• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Papery Craftery

Quilling and Other Fun Paper Things

  • Quilling Basics
  • Quilling
    • Tutorials
    • Free Quilling Templates
    • Quilling Tools and Supplies
    • Papercraft and Quilling Videos
  • The Crafty Life
    • Crafting Printables
    • Paper Crafting News
    • Other Fun Things
  • Shop My Favorite Supplies
  • About and Disclosures
  • Contact

16 Craft Show Tips for New Sellers

June 24, 2015

Craft show and festival season is in full gear right now and the fall shows are right around the corner.  And so I’ve pulled together 16 craft show tips for new sellers to get you in tip-top shape to showcase your wares at all the events you’d like!

Know your show details. Do you have to bring a table and chairs or are they being provided for you? What is the vendor fee? Who is your contact person? Are you expected to bring an item for a charity auction? Craft shows can have a lot of variables of what you need to know before hand. It’s a good idea to keep notes!

Branding Spend some time getting your company’s brand identity ironed out.  Logos, fonts, colors, banners.  There are so many chances to tie your shop’s personality through your branding. I was lucky enough to find a graphic designer that wanted to build up her portfolio, and offered to design my logo for free. But check out fiverr and find your own graphic expert who can whip up a logo for you. Then head on over to VistaPrint for your business cards and banners. Or try PicMonkey to create postcards with your logo and a collage of your items.  Slip that into your customers’ bags and they’ll have a reminder of all you offer!




Advertise before! Friends and family are a great resource to get started advertising your upcoming shows. Then go a step or two beyond that, too.  Can you mention your show on Facebook or Instagram? If you have a blog or website, add a calendar widget to your page so your viewers can see your future schedule. This is a do as I say, not as I do moment; a calendar is very near the top of my to-do list right now!

Bags, envelopes,etc. Think about what your customer will need to get your product home safely. Bags are probably a given (and use a stamp or sticker with your logo for another branding shot, yay!).  But do the super-fragile mugs you sell need to be bubble wrapped? Could your paper cards hold up better in a cellophane envelope? Its better to spend a few dollars before the show on packaging, than to have your customer discover at home that the brand new handcrafted loveliness they just bought from you is shattered, crushed or bent.

Think about booth decor.  How are you going to display your creations? Do you need boxes or crates on risers? What color linens are you going to drape over your table? There are infinite possibilities for ways you can cleverly showcase what you’re selling. Pinterest has tons and tons of amazing inspiration to get you started!

ThePaperyCrafteryCraftShow
A recent craft show benefiting 4 Paws for Ability

 

Dress for your shop. Do you offer girly, swirly, flowy dresses? Then maybe don’t dress yourself in jeans and a tank top. If you can wear your own creations, that’s ideal. But if not, you should match the overall vibe of what you do create.

Bring filling snacks. Craft shows can be very long (or even multiple) days.  And obviously, at some point because you are a human, you will need to eat. While there might be some food vendors selling yumminess right there, I prefer to bring my own snacks.  I grab some filling nuts or granola, cheese and fruit so I can quickly nibble between customers.

Arrive early. Maybe its my irrational fear of being late, but I like to give myself more time than I need to set up. Plus, getting your space just right can take longer than you think it might! Sometimes craziness happens, no matter how may times you’ve practiced your set up.  I’ve had signs fall, fabric draping look super-weird for no reason, neighbors spill sodas dangerously close to my inventory.  You never know.  Give yourself a few extra minutes.

Make friends with neighbors. I’ve sold items to nearby booths, made great contacts for joint ventures, and learned about other shows from nearby sellers. Plus they’ll probably be really nice people and watch your booth while you run to the bathroom. But don’t get so caught up in chit-chat that you don’t see your customers!

Smile! Seriously. It works wonders.

Stand! Ok, maybe not the whole day.  But stand when customers are at your booth, or even better, approaching your booth.  Retail experts have found that buyers can feel like they are interrupting sellers who do seem uninterested or busy. Standing up and making eye contact with your customers will go a long way in helping counteract the feeling that they are bothering you.




To work or not?  One of the big questions when working craft shows is do you bring work to do while you’re there or not? Personally, I like to bring some simple projects that I can quill while I am between customers. But my work is not something that buyers see everyday.  I get a lot of questions about the quilling process and tools.  Plus, my supplies are pretty small and easy to transport. Do you create items that are a little messy to make? Would working on your craft distract you from potential sales when you can’t give your customers the attention they need?  If so, leave it at home!

Take credit cards. Fewer and fewer of your buyers are carrying cash these days and they are starting to expect you to take credit cards. It really doesn’t have to be a daunting process and it doesn’t matter how small your shop is.  If you’re an Etsy seller, they have a very user-friendly app for smartphones or tablets that sync with a credit card reader to make in-person selling incredibly simple.  Check it out here.  (If you’re not an Etsy seller, start now and get your first 40 listings for free!) Another popular choice is Square Reader.  PayPal has jumped into the mix with their own reader too.

Don’t pack up early! Some craft show are really slow towards the end of day. And others around you will start packing up super early. It can be pretty disrespectful to both the organizers and those straggler customers when you’re running to your car as soon as you can.  Plus, the end of the show is another great time to sell to your booth neighbors!

Bring a cart.  This is really a note to myself.  I have to get a dolly or cart for set up and break down.  It would make my life so much easier.

Don’t get discouraged! Every crafts person has good shows and bad shows.  It comes with the territory. But what can you learn from those rough days?  Can you learn about any show tips from your booth neighbors? Did you get any feedback from the customers who were just looking? Try to get one of your business cards in the hand of every person who stops by your booth. Maybe they just need a few hours to think about that beautiful handmade scarf you created and they’re going to contact you soon to buy it!

Bonus!! I’ve just added a brand new free craft show checklist printable to help get your craft show prep organized!

Craft shows can be really nerve-wracking and exciting! And an amazing way to reach new and potential customers. So crafter veterans, what else do you think about when preparing for craft shows? Leave a comment below with your words of wisdom!




Print this post

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

in Other Fun Things # craft show faq, craft show tips, how to get ready for craft shows, quilling craft show

Reader Interactions

you may also like
Eleven Ways to Decorate With Paper Snowflakes All Winter Long
Creative Space Organization Ideas
8 Sites and Pages That Want to Help Your Creative Business Get Noticed
10 Things I’ve Learned in The First Two Years of Owning my own Craft Business

Share your thoughts and leave a comment below!Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

About Me

Hi there, Paper People! I'm so glad you've stumbled across my corner of the internet. I'll be sharing my favorite quilling tips and tutorials, plus some creative micro-biz pointers, and lots of paper crafting news! Thanks for stopping by!

Looking for a project, technique or tool? Search here!

There’s more on YouTube!

https://youtu.be/kndglSrYWKg

Top Posts & Pages

  • How to Make Quilling Paper Snowflakes
    How to Make Quilling Paper Snowflakes
  • Eleven Ways to Decorate With Paper Snowflakes All Winter Long
    Eleven Ways to Decorate With Paper Snowflakes All Winter Long
  • How to Use a Curling Coach for Quilling
    How to Use a Curling Coach for Quilling
  • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs
    The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs
  • How to Turn Your Quilling Crafts into Ornaments
    How to Turn Your Quilling Crafts into Ornaments
  • How to Store Quilling Paper
    How to Store Quilling Paper

Thank you so much for stopping by my site. If you care to throw more support my way so I can continue to make new tutorials, you can do so by buying me a virtual cup of coffee!

Affiliate Policy

Some posts on this blog contain affiliate links.

If you click on the links and make a purchase, I would receive a small compensation to help me finance this site and keep coming up with awesome tutorials and tips! There’s no cost to you and I only ever include links to companies and products that I trust and work with on a regular basis.

All posts with affiliate links are clearly marked.

The Papery Craftery (ThePaperyCraftery.com) blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy

I hope you’re inspired by my quilling!

Feel free to use my designs as gifts or for your own personal use. And I’d love any sharing of my photos and projects! All I ask is that all photos remain unaltered and link back to the original post, and please do not attempt to sell my any quilling created from my designs as your own work. Happy Crafting!

thepaperycraftery

Gift tag idea 💡 make your own quilling paper Ch Gift tag idea 💡 make your own quilling paper Christmas lights! 
Watch the full video to learn all the steps to make your own! 👆  #quilling #papercraft #christmascrafts #cardmaking
This week I’m sharing snow topped evergreen tree This week I’m sharing snow topped evergreen trees made from quilling paper 🎄 
Watch the full video to learn how to make your own with just a few steps! 👆  #quilling #papercrafts #christmascrafts
Mini quilling paper ornaments are up on the YT cha Mini quilling paper ornaments are up on the YT channel now! 
See the full video for all the steps and how-to’s 👆  #quilling #papercrafts #christmascrafts
Tiny quilling snowmen ready to hand over the perfe Tiny quilling snowmen ready to hand over the perfect gift! 
See the full video for all the info and how-to’s 👆  #quilling #papercrafts #christmascrafts
Simple quilling paper pansy flowers! See the fu Simple quilling paper pansy flowers! 
See the full video for all the steps and details on the supplies! Click the link in my bio👆  #quilling #paperflowers #crafting
Have you ever added paint to your quilling? It can Have you ever added paint to your quilling? It can add a bit of depth and detail to your paper flowers! 
See the full video for all the info and how-to’s 👆  #quilling #papercrafts #paperflowers #watercolor
Super quick quilling paper Black Eyed Susans- a co Super quick quilling paper Black Eyed Susans- a couple simple shapes and they come together in no time! 
The full video is up now 👆  #quilling #papercrafts #paperflowers
Big, bright tropical flowers made with a paper cri Big, bright tropical flowers made with a paper crimper and a quilling comb 
The full video is up now 👆  #quilling #papercrafts #paperflowers
How to make quilling paper ice cream cones 🍦 How to make quilling paper ice cream cones 🍦 
The full video is up now 👆  #quilling #papercrafts #crafting
So simple! Learn to make bunches of sweet quilling So simple! Learn to make bunches of sweet quilling paper lilac flowers and leaves ~ 
The full video is up now 👆  #quilling #paperflowers #papercrafts
Making quilling paper lily of the valley flowers a Making quilling paper lily of the valley flowers and leaves couldn’t be easier! 
Full video is up now 👆  #quilling #papercrafts #paperflowers #flowers
How to make big, bright, beautiful quilling paper How to make big, bright, beautiful quilling paper gerbera daisies! 
Full video is up now 👆  #quilling #papercrafts #paperflowers #crafts #craftideas
It’s time for spring crafting! This week I’m It’s time for spring crafting!  This week I’m sharing 3 ways to make tiny quilling paper flower buds. Perfect to round out your next floral quilling project.  Full video is up now 👆
#quilling #paperflowers #papercrafts #flowers
Quilling paper shamrocks! One of my oldest and v Quilling paper shamrocks!  One of my oldest and very first designs 😍 full how-to’s are up now!  #quilling #papercrafts #paper #stpatricksday
Most of my FAQ’s are about making quilling paper Most of my FAQ’s are about making quilling paper letters - the first of 2 videos with all the tips is up now!  🎥 link in bio 
#quilling #quillingcrafts #paper #monograms #paperletters
Any day I get to pull out my favorite quilling com Any day I get to pull out my favorite quilling comb is a good day  Quilling a paper spider mums full video with all the steps is up on YouTube  🎥 link in bio 
#quilling #quillingcrafts #paper #papercrafts #paperflowers
I know 3D quilling isn’t everyone’s jam, but I I know 3D quilling isn’t everyone’s jam, but I love the magic in creating something realistic out of simple strips of paper 😍  Full video with all the steps is up on YouTube  🎥 link in bio 
#quilling #quillingcrafts #papercraft #blueberries #handmade
Rainy East Coast days call for teeny mushrooms F Rainy East Coast days call for teeny mushrooms  Full video with all the steps is up on YouTube  🎥 link in bio 
#quilling #quillingcrafts #papercrafts #paperart #autumnvibes #handmade
DIY sweet paper cherries 🍒 The full video wit DIY sweet paper cherries 🍒  The full video with all the steps is up on YouTube now  🎥 link in bio 
#quilling #quillingcrafts #papercraft #handmade
The how-to’s on these sweet cherries and blueber The how-to’s on these sweet cherries and blueberries won’t be up on YouTube until Sunday but they’re too cute not to share early 🤩  🎥 link in bio 
#quilling #quillingcrafts #papercrafts #handmade
Load More Follow on Instagram
2021 © Meredith Amand Designs
made by soulmuse