My first craft show is in the books! Yesterday, I had a booth at the Madison Street Festival. I was really nervous and excited to be a part of the local festival. It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed myself (despite the cold, rainy weather). It was fun to meet those of you that are local and to see people interested in my clothing/work. It was nice to hear lots of compliments, and of course, make some sales. I enjoyed seeing the excitement when someone found a product that they wanted. I also met some local people who sew. It felt like we were immediate friends discussing patterns and future plans of what to make next. I plan to go again next year and hope to meet and talk to more people.
If you plan to do a craft show, here are some tips that I want to share and want to remember myself for the next one.
- Invest in tent walls. I thought since it was my first show, I didn't want to fork over the money for tent walls not knowing if craft shows would really be my thing. I already bought a tent just for this show. The last 2 years at the festival were hot and sunny. Well, that definitely was not the case this year. It rained and almost all of my clothing got wet! I was so upset. Thankfully, I had a tarp from my Mom to cover one side (Thanks to Kristin's hubby Taylor for helping me with that! I really appreciated it.) The wonderful vendors next to me had an extra wall for me to use on the other side. You were lifesavers! With 2 walls covered, I was able to keep the clothes out of the rain. So, I strongly recommend buying the walls to be prepared.
- Pack finger foods to eat. My hubby bought me a gyro, and I could not take a bite without someone walking into my tent. Plus, the sauce was getting all over the place. (Thanks for the gesture though.)
- Make sure you have water/drinks or someone to get it for you. I left my ice chest in my Mom's van. :/
- Kid proof tent. Is it even possible to kid-proof your tent? I had a child knock over a shelf that had dress forms on them. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt.
- Over half of my purchases were with credit/debit cards. So, If you don't have a Square, Paypal swipe, etc look into getting one.
- Bring a wagon or dolly to load/unload. Oh my word, what was I thinking?!? We hauled my tent, tables, chairs, shelves, tubs, etc. back and forth in the rain all the way to the van. It was heavy and took so much time. On the bright side, I (and Mom and Tommy) got a work out.
- Start in advance building inventory. I applied 2.5 months prior to the show and waited about a week for a response. I had some time, but didn't make as many items as i would have liked. September was a busy month for me on Etsy, then the girls took turns being sick, but that's just how life goes.
I look forward to my next craft show.
Kristie
