Make $1000 At A Holiday Craft Fair This Season
One of the most generous things you can do as an artist or creative is get your artwork out into the world. Sharing your creativity with others spreads joy like nothing else, and the holiday season is the perfect time. Many people shop for the holidays at craft fairs. You can be the vendor to help them with unique and beautiful gifts.
Exhibiting at a craft fair can sound intimidating. I understand. Because I’ve learned so much from exhibiting over the years, I’ve broken the process down into 8 key steps with lots of resources and guides to support you all the way through.
You all know that I’m a surface pattern designer. If you are too and have a few designs to sell on a small collection of products, making a profit of $1,000 is not hard. If this is the first time you’re take this big step from having a hobby to creating a business, don’t worry. You’ve got this!
Here are 8 key steps to help you create your first fabulous craft fair experience!
Step 1: Finding The Right Fair
Jump online and Google “Craft Fairs Near Me.” You may be surprised that you need to submit an application months in advance and may have already missed the deadline for a few. Don’t worry. The bigger shows have advance applications. Put them on your calendar for next year.
As a first-time exhibitor, you’ll probably be more comfortable in a smaller show that doesn’t require an application months in advance. Smaller fairs may not even charge a fee. Some places to explore include:
Local schools: nursery, elementary schools, and even colleges hold small craft fairs
Town halls, municipal spaces
Malls often have craft fairs during the holidays
Gathering spaces like the local YMCA or JCC
Social clubs like the Elks Lodge, Junior League, or VFW
Farmer’s markets
Co-working spaces
The right fair will draw a crowd that will want your designs. It will also have a good mix of vendors. You don’t want to be one of 10 surface pattern designers at the show, but being one amongst a few is great. And if you are the only one, all the better!
Step 2: Pick Your Products
Showcase the right items and you’ll make more money and have more fun at the show, so pick your products carefully.
I suggest selling only 5 items at your table. That will make inventory simple and soon-to-be customers won’t get overwhelmed with too many options and walk away.
Pro tip: Pick products that show off your talent to best advantage. Where will your designs look pretty and unique? Here are a few ideas:
Mugs
Tote bags of all sizes (people love to use these as they shop the fair)
Wrapping paper
Seasonal greeting cards (offer cards for a few different occasions like birthday, anniversary and holiday cards)
Notebooks & journals
Throw pillows
Phone cases
Framed prints
Here are images of some of the products I love to sell at craft fairs each year: mugs, wrapping paper, greeting cards and journals.
Pro Tip: Think about what you can sell as a bundle. Three small items, sold together, can make a lovely gift. For example, a great mother-in-law gift is a mug, a notebook, and a tote, with the same pattern or mix and match complementary patterns. In my corporate days I was taught to “think in threes” to move more merchandise. This is a great strategy for you to use too.
I like to have bundles ready for my customers because it helps them check the larger gifts off their list. People always appreciate when you have done the thinking for them. Once you have selected the products you’re going to offer, spend some time thinking through this aspect of your sales strategy. It will pay off for sure.
Shoppers at craft fairs are usually looking for gifts. Some of the people they are shopping for at holiday fairs include:
Teachers
Friends/family
Neighbors/special people in their lives
Co-workers /boss
Think about these groups when making merchandise selections. Can you bundle a mug and notebook for a teacher gift? Or a tote and some rolls of unique wrapping paper for a neighbor?
Step 3: Get Your Designs Ready
If you’ve taken my Pattern Design Academy program, you likely already have some patterns that are ready to go. You may even have your first collection of mix and match designs which works great during the holidays.
You may want to make some new designs that spread the holiday cheer. Think about adding patterns of:
Polar bears, reindeer, snowbirds, and other winter animals
Snowflakes, holly, evergreens, and winter outdoor scenes
Log cabins, sleds, mittens, hot chocolate, and other winter items
You know your audience best so go with your instinct. Create what they want to buy!
Step 4: Buy Inventory
My best advice is to be economical when ordering merchandise. Don’t overspend or be too ambitious about how many units you’ll sell. Aim for selling out by the end of the fair. Having no merchandise left to bring home feels great. And even if you do have some remaining items, sell them on your website after the holidays when shoppers are always looking for something to buy with one last gift card or the money they received from returns.
In my Pattern Design Academy course, I cover every step in the process from creating your surface pattern designs to selling them successfully. This includes detailed steps on how and where to order merchandise.
You’ll want to order your merchandise as soon as possible because the holiday fairs will be upon us in the next few weeks. Here are 2 of my favorite resources for purchasing small quantities of your products quickly:
Step 5: Plan Your Sales
Sales planning has a direct and very positive impact on your bottom line.
Selling your own products for the very first time can feel really daunting because you don’t know what to expect. You can’t predict what people will buy. I spent over 20 years in retail so I know a thing or two about sales! I’m eager to share what I know with you.
I’ve created this downloadable spreadsheet of a realistic sales plan. It includes:
examples of the type of products you might sell,
estimates of how much it will cost you to buy a small quantity of each,
assumptions for the retail selling price that might make sense for each item,
estimates for how many units you might sell, and
how all that yields a profit of $1,000
Go ahead and download it, play with it and adapt it to fit your needs. I kept it pretty simple but it will give you a good start.
Pro Tip: Keep your pricing simple. Use tags like this to price all of your merchandise. This will help you avoid getting flustered when a customer wants to purchase.
If you also plan to sell the same products online, make sure your prices match. Be very transparent when it comes to pricing and your customers will appreciate it.
Step 6: Shout It Out
Let everyone know you’ll be at the fair. They’ll want to come and support you and you will love seeing friends and family there. Ask them to bring friends and make a day of it. Make it fun for you and for them.
Most fairs do a great job of promoting with flyers and through social media. Follow their lead. Share any social media posts from them on your Facebook or Instagram page. Post your own social media announcements saying, “I’ll be at the fair!” Start posting 2-3 weeks out and post every day during the last week. People will pay more attention to the posts as the fair gets closer, so posting more as the day gets nearer is a great strategy.
Post pictures of your merchandise or patterns to get people interested. Who knows, you may even get some pre-show sales!
Make sure you include the day, time and location of the fair each time you post. Consider getting professional photographs taken. Here are images I used in my marketing last year. These beautiful photos were taken by Kim Thompson Steel. Don’t they make my products look absolutely scrumptious?
If you have a website, announce the fair there too. Get the word out as much as you can and you’ll feel good about your efforts, I guarantee.
Step 7: Supplies, Set-up & Checklists
A few days before the show, gather all of your products and supplies on a table at home. Play with how you’d like to display them to see how everything looks together. A few tips:
Keep your table clean and simple. Make it easy for customers to focus on the merchandise and understand what you are selling. Don’t over decorate your table. Your artwork is decoration enough.
Create different levels to display your goods. Retail stores use height to add interest and showcase special items, and so should you. Get scrappy. Look around your house and I’m sure you’ll find things that could work. In my early days, I repurposed the cardboard boxes that my inventory arrived in. I didn’t even bother to hide them. Your display table may be quite small so no one will even notice.
Bring a large tablecloth. Depending on the specific set-up, you may be able to drape a tablecloth across all or a portion of your display table. This enables you to “hide” your inventory and other items from view. And a simple, ironed tablecloth can add a nice touch.
Don’t overcrowd your display. You’ll want to show at least three of each product along with groupings of items that look pretty together and hint at those “bundles” we talked about earlier. Keep your additional inventory well organized and tucked under the table in a clear plastic bin or basket. As the day progresses and you see what customers are most attracted to, change things up a bit to highlight those.
Here are some photos of my practice set-up at home and then how the table looked at the holiday fair.
Bonus Tips for The Best Fair Ever:
Easy payment: When someone wants to make a purchase, keep it simple by using the Square credit card reader for your phone. I’ve used it many times and it is something I can’t live without at a fair.
Many people will pay with cash. My experience is they take as much cash as they want to spend and when the money runs out, they leave. It’s a fun way to shop, and that means that you’ll need to have cash on hand. Have $200- $300 in small bills, especially $1’s and $5’s and a handful of coins.
When you set up Square, don’t forget to include the taxes required in your local area. The tax will get added automatically to each purchase once it’s set up which makes things really easy.
Stay Charged: Bring a power strip and extension cord for any electricity you need at the table and for charging your phone. The fair should provide electricity.
Be Organized: Use storage bins for your merchandise. Get a box with a top to carry all your goods and decorations. This will help things from getting lost or damaged. I like to use a clear box so I can see exactly what’s inside.
Your Signature “Touch:” I know I said to keep your table clean and simple, but there is one exception: I like to include a signature item or two that represent me as an artist on my table. I usually bring an orchid because it represents beauty and adds that touch of nature that I adore. And I always bring my blue pitcher full of paint brushes.
Your signature “touch” may be your sketch books, a beautiful box, or a small succulent plant. Whatever it is, make sure it adds beauty and interest to your table.
Business Cards: Help people remember where they bought their cherished treasures by giving them your card.
Checklist: Download my free eBook that contains the Craft Fair Supplies Checklist so you don’t forget anything.
Say Thank You: Being grateful to those who purchased your goods or came by to take a look is key to enjoying your time at the fair. When your clients make a purchase, thank them personally and follow up with an email (remember to capture that email address with Square) letting them know how much their support of your craft means. A little gratitude goes a long way!
Step 8: Have FUN!
This is a step that I want you to embrace throughout the entire process. When you enjoy yourself, your customers will notice. Right from the start, sign up for the fair with an intention to have fun.
Chat with the people browsing and your fellow exhibitors. You will learn so much and make connections.
In the beginning, I shared a table with a friend. If you exhibit with a friend, it makes everything easier. You’ll split the cost of attending, if there is an exhibitor fee. You can cover for each other during breaks, and celebrate every purchase together. It is so much more enjoyable when you go into it knowing it will be a day of smiling and selling.
People love to see beautiful, creative gifts at these fairs, and they really appreciate the local artist. You’ll be happily surprised to see that many people beyond your friends and family are eager to buy your designs.
This step-by-step guide to holiday fairs should help give you the confidence to be a success at your first fair. Remember that you will make some mistakes along the way but if you stick to the plan and have a great attitude, it will be a terrific experience for you and your customers.
My hope is that you have fun. The excitement of it all, along with the wonderful connection you’ll create with your customers is something you should not miss.
I wish you the best of luck getting out there and selling your designs on beautiful, easy to gift products this season!
Remember,
It’s Never Too Late to Create
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MEET ANNE
Hi…I’m Anne!
My creative inspiration comes from a lifetime of observation. I grew up in Paris on the Place St. Sulpice and walked to school through the Luxembourg gardens. And that was only the beginning… Learn more by watching the video on my About page.
