These are the top 5 mistakes handmade vendors commonly make at craft shows. If you're wondering why sales aren't higher, take a look through the list.
Craft shows are a unique way to shop and vendors can get creative with their setup. But there are certain things craft show shoppers shouldn't see.
Fall of 2012 marked our first experience as an art vendor, at Cooper Young Festival in Memphis, TN. Over the years, we’ve padded our resume with quite a few more shows and experimented with a LOT of trial and error on our vendor booth layout and setup. We’ve learned a lot, both from our own experiences and from looking to other vendors for inspiration. Today, we’re going to share with you our top 16 ideas for selling at art festivals, craft fairs and indie markets. These tips can be summed up into three key categories: Booth Display, Signage/Décor and—the most important—Branding. FIRST, LET'S DIVE INTO VENDOR BOOTH DISPLAY. 1. Plan out your booth space BEFORE the day of your festival. Before we set foot at an art festival, our vendor booth is completely laid out. We measure all our display pieces (shelves, tables, etc.) and configure the space to help speed up the set up time. Plus, not all shows have the same options for booth sizes (because that would just be too easy). This year, our Cooper Young booth featured a 10’ x 15’ space, while some of our holiday shows ranged from a 6’ x 8’ space to a 10’ x 20’ double booth. It helps to lay everything out beforehand to know what will or will not fit in the allotted space. Once everything is measured, we use Adobe Illustrator to plan out the booth space, with everything to scale. We print out copies to take with us during set up, as well as email a copy to ourselves in case we lose the paper copies (it happens). Here's a look at my Adobe Illustrator artboard for our most recent Cooper Young Festival vendor booth: And here is our finished vendor booth, based on that original mock up: 2. Display vertically. When potential buyers pass your vendor booth, they’re not seeing product that is flat on tables. At least some of your work needs to be in their line of sight. One way we add height to our booth display is with these adjustable white metal shelf units we found at IKEA (shop them here). The shelves are completely adjustable and IKEA sells individual shelves, so you can add to the original four included. We switch it up depending on what art we need to display at each festival or market. In the past, we've used these custom built white-washed wood displays on rollers, which our brother built for us. We love how they look in our booth, as they mimic a more retail-style setting. However, these are rather heavy and bulky to transport. Looking for something a little more transport friendly, this year we commissioned a custom white wood peg wall. The unit breaks down into four separate pieces, so it's easy and convenient for traveling. Everything hooks together via large bolts and wing nuts, with the shelves and pegs packed separately. It's also completely adjustable, as the pegs can be configured in various ways. This wall unit is great for displaying our larger 5 panel wood pieces, which serve as great eye catchers for potential buyers walking by our vendor booth. For smaller shows, we take just two of the four wall panels, usually paired with one of the white IKEA shelf units. Bonus: extra pegs are great for hanging ornaments! Clear acrylic risers are also a great way to subtly add height and levels when displaying artwork on a table. Because they're clear, they don't take away from your displayed art. We use combinations of this 5 piece set from Displays2Go. 3. Choose display colors that will make your work pop. As you can see, for our larger display pieces (shelves, walls), we incorporate as much white as possible. Because all sides of our wood art is stained in a dark finish, the white background helps it pop. We also prefer how clean the white and neutral hues look. 4. Store and display multiple art prints. We have ALL-CAPS-STRUGGLED with how to display and store our art prints, other than stuffing them in baskets for browsing. We recently discovered these gold wire baskets from IKEA that slide on perfectly to our white IKEA shelves. They are great at storing stacks of prints! To actually display the prints, we chopped up a 4” x 4” piece of lumber and sawed angled grooves down the top. We stained them to match the color of our wood art. The art prints stand up perfectly in the grooves of the wood, which we then prop up above the wire baskets. It’s easy for buyers to see the print displayed and simply pick it up from the basket underneath for purchase. 5. Use slim Christmas trees to display holiday ornaments. During our holiday shows, our Christmas ornaments are HUGE sellers. While we use our peg wall for some ornament overflow, ornaments look best hanging on an actual Christmas tree. This also better demonstrates to potential buyers how it will look on their own tree. However, for those smaller booth spaces, a full Christmas tree takes up too much valuable real estate and just isn't practical. And some of the smaller, table-top trees aren’t known for being sturdy. Because our ornaments are on the heavier side, we've had issues with the smaller trees tipping over ... especially when buyers are trying to take the ornaments off the trees to purchase. We found a great slim Christmas tree from our local At Home. It measures only 18” in diameter but can still can hold quite a few ornaments. We re-stock throughout the show to keep the tree looking full. NEXT UP, WE HAVE BOOTH SIGNAGE/DÉCOR. 6. Emphasize your business name for potential buyers with branded signage. We have our friends over at Ella Jude to thank for this easy DIY pop-out booth sign idea. For this sign, we painted a thin piece of wood white, then transferred our logo (with our image transfer process) to both sides, though we've seen others hand paint their logo. We bought two pieces of copper pipe and an elbow joint and glued them all together to form an L-shaped corner. To hang the wood sign from the copper pipe, we spray-painted loose-leaf rings to match the copper pipe. We then use clear zip ties to attach the sign to our booth or tent. We're hoping to make an even larger version this year. For additional branded signage, we bought a large white vinyl banner with grommets and designed it to include our logo, website and social media handles. We use this when we have space available. For our outdoor art shows, such as Cooper Young, we hang the banner on the back of our tent so buyers walking down the sidewalks behind the booths can see our name. 7. Tell your story with signage. We sell handmade image transfers on wood and marble tile. The most common question we receive from customers during festivals and shows is,
There's a lot for craft show shoppers to take in and they likely won't stop at every booth. Here's how to ensure your space catches their eye.
Saturday was the perfect day for a festival! It was sunny and warm, but not hot, and there was a light breeze blowing every now and then. My booth layout was a little different than I had planned. I didn't get to use my full 10 x 10 space so I didn't use all the props I normally use and I had to leave out 1 of my tables. I also had to make other adjustments and put my shutter easels closer together to make room for customers to cut across a corner of my space to go into the shop door beside my booth. Hopefully next year it'll be different because I sure could have used that 3rd table that I usually have set up. I covered my two tables with cheap canvas drop cloths from Big Lots. They were perfect for an art booth! Since I wasn't using Honeysuckle Lane as my business name, I didn't have a banner so I improvised and used clothes pins to clip my used, disposable art palettes to the front of the table. What do you think? People walking by commented on it and said it was a fun way to decorate an art booth. And if you remember, I had to change what I was making for the festival. Because of arthritis pain in my fingers, I couldn't embroider so I painted instead. I didn't have any prop displays for art and I put the word out that I was looking for old used shutters. I had plantation shutters in mind, but these board and batten shutters were offered to me and I used them to make my easels. We didn't see customers walking by with bags and bags of purchases... maybe they were enjoying the nice weather, food, music, and walking their dogs? However I did have sales and customers bought original art, prints, pillows (some I had made in the past and that had been in the shop behind my booth), and flower pins! Now that the Lavender Festival is over and I am going to take the summer off, I am listing remaining items in my Etsy shop. For now, I have listed silk ribbon pillows and a few original paintings, but check back through the month of June for the rest of the original artworks and prints to be listed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Let's back-track a little now and I'll show you how I made the shutter easels. They cost me just over $2 each... can you believe that??? My sister's former boss had the shutters and I was going to buy them from him, but he surprised us and brought them to her and said to give them to me... free of charge! I thought that was really sweet of him. :) So, shutters: FREE. I needed paint... and I already had some on hand from a previous project so I considered that FREE as well. I needed slats to nail on the shutters to stand the artwork on and I found them in my husband's scrap pile... FREE. The only cost I had was hinge sets and I got them at Walmart for $1.97 plus tax per set. I made 5 shutter easels so I guess you could say it cost me $10 plus tax which I thought was pretty good! Here are the (somewhat) step by step pics: 1: shutters in original state 2: cutting slats with the bandsaw (one of the few power saws I'm not chicken to use) 3: nail slats on shutters (forgot to take a photo) 4: paint shutters while being thankful that I can use my husband's workshop for this :) 5: screw hinges on shutters --- why measure when you can eyeball it? ;) 6: finished shutters I made these on Thursday and had to go set up on Friday. I only did one coat of paint because it was so humid and I was afraid a second coat wouldn't dry in time. I am quite pleased with how they turned out. They weren't perfect, but they had a cottage look to them that I liked! Thanks for stopping by... I'll share some paintings later this week. Take care & God bless, Lana
Each year I create a list of crafts you can make and sell that are seeing an increase in consumer demand (you can check that out here). I also look over the previous year’s trend list and see if those trends are still growing, are plateauing or declining in popularity. To create these lists, I...
Tote bags are one of the trickier items to display on a craft show table. Some styles don’t stand on their own and the styles that do, tend to take up a lot of table space. So here are my tips for creating a craft show display that includes totes, the fixtures and accessories I...
Do you want to make money selling handmade items? Check out this list of the best sellers at craft fairs so you don't waste time or effort!
Are you looking for creative ways to display your jewelry at a market or fair so you can sell more?…
After 10 years, I've learned a few things doing craft and art markets. Here are my 10 mistakes to avoid at craft markets for small business owners. Plus links to my favorite supplies!
The first time I designed a booth in a craft show it was awful, it didn’t match and I had the worst location. The next year I reviewed my booth design and made some major changes. Having the correct setup and design for your location leads to better sales.
There's a lot for craft show shoppers to take in and they likely won't stop at every booth. Here's how to ensure your space catches their eye.
One of my most popular articles details the types of products that sell best at craft shows; you can read that here: What Sells Best at a Craft Show? This article explores the other side: Types of products that don’t tend to sell well, or that can actually harm the sales of best-selling products. I’ve created...
The original article on Craft Show etiquette continues to be a popular article so I thought I’d expand on it and break it down a bit more to give you a really good look at what each category of craft show participant might look for from you. Here are the other etiquette articles:...
If you're selling at a farmers' market or outdoor event, you'll love these unconventional ideas to draw shoppers over to your market stall.
A list of current craft trends and trend predictions for 2024 that handmade business owners can make and sell on Etsy or at craft shows.
When I was making Christmas dinner for the first time, I had a lot of questions for my mom. I asked how much poultry seasoning she puts in the dressing and she said: “I don’t know…until it smells like dressing”. It’s an odd way to determine how much seasoning to use, but it works. If...
Not all of these points are red flags telling you not to sell at a particular craft show. However, they may be signs to proceed with caution. Craft shows can be labor intensive and come with several expenses. So you want to be sure a craft show is the right fit for you and your...
There’s an image on Pinterest that catches my eye every time I see it. I’ve probably seen it close to a hundred times. It’s a picture of a craft show table displaying greeting cards. The photo only captures a corner of the table, but you can tell it’s a clean, cohesive display. Today...
Although you may be working with a small space at a craft show, it should still have a strategic layout, with 3 key areas that transition shoppers to buyers
If you sell at enough craft shows, markets, and events, you’ll eventually run into shoppers who think your prices are too high. They’ll tell you they could make it themselves, get someone to make it cheaper, or find the item at the mall for less. Yet they still want the item and are asking for...
When you hand your business card out at a craft fair, 80% of them end up in the trash. Here's how to make your business cards more effective.
Unless you’re selling at a very small craft show, you’ll never get 100% of shoppers to stop at your table. Your products are not for everyone, nor should they be. However, some craft show vendors do a great job of grabbing the attention of more shoppers and drawing them in (giving them more opportunities to...
I recently wrote How to make a good art show display and that blog I talked about limiting what you bring to show so that you don't over pack and end up making 20 trips between your car and your booth in 90 degree heat - yes I've learned from experience. But since I went over the idea of not taking to much I wanted to
Farmers markets and artisan fairs are great place to get your product in front of people. Here are 10 ideas for setting up your vendor booth.
Take a look at these IKEA hacks for your craft show setup to sell art prints, jewelry, pottery, clothing, home décor, and more!
In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving retail landscape, small businesses and local boutiques often find themselves in an uphill battle against the dominant force of fast fashion retailers. With their colossal marketing budgets, aggressive pricing strategies, and global reach, these retail giants can easily overshadow the unique charm and personalized touch that local businesses offer. However, despite the challenges, there are numerous ways in which small businesses and boutiques can not only survive but thrive in the face of such fierce competition.
Flat packing display stand - ideal for craft fairs or shop displays. NOW AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS SHELF LENGTHS! This stand was designed to display glass coasters & signs but could be used for a variety of items, including cards, jewellery, pictures, ceramics or books. The stand consists of FOUR shelves, two ends & one back support making it very compact for transportation and also very quick and easy to assemble. Everything is precisely slotted together - no glue, screws or other fixings required. The four shelves each have a 1.25cm raised edge to prevent items from sliding. This also acts as a strengthening device to prevent the shelves from sagging. It is also possible to turn the shelves upside down for additional width if the front rail isn't needed to hold items in place. The display stand shown has a total height of 48cm (19") and the depth is 25cm (10"). The shelves are each 7.5cm wide (with 6.5cm behind the front rail). Please note that the lower shelves have a usable depth of 4cm due to the overhang of the other shelves. The vertical spacing of the shelves is 11.5cm. All material is 6mm thick MDF & suitable for painting (please ensure that all slots are protected from paint if you do decorate your stand, otherwise assembly will be affected). Unpackaged weight of 4 Shelf display stands: 30cm - 1.2kgs 50cm - 1.7kgs 75cm - 2.2kgs Delivery of all stands are via a Courier, due to parcel length. This display stand is offered in three shelf lengths of 30cm, 50cm and 75cm (usable shelf lengths). Please note that the longest shelf lengths are best suited for light weight items to prevent the shelves from sagging. If your items are heavy please contact me to discuss alternative designs. I can make larger / smaller / taller / wider versions of this stand, so if this one doesn't quite match your requirements then please just let me know & I'll give a quote for a customised version! Please also take a look at my other shelf display stands (listed separately). My 5th photo shows my THREE shelf version of this display stand. If you need MORE THAN ONE stand then please message me as I'll combine the postage cost. Please don't hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. OVERSEAS DELIVERY POSSIBLE - BUT PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR A SHIPPING COST.
** This item is a SELF-EDITED DIGITAL TEMPLATE which is INSTANTLY customizable via CANVA (FREE). Nothing physical is shipped to you. ** Purchase, print, frame, and display the sign for customers to scan and pay or connect with you on social media. Easily add your own Venmo or payment QR code (drag and drop your code PNG onto the template), or you can generate a QR code using Canva tools. NOTE - The "Scan to Pay" text and font is NOT editable, but can be replaced with a new text box. This sign template is perfect for Hair Salons, Hairdressers, Beauty Salons, Spas, Bakeries, and more! Provides an easy way for your customers to pay with Venmo, Cashapp, credit cards, etc. Encourage your customers to follow you on Social Media like IG or Facebook with a convenient QR code. This DIY (do-it-yourself) template is fully customizable and very simple to use. There is no software or fonts to download - Simply edit it in Canva (for free) using your PC, tablet, or mobile device. Once edited and downloaded, you can print immediately at home, or through any local or online printing company. This is a CANVA TEMPLATE. You CANNOT edit using: Microsoft Word, Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop, Google Docs, or any other software. PLEASE NOTE: You will need a FREE Canva account to open and edit the templates on your computer or in the Canva App on your phone. Computer is recommended! ☆ Shop the DANI Collection Here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TrendyFoxStudio?search_query=dani __________________________________ WHAT'S INCLUDED: 1 PDF instructions with link to Canva templates, also includes Canva tutorial videos ⟶ Pre-made Canva Sign Template: 5"W x 7"H; Venmo and Cashapp versions included ⟶ Pre-made Canva Sign Template: 8"W x 10"H; Venmo and Cashapp versions included __________________________________ HOW IT WORKS 1. As soon as your payment is processed, you will receive an email from Etsy regarding your confirmation of purchase. You will then have access to download a PDF file that contains the template link(s). Please check out this help article on accessing your digital files for download: https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013328108-Downloading-a-Digital-Item?segment=shopping 2. Click the provided template link. A webpage opens where you select "Use Template" and then Canva will launch. Create your FREE Canva account. 3. Make all your changes to the template, save, and download. 4. Print at home, local or online printing service. __________________________________ WHAT CAN I EDIT WITH CANVA? All fonts are completely editable (you can change the font style, size, or color) *unless noted above* Add new text boxes or reposition/resize the text box to make it your own Add your own logo, photos or images - just drag and drop Make UNLIMITED edits with no expiration! CANVA is mobile-friendly as well! Edit your amazing designs right from your phone! (For intricate edits, a computer is recommended). :: Please NOTE - the size of the template can only be adjusted with a Canva Pro account. :: __________________________________ *TERMS OF PURCHASE* - This is a DIY (DO-IT-YOURSELF) Canva template. Order is for digital file only - No physical item will be sent. It does not include editing services, printing, framing or accessories. - Due to the nature of digital items, this item is non-refundable. Please read the product description and store policies carefully before making a purchase. - We do not accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations. If you are having any issues with our product, please notify us right away so that we can we help make any appropriate corrections. - Files are not emailed to you. For your convenience, they are available for download directly on Etsy. On the menu, go to You > Purchases > Click the button "Download Files". NOTE: Etsy doesn't allow downloads from the Etsy App. Please use a web browser (Safari or Chrome) and login to Etsy.com to view purchases. https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013328108-Downloading-a-Digital-Item?segment=shopping - Please keep in mind that every printer prints differently. Exact colors may vary slightly! - This item may not be redistributed or resold. You cannot share or sell templates, designs, or elements included in any shape or form. You may not resell, reproduce, distribute, or profit in any way from the design. You may not resell the template or design in digital or physical format. - All mockup images and additional props such as frames, items on display and non-incorporated writing are just for illustrative purposes and are not included within the sale. Please note that fonts used in the designs may or may not be native to Canva. -------------------------------------------------------- PRINTING TIPS Print at home or have professionally printed! PRINT AT HOME: - Download the completed design from Canva as PDF Print (for highest resolution) - I recommend using cardstock paper which you can purchase from a variety of sources (Amazon, Staples, OfficeMax/OfficeDepot, or other craft store) - Anything between 70 - 110 lbs cardstock paper can be used (depending on your printer). For reference, business cards are 110 lbs. ONLINE PRINTING SERVICES: - Download the completed design from Canva as PDF Print (for highest resolution) If you’re considering a professional printer, I recommend Prints of Love. My shop has partnered with them to offer fast, high quality yet affordable printing. -->> Check them out at: https://printsoflove.com/ref/trendyfoxstudio/ -------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2022 trendyfoxstudio/trendyfoxevents --------------------------------------------------------
