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Venturing out beyond the online world to sell your wares at art and craft shows can be quite intimidating for many folks! It takes planning, money, time, confidence, and much more. In this eBook, we will prepare you with the right tools and resources to make your art and craft show debut a huge success!
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Preparing For Art & Craft Show Success
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Preparing For Art & Craft Show SuccessIntroduction
Things to Consider When Applying for an Art & Craft ShowChapter 1
Prepping for Your Next Art & Craft Fair Chapter 2
How to Set Up a Booth that Customers Can’t Resist Chapter 3
Table of Contents
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Preparing For Art & Craft Show SuccessIntroduction by Courtney Dirks
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Venturing out beyond the online world to sell your wares at art and craft shows can be quite intimidating for many folks! It takes planning, money, time, confidence, and much more. We want to prepare you with the right tools and resources to make your art and craft show debut a huge success!
In this eBook, we will cover several topics related to vending at art and craft shows, like what you should consider when you’re submitting applications, deciding on the items you need to pack and how to set up your booth that customers can’t resist.
If you apply these tips to your art and craft show strategy, you will definitely be on your way to succeeding at your next show!
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Things to Consider When Applying for an Art & Craft ShowChapter 1 by Courtney Dirks
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Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about the best practices of how to apply for juried art and craft shows. Here’s a recap of the lessons I was taught by show organizers of
Urban Craft Uprising that will set you on the right track as you submit applications for shows:
Follow The Directions: You may be thinking “No Duh,” but it’s amazing how many people don’t follow the instructions for submitting an application. Examples of this would be or submitting more images than the maximum they have allotted or not naming your images per the naming conventions that the show has requested. When submitting an application, just do what they ask in terms of instructions and don’t stray! Be sensitive to the fact that they are reviewing sometimes hundreds upon hundreds of applications and thousands of images. They’ve set guidelines to make the jurying process easier, so if you follow those guidelines, you’re making their lives easier.
Don’t Rush: Avoid silly mistakes. Review your application thoroughly before submitting it, check for typos, grammatical errors, and thoroughness. If you slack in your application, it may be an indication that you’ll slack at the show!
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Things to Consider When Applying for an Art & Craft ShowChapter 1 by Courtney Dirks
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Submit Great Pictures: This is CRITICAL. Great pictures are the key to getting into a show. If you sell a variety of different products, try to capture that within your allotted amount of images, but make sure that the pictures you submit are quality shots! When a jury committee sits down to review applications for a show, they won’t have time to seek out your website or your Flickr site to explore your work. The jury’s decision is based exclusively off the images that you submit so keep that in the back of your mind when you’re selecting your images. You also may want to get a second opinion when you’re narrowing down which images you think are best, two minds are better than one!
Don't Be A Bore: If you’re applying for the same show year after year, submit different pictures than the ones used in previous years. Event organizers want to see your latest work, if you’ve introduced new materials or designs to your repertoire, show them!
Be Unique: Even if you make a common product, try to be unique somehow to set you apart from the crowd.
While staying within the parameters of the show's application, it’s okay to show a little personality. Perhaps spice up your artist bio with an interesting tidbit or talk about your passion for what you make rather than simply stating, “Hi, I’m so-and-so and I make X." You're extra effort will set you apart on your application.
Don’t Get Overconfident: If you made the show in previous years, that doesn’t mean you are automatically in this time around. Try to approach each application as if it was the first application you've ever submitted and put your best effort into it.
Be Patient: No one likes a nag. Give the event organizers a break and don’t pester them wanting to know when the accepted applicants will be announced or other nitty gritty details of the event. If the show has a website, check there to see if your questions have already been answered through the information provided on the site before reaching out to the organizers. If the information you’re looking for is not available, send a kind (but not pushy) email with your inquiry.
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Things to Consider When Applying for an Art & Craft ShowChapter 1 by Courtney Dirks
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Cut To The Chase: Be considerate, but brief if you have questions for the organizers. If you have multiple questions, try to gather them into one correspondence rather than sending various inquiries. Be sensitive to their time, you’re not the only one submitting an application!
Last but not least, if you’re feeling nervous about submitting an application to a craft show, just go for and don’t look back!
Related Articles
– Preventing Pet Peeves at Art & Craft Shows
– Communicate, Help, & Interact at Shows
– Two Simple Routines You Should Consider While Vending at a Craft Show
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Prepping for Your Next Art & Craft FairChapter 2 by Courtney Dirks
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Are you participating as a vendor in any upcoming art festivals or craft fairs? If you’re preparing to vend at an upcoming event, it’s likely that you have a lot
of preparation to do and many items to bring along? Even seasoned pros forget the essentials from time to time, so "making a list and checkin’ it twice" is a handy habit for you to get into before you leave for an event to avoid scrambling at the last minute for something you’ve left behind.
Here's an initial list to help you prepare for your next event, which you can adjust as needed to fit your needs:
• Packaging: Bags, Tissue Paper, Bubble Wrap, Product Tags
• Cash: Make sure to have small bills ($1's, $5's & 10's)
• Money Box or Waist Apron
• Credit Card Machine: Or another mobile payment solution
• Laptop: A laptop to track inventory and manage your sales real-time
• Any Display Items: Boxes for vertical displays, stands, hanging racks with hooks
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Prepping for Your Next Art & Craft FairChapter 2 by Courtney Dirks
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• Tent or Canopy: If necessary and not already included in the cost of the event
• Display Table(s) and Tablecloth(s): If necessary and not already included in the cost of the event
• Chair(s)
• Guest Log: It’s nice to have a good quality notebook for people to provide their email addresses for you to gather their info for future promotions & product updates
• Signage or Banner
• Store Policies Sign: For example, cash or check only, sorry no refunds or returns
• Small Box of Office Supplies: Scratchpad/notebook, pens/pencils, calculator, small stapler, scotch tape
• Receipt Book
• Tools: Basic set of tools such as a Leatherman, hammer, pliers, duct tape, screwdriver
• Garbage Sacks
• Mirror(s): Stand alone or handheld if your items can be worn
• Your Products & Inventory List: Make sure you have enough stock to sell
• Copy of your Business License
• The Name and Phone Number of the Event Organizer
• Paper Towels & Glass/Surface Cleaner
• Food and Drinks: Snacks are best, things that you can easily set down or hide if a customer walks up (a small cooler works well)
• Sanitary Wipes: If you are selling jewelry, sanitary wipes or rubbing alcohol with wipes to clean off any items someone may have tried on
• Additional Lighting: If you are working indoors, consider if you will need additional lighting and if there are electrical outlets for you to use
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Prepping for Your Next Art & Craft FairChapter 2 by Courtney Dirks
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• Camera: If necessary, you can take pictures of your displays and use the images to promote your events online
It’s a great idea to confirm which items are already provided at the event you’re attending so you don't have to pack duplicates. This list will get you on track to identify the items you can’t live without when you head out for your next event!
And, for those of you like me that like to check-off your list, here is a printable version of this list to download and print.
And finally, let's not forget about your attire for the event. First and foremost, wear comfortable shoes & comfortable clothes, but nothing too sloppy! If you are working outside, wear layers so you can adjust accordingly. Consider the weather and temperature. If it’s cold, consider throwing in a blanket, gloves, and a hat. If it’s hot, throw in some sunscreen and a cap. Also, you may want to throw in a backup outfit just in case. Last but not least, if you are selling items that can be
worn, make sure to include them as part of your attire so that people can see what they look like on you!
Related Articles
– How to Dress for Creative Success
– Helping a Newbie with Their First Art or Craft Show
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How to Set Up a Booth that Customers Can’t ResistChapter 3 by Dionne Christiansen
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Are you about to take the leap into your first craft show? Got the goods, but don’t know how to display them?
At a craft show, appearances ARE important and how your booth is set up can have a direct impact on your sales. Great products can lose their appeal if they're surrounded by a poorly-designed display, so think about setting up a booth or table that makes people look and keeps them browsing.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your craft show display:
Research: Before anything, do your research (reading this eBook is a great first step!). You can browse various Flickr craft show groups for inspiration (here are three examples of craft show displays), visit local craft shows, and get staging ideas from your favorite magazines. In addition, you can ask the experts by posing questions online or ask experienced crafters for their craft show ideas and advice.
Theme: Having a theme to your booth reinforces your brand. For example, if you sell linens, you could use vintage wire laundry baskets from a thrift store to display some of your items, or an old-fashioned
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How to Set Up a Booth that Customers Can’t ResistChapter 3 by Dionne Christiansen
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washboard as a display holder for your business cards. It’s great to have functional props, so try and choose ones that can be used as levels or stands – you’ll be killing two birds with one stone!
Color: When planning your displays, choose colors that make your products pop. You don't want your items to be washed out by a color that's too bold, or overwhelmed by busy patterns. Also, keep your theme and brand in mind when choosing colors. Think about the mood you want to create when people visit your booth. Think about the moods created by different colors.
Levels: Include interesting levels and depth in your displays to draw people into your booth. From far away, your booth will look empty and uninviting if your products are all lying horizontally (and facing the ceiling) on the table. Set them up to face the customer! If your booth turns people's heads from a distance, their feet are sure to follow.
Signage: Make sure you have a clear sign showing your store name. Make it interesting and unique – anything to
make people remember your name. Another important tip: Just like when they're shopping at a retail store, people want to know prices. It can be a turn-off for them to have to ask you how much everything costs (what if you're busy with another customer?), so label each item clearly.
Keep it Subtle: Your displays should never outshine your product; they are there to make your product stand out. Even if you come up with the most beautiful, elaborate display in the world – it’s of no use if people spend all their time admiring your display, and don’t even notice your products.
Related Articles
– Tips and Pics on Building Great Booth Displays for your Craft
– Sarah Early’s Helpful Tips for Running a Successful Booth
– Tips for Running a Successful Art or Craft Booth: Part 2
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Contributors Courtney Dirks, a recent escapee of the corporate world with a background in commercial real estate, communications, and sales. She began alleviating her stress at work through creating handmade jewelry for Courtney Rian Designs. After bouncing around the west coast for years, she settled in Seattle and has found great joy traveling, playing sports and interacting with the local creative community
Dionne Christiansen is a graphic designer and wedding planner based in Houston, Texas. She enjoys cooking and baking for her friends and family, dabbles a little in photography and is an Australian native. She is the face behind City of Dionne and writes at her blog Notes From Dionne.
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About Meylah Meylah provides artisans with their own ecommerce website and powerful tools so they can sell their products anytime, anyplace...easily.
Benefits of Meylah1. Build your brand and share the
story of their work through a personalized blog
2. Sell your products and services with a customized storefront
3. Connect and build their community and customer base through integrated social media channels
4. Share or sell your knowledge with an online tutorial creation tool called Byte-Syze Learning
5. Effectively manage your business all-in-one-place with innovative administration tools
Our Values• Be Committed to Helping Each
Other
• Live and Breathe Creativity
• Smile and Have Fun
• Show Passion in All That You Do
• Give Before You Take
• Together We Create a Great Experience
• Foster Dynamic Learning
• Be Humble and Honest
• Do More with Less
• Embrace Change
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LicenseThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncnd/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA
Trademarks All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
Warning and DisclaimerEvery effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty of fitness is implied. The information provided is on an “as is” basis. The authors shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to loss or damages arising from the information contained in this eBook.
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