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Aha! It's the day before the day before the big day. Although the day before the big day is actually a pretty big deal because in the case of Maker Faire, as also Unique LA, Friday (tomorrow) is set up day. So I treat tomorrow like the BIG DAY because it's all outta my hands after that.

So:

7. Getting Everything Ready for Move-In

Double check inventory numbers & print my inventory sheet, which doubles as my sales log.
Dress up the extras like stamping craft bags & adding tags to all my plush. I print tickets/directions/information if there are any to be printed. In the case of Maker Faire, I bought a ticket for my weekend helper, Kevin (yay see you soooon!).
& I neatly pack away the goods (top left clockwise):

• packaging: plastic bags for the big prints, newsprint if they want it to be rolled instead, craft bags for prints & cards, and paper bags. My clipboards are also in there with the inventory sheets & extra sheets of scrap paper for my hand-drawn sign up sheets. Pen is also already tied!
• 8x10 prints already packaged and taped in individual plastic sleeves, divided in their own section. Extra plastic sleeves & tape are also included.
• all things SQUISHY & sewn very carefully squeezed into the green chest I put in front of the booth for you to 'sift through & find a friend!'
• framed prints & cards: you can see a glimmer of the new print in the white square frame ;)

The furniture, like the table, shelf, chairs and all that stuff is either in the garage or in my car so that will be taken care of tomorrow when I load up the car.

I learned from previous fairs that the less time I spend preparing a sold item for a customer at the fair the better. I used to have my prints loose and in a big pile, all mixed up. Now I take the time to sign each print & place it in a sleeve well before the fair. I don't know why but my brain goes crazy whenever I make a sale and I suddenly feel all this pressure like, oh my god this customer just bought something. What do I do?!? What do I do!? So I don't know. It helps to have it all ready & good to go.

Okay, time to do yoga & hit Trader Joes. I need my

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Ah, hello! Let's continue this craft fair demystifying shall we! (btw, if you're just joining us now, here's the previous post!)

6. Setting IntentionsOne thing that I always make sure to do before any fair, big or small, is set my intentions.

My early craft fair intentions used to go a little like this:

• make a profit, any profit!
• have people sign up for the mailing list
• don't be shy
• stay hydrated & don't forget to pee!
• learn a lot! make mistakes!

All very general, but very good to have. I remember on the first day of my first fair, I intentionally didn't put prices on anything to force me to talk to customers. Then as the fairs continued, the intentions became more specific and it became clear the areas I wanted to work on. Now my intentions are more like this (for maker faire, from the photo above):

• actually venture outside the booth & explore! that requires trust, letting go & energy!
• tweet & post pictures throughout the day--requires discipline, and it'll be great promotion
• do not get so tired that it affects your mood and demeanor. remember to drink, take breaks, get rest before & after the show days
• of course meet new people, make friends, inspire, get press, move beyond just an email/etsy username--make it personal! tell your story and learn theirs.
• take good inventory throughout the day. you're great at organizing the space under the table, but make it so it contributes to a rhythm and habit of prep, log, change and give.
• really utilize your helpers! become a better manager and let go of tasks so that you can effectively talk and greet and make sales.

I think writing out intentions is sooooo important. It gives me a focus/foci that isn't merely 'sales.' It's about how to be a better businesswoman, crafter, artist, communicator, manager, etc. You gotta think big picture! which is so important because you have to believe there's a big picture for your craft if it's to successfully become your bread & butter.

I love craft fairs because I get to meet so many people and not only see that they liked something enough to pick it up or buy it, but see WHY. Little known fact: I thought I was going into the plush business. Then I had my first craft fair and to my surprise, my artwork and prints stole all the glory! If I didn't learn that, I probably wouldn't be around. Probably would have been discouraged because no one was buying elephants, and I wouldn't know exactly why.

Craft fairs can be expensive, laborious affairs but I believe they're well worth the effort, stress, everything. So cheers to this weekend! I can't wait!

Stay tuned for the next post about what happens the DAY BEFORE THE FAIR! Dun dun DUNNNN!

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I recently became a member of the SF etsy street team (yeah!) which has been incredible. It's opened me up to a wonderful community and lovely opportunities I didn't know existed! And on a regular basis too! A recent post was about preparing for one's first craft fair. That paired with meeting a couple new vendors to the craft fair scene at Unique LA got me thinking about how one prepares for a craft fair. So, I thought I'd share to help demystify the scary process. At least for me it's scary. Leading up to last year's Renegade Craft Fair, there were definitely many moments where Victoria and I would look up from our work and just barbarically yawp with anxiety!

So, process revealed! Keep in mind everyone works differently. This is just what works for me!

1. Planning the craft fair season
For about a solid month, I researched for every craft fair & artist flea market in every state I wanted to vend. I did this months before they requested applications (which is typically 2-3 months before the show). If I didn't see information about this year's schedule, I made sure to join their mailing list. I emailed people, asked questions about the shows, and what they thought about it. I made a list of target craft fairs, organizing them by date. As the application deadlines neared, I started to narrow it down. Rejection & acceptance narrowed it down even more & then I knew where I was headed. A bit of advice: have lots of money saved to apply to the fairs! $400 for this fair, $250 for that one... it starts to add up like WHOA! Or plan to share a booth :)

2. Inventory preparation

3. Design your Booth!
4 Comments on Craft Fair Preparation Demystified! part 1, last added: 5/19/2011