baker's twine in each pack!

I made the following observations:

• No one even looked at the scented mice in the basket.

• I didn't sell one fabric flower brooch.

• There was no interest in the collage card packs (I would have been interested!).

• Nobody bought the paper jam pot covers (one woman said she likes to make hers using recycled T- shirts).

• There was no interest in the autumn sprites (I think one person scrawled down the poem that came with them).

• People say 'I will come back after looking around' (they never do).

• Paper currency is given for small change items, requiring one to scrabble about for the correct change.

• I didn't sell one pack of my hand drawn and hand cut original tags.

• The key rings with pagan themed metal charms sold well (which surprised me in a church).

• By putting 'jam gift tags' on the label confuses some customers and they ask if they can only be used on jars of jam.

Thinking back to some of the visitors on the day such as the woman who wanted to buy a brooch but had no money as she was on the way to the allotment,  reminds me of the saying 'there's nowt queer as folk'.

Craft Fair September 2014

 I did my first craft fair today.

 My stall was next to a lovely crafter whos chatty friendliness made the time spent there worthwhile.

The craft fair coincided with a big event in the centre of town that also had craft stalls. The competition was too great for a local event on the edge of town and as a consequence we suffered by having only a handful of visitors.

The table was narrower than I had expected and I was unable to put out all of my items until I had cleared some space.

The stall was £7.50 for 4 hours.  I sold £30.00  £33.50 of merchandise.  I need to deduct the cost of the paper bags I had to buy and the donation of a box of chocolates for the tombola after which I am left with about £10.00.  Will I do another fair?  The jury is out on that one!

Craft Fair

It has been a very busy couple of months.  My husband had his 50th Birthday, my son had his sixteenth Birthday.   Exam results led to jubilation and school options for A level courses turned to disappointment.  Hopefully things will work out for the best.

The next big event for me is a stall at my first craft fair.  I don't think I have nearly enough stock so will have to keep on making over the next few days.  My stall needs some kind of decoration in the front and I can't decide whether or not to make bunting or to make a garland instead.  I was hoping to stock my etsy shop before the event but this is unlikely to happen now.

When I booked my place at the fair it all seemed such a long way off and now it is only one week away!  I dread the thought of standing behind my stall and the only thing that passes by is tumbleweed!   I really do hope that we get enough visitors through the door to make it worthwhile. 

I will report back after the event and let you all know how the day went!

A Bag of Tags

Newer blog readers may not know that I used to feature paper 'tags' on my blog quite a lot. I used to draw them and cut them out by hand - a time consuming but enjoyable task. I recently rediscovered my tags tucked away in a drawer and I have now re quenched my thirst for making them again.

I think I may take some packs along to the craft fair to add a bit of interest to the table.  Do you think bags of mixed tags would be preferable or themed packs such as cats and dogs or toads and wellies?  If you were buying what tags would you want in your pack? 

Fabric Flowers - Variation

A variation on a theme: fabric flower brooches with covered button centres.  I really like using the same fabric used in the brooches to cover the buttons.  I think it gives a more 'polished' look.  I still like the look of the original fabric flower brooches too using up vintage buttons for the centres.

Do you have a favourite?

A Return to Fabric Flower Brooches

I have started to make some fabric flower brooches for the craft fair.  The first time I made these I used brightly coloured floral fabrics.  I think the more sedate neutral tones will be more fitting for the autumn.  I have no idea of how many to make or even if people will want to buy them!  If you have a favourite , which one is it?

Practice Makes Perfect

I have been practising with presentation for my craft stall (sorry to be boring again)!  I have been playing around with ideas for presentation that can be packed away quickly and easily such as the wicker carry case above.  When the fair finishes I have just 15 minutes to be packed up before getting picked up!  I am hoping that I won't have much left to bring home.

When I worked I attended a display skills workshop so hopefully some of what I learnt would have rubbed off and I will be able to dig out some tips from the memory bank!

August Thoughts

There is little prospect of a holiday this year.  Malaise and illness have been the main feature of each day since the beginning of the holiday season.  I am resentful of how things have turned out this year but resigned to making the best out of a bad situation.

I concentrate on my craft fair makes.  I need to focus on this so that other concerns are pushed away to the back of my mind. I am concerned about the impending craft fair and people have tried to defer me from doing one, but I am tenacious and when I set my mind to something it has to be done!    Researching on line it seems that many people are having a hard time selling at craft fairs for various reasons: people don't have money to spend on fripperies, it is the wrong time of year, the wrong venue etc etc.  What I have observed though (being one of life's observers) is that people reporting poor sales are generally selling the same types of things such as simply made fabric owl cushions, machine stitched fabric cupcakes and camper vans on cards, stuffed fabric hearts etc.  Now, I have no idea how my craft stall will fare in September but I am going to stay away from these generic items that seem to be repeated makes in craft books and magazines.

The craft fair I am attending doesn't have a large footfall but the stall was comparatively cheap and will give me a chance to practise my selling skills and a chance to promote my etsy shop (which is currently empty!)  I am wracking my brains trying to pre-empt what people want to buy - maybe things that other stall holders would find useful such as money aprons - I have yet to make this myself though!

I think bags of chocolate bark or cinder toffee would sell well but only if I could sell them for more than the outlay to make them.  I will need to give this careful consideration.

Right now.  Back to the drawing board.  What shall I make next?

Nice Mice

I am slowly but surely building up a stock of things to sell at the September craft fair.  I was pleased with my simple mice cat toys that I made a few posts back and thought some mice for humans might be nice too.  These ones are filled purely with dried herbs; lavender, chamomile, lemon verbena and red rose petals. 

Their intended use is to go into lingerie/sock drawers, linen cupboards or anywhere that needs freshening up!  I intend to have them piled up in a big bowl of straw or hessian to add to the rustic look that I am aiming for but that could all change on the day!

Keep Calm and Craft On

I am sorry if I have become a bit of a craft bore lately but I am using this blog as a way to chronicle the things I have made, so I can see how far I have to go and how far I have come!  I have now added reversible jam pot covers to the inventory and you can see two of them in action top left of the photo.

I am also making some sweet mice drawer scenters that are filled with the same mix as my herbal sleep pillows.  Every moment of my waking hour is consumed with the fair.  Only when  I am satisfied that I have enough stock, have planned the table layout and crossed everything off my check list will I put the craft fair aside and concentrate on other aspects of my life!

Next post, I will try very hard to make it non craft related but what else is there?!!!

Craft Fair Panic

Despite having a rotten cold that shows no sign of diminishing, I have systematically been making things for the impending craft fair.  I am now getting in a state of panic as what I have made at the moment doesn't even fill a shoe box!

I shall probably add some cat toys and key rings but am struggling with making larger items.  Any ideas?

Another Wreath

Today is uncomfortably hot so I have made a wreath in cool tones with a silvery mica sheen.  Perhaps not traditional autumn tones, but it reminds me of a moonlit night!

Today is forecast to be the hottest day of the year.  I don't 'do' heat.  I am going to sit indoors and craft away until the sun goes down and then I am going to craft some more!

Autumn in Summer

Yes I know that we are in the heart of summer but I am in autumn mode as I complete projects for the September craft fair.  Today I kept out of the sun and spent the whole day making this paper wreath!  Hopefully I will get quicker as my skills develop.  It really is very pretty as I gave it a fine mist of mica powder to enhance the golden hues of the autumn.

My jam gift tags are much more practical but hopefully the wreaths will draw people to the stall.

We're Jammin'

In the words of Bob Marley, 'we're jammin'' or not as the case may be.  I am not making jam yet - far too hot - but come autumn time I will probably be making some jams, jellies and chutneys.

Thinking about jam, I thought that some jam gift tag labels may be a good seller for my craft stall either for people to dress up their own preserves or to buy for someone else who is into jam making.  Another reason for making these is that if they don't sell I can always make use of them myself!

I still have to add scalloped edged labels to the bags as I have done to two of them.  After a lot of trial and error, I have reached a look that I am pleased with - distressed, rustic and homespun - just like me!

Craft Assembly Line

I have provisionally booked a table for a September craft fair.  I am excited and terrified all at once!  Having caught a shocking cold, I am trying to keep clear headed, not panic and methodically make lists of all the things I need to do to make the most of the opportunity.  My biggest obstacle is having enough stock.  Generally the things I make are quite small so I will have a bit of a struggle to fill up a table.  I may have to fill in gaps with dried Hydrangea heads, battery tea lights (in jars?)  and maybe a few mini pumpkins!  Any ideas are most welcome.

On Saturday I went to visit the craft fair which are held monthly.  The setting is within a church with beautiful stained glass windows.  It is cool and dark in the church so I thought my tea lights could show the stall off nicely and give it a bit of atmosphere.  I had a chat to some of the stallholders who said they use the fair as a networking opportunity rather than focus on sales.  I hardly saw any buyers which was a bit of a concern but maybe come September there will be more visitors.  Who knows?!!!

So now I need to get my head down (despite feeling under par)  and come up with a plan for an interesting stall with a variety of things for sale for the best chance of success.