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Originally Posted by vwquilting
(Post 4687615)
I would make soup bowl holders and sell them in 4's 19.95 a set.
Bring a bowl and micro wave and heat some apple crisp, so they can smell it, give little pieces in a cup cake paper. This keeps their interest and gets others to come to your booth. Show them, how you can hold the hot bowl and sell them a set. Cost to make is about $1.10 each. Insul=bright and cotton at 10.95 a yard. |
They say not to put it in the microwave so use warm and natural instead 2 layers.
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I was in a craft show 4 weeks ago and one 3 weeks ago....the one that I was in 4 weeks ago went very well, I sold lots of coasters and some table runners that matched, pocket tissue holders, and some childrens aprons....the one 3 weeks ago went nowhere, I only sold $3 worth of stuff over my table cost ($20). So I think it depends on where you are and your customers.....
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What about eBook covers? I've made one for my KoboTouch and it's quite girly (:P) and I love it!
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Soap holders to hang on bathroom walls, toilet roll holders, peg bags, pretty sewing kits or needle holders, tape measure holders, casserole holders, scone holders, glasses cases, make-up bags, i-phone cases, covered coat hangers.(Maybe?)
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The crayon rolls sound interesting . I don't remember seeing them at any craft show that I attended here in Fl. Do you make it for 72 colors and do you add the crayons too?
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i've been in several craft shows. In my experiences it seems that things that are priced $20.00 and less seem to sell the best at Christmas shows. Now sure why but I think it's because people are buying more gifts at this time of year so they try to keep the price in line. Teachers gifts really sell well if they're something small and priced around $8.00. I make ornaments for that price and have a sign that says they'd make the perfect teacher gift. I usually sell out of those.
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I went to a couple of church bazaars last weekend. There were a ton of table toppers and one lady had pincushions (the kind where you stuff a gathered circle of fabric then stick it into something like a cup or muffin tin) and stick a ten dollar price tag on it, I would like to have seen more unusual pincushions and ornaments for sale. Like the little owls and chickens I saw on here.
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Lots of great ideas here. One of the things which attracts me is the quality of the display, and the manner in which the items are tagged, the attitude of the vendor, and their appearance. Make the booth look festive, have cute signs telling what the item is, a price, and a sample of it in use. (Things like the use of sticky dots looks like a yard sale or flea market, not a bizarre.) Dress nicely, and avoid the bored look. Use pretty decorated baskets or boxes instead of plastic bins, a simple table cloth which does not distract from the items being offered, and avoid strong scents and perfumes. No music, but soft nature sounds are usually OK. Pay attention to your potential customers rather than having chats with your assistant or neighboring vendor. Borrow a little old crib to use to display baby items, or hang bibs from a high chair. Go vertical as much as you can so your items can be seen from a distance, and over the heads of people passing by or standing around. Old window shutters make great displays, and can be had for a song at places like Habitat for Humanity. Have an assortment of attractive bags for the items sold. White paper sandwich bags with a cute rubber stamp is far better than the crumpled plastic bag from the food store. Be festive and creative in the display, have an assortment of items, and a genuine pleasant attitude, a gift assortment, and pretty wrapping or bags in which to put the purchases. With proper preparation and confidence you should be fine. However, as many have said, these fairs have mood swings. Don't be despaired if you don't do well. Try again at a different location. By all means, (for any of you) post a photo of your booth, and share what seemed to go well, and what, if anything was a total flop.
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emily, my experience has been this, whatever you make keep your products the same. i've seen tables with no more then 2 different products and more times then not they sold out. one woman made clown dolls, sold them for $30. must of had 25 of them and sold all but 1or 2 left but had some orders. another lady made reindeer candy canes and toy soldier ornaments, sold them for $1.50 -$2 each. inventory was about 75 each. sold out. there was also a lady that took scrap fabric fused too pieces together, cut out using cookie cutters as a pattern, put a matching string through them for $1 a pc. or 6 for $5 sold them all. (she had them displayed so they hung up) hope this helps.
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Originally Posted by LivelyLady
(Post 4683874)
Last year as the craft fair all the small items sold quickly, the large ones didn't move much. I noticed with other crafters, too. I think it was part economy and part small town. I wished I had made more quilted pictures holder small wall hangings......20 of them sold in the first 15 minutes.
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several posts on this thread mentioned having business cards. These are not expensive. You can get free cards (pay postage) from vistaprint.com
We got these for our quilt guild with contact and meeting times. For this we got creative putting the info in the address spaces, but it worked. |
This is great, all of you have great ideas.
Cookie |
I think what you have listed will do very well. I just did a Christmas Craft Show at my church last weekend. I sold mostly purses, but also sold some table runners, lap quilts and I sold one large quilt. Most of what I sold had an Autumn or Christmas theme. What didn't sell (and surprised me, because I only had $3 on them) were my oven towels, but there were a lot of other vendors selling towels....and purse, too. I had fun talking with everyone. Good luck with your sale.
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Be careful with the potato bags. Everyone now says you have to have 100% cotton. What they don't realise is that it catches fire easily. I went back to the polyester stuffing we used to use with no problem. I have had reports of 4 of the 6 100% cotton bags catching fire the first time they were used.
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It changes every year as to what people will buy. I agree what you don't sell you will have as gifts.
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At the craft festival that I just did a lady had made some little purses (with shoulder straps) and on either sides of the purse were crayons...just like in you picture. It was adorable.
Originally Posted by hperttula123
(Post 4687396)
Here is one of the crayon rolls I made. They go together pretty quick too.
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Pincushions!
You can make little pincushions so easily, and if you make each one different (fabric, shape, etc.) people know they have an original. Just be sure to put a few pins in each one, so that buyers know what they are looking at.
I can never have enough pincushions! Georgia Clark |
My DD does Avon shows and brings some of my raggy items to sell. The baby burp cloths have been a good seller for us. The latest ones I'm making are super simple. Sandwich 3 layers of flannel; size about 8" by 20" stitch about 1/2" from edge of fabrics; clip the edges. If you pay $3 a yard for the flannel, costs about $1 to make one; I have a price of $3.50 each. I'll take a photo when I wash the latest ones.
I love the ideas that are being posted here. I'm also interested in the prices; can anyone share? Like, the prices for crayon rolls, snap coin purses, business card holders, mini-quilt ornaments, microwave bowls and microwave mitts, and rag and braided wreaths. |
I saw a tute on here for Microwave bowls, thought I might make some for gifts. Set them up with a bowl inside of it. I think it is a nice looking decorative item as well as useful. Here is the link to the tute.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...s-t144848.html |
This is not a quilting item but it does sell. Take yarn wrap it around to nail that are about 6 inch apart. Take another piece of yarn and tie it around about one inch from the nail. This will made a head of the worm. Glue on eyes and tie on the poem that reads. Weather Worm:Hang me outside.Tie on laminated poem.
If I'm moving, you know it's windy! If I'm wet, you know it's raining! If I'm white you know it's snowing!!!! If I'm stiff, you know it's freezing!!!! You can sell them for a dollar |
sling bags (messanger type) microwave bowls, large potholders (10" sq)
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Mug Rugs they are quick and easy and are suppose to be popular this year.
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Such a cute idea in reference to nail worm with poem1
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I participated in the craft sale at our retirement village this month. I did sell quite a few of the 44 things I made, and was surprised at some that didn't sell.
Those that sold well were: Christmas neckties wristlet purses with wrist straps bedside bags (Got orders to make some with longer flaps and velcro for wheelchair bags 3-d white felt doves ornaments bone-shaped neck pillows plastic bag holders I also made covers for Kleenex boxes that looked like Santa's body and candy jars made from vases with felt features to look like Santa. To my surprise these didn't sell well. |
ornaments, especially for the pets gofast
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I'm a new quilter and was wondering what potato bags are?
Does anyone know where to get a pattern for them at? The small picture frames also? Good luck at your craft fair; I used to sell at them all the time,but I did cross stitch back then. MaryKathryn |
See the attached web page. It is for making fabric pine cones. They are supper easy and fast. You use a sytrafoam egg. I have made several and they are really neat. Hope this helps.http://www.capecodquilters.com/pinec...structions.pdf
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Tissue holders are quick to make and don't need to be Christmas fabric. Buy multi-packs of tissues in the dollar store, use a variety of fabrics, put them in a basket so people can dig in, and sell them for $3. Worked for me.
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One things that ALWAYS sells at our guild fundraisers (and at the various churches' fundraisers our members sew/quilt for) are small bags - not purses. Best point of all: THES ARE MAJOR SCRAP & STASH BUSTERS. Many people bought these bags to use to put smaller gifts in (such as a gift card or two with candy, or some sewing notions or items everyone could use (rotary cutter blade packs, special thread, marking pencil)
Best selling items' patterns: 1. Stitchin Sisters "SNAP HAPPY" http://www.ericas.com/sewing/patterns/58951b.jpg Actually, check out ALL of the "snap" line of patterns; these items close using a metal carpenters tape. The fabric tabs make this especially helpful for seniors and kids who have trouble grabbing/pulling zippers. 2. Little Scraps from This and That "ABBY'S TREASURE BOX" http://www.ericas.com/quilting/patterns/31282b.jpg Although this bag specifically uses charms, you can get the basic idea of the small boxy design, and do your own thing without charm squares. 3. Sweet Treasures "PEEK-A-BOO BAG" http://www.createforless.com/Sweet+T...pid176598.aspx This is a wonderful item because most of the front panel of the bag is clear vinyl, so you can see what's inside. This is great for travel or for sewing/quilting projects. 4. Cotton Way "SEW EASY BAGS" http://www.ericas.com/sewing/patterns/A10041b.jpg People liked the embellishment possibilities as well as the versatility of the shapes |
Ditto on that...quilted picture holder, crayon rolls, AND what is potato bag?
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Items priced under $20 sell the best. It is easier to appeal to the impulsive shopper.
Anything with cute sayings, sells well. French country is very popular, Tuscan, and of course shabby chic, or cottage chic, so plan your displays accordingly. Strong primary colors, for those who have kitchens featuring deep blue and yellow, or the deep oranges, russets, gold. Then have a display of pastel items, that will coordinate with shabby chic. I noticed at a sale this past year, that small wooden child chairs, and benches were selling like wild. One lady told me, she uses the small chairs in her decorating all thru the house. On the fireplace hearth, in the kitchen for a stack of cookbooks, on the porch to hold a pot of geraniums, so keep an eye out, at garage sales for those to resell, repaint etc. I have been collecting frames, to insert a chalkboard into, that seems popular in kitchens lately. And I have been painting the lower portion of terra cotta pots with chalkboard paint, and adding a sweet thought in chalk calligraphy. These can be used in the sewing room to store fat quarters to sewing implements. Another sale, I noticed that sun hats were a popular item, from infants to adults. |
Potato bags are bags you stick in the microwave for 5 minutes or so, to bake potatoes. It makes them more fluffy and etc. http://www.potatobakingbag.com/
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I have done craft fairs off and on for years, and the one thing you can be sure about is that you never know what will go over big. I just did a small fair a couple of weeks ago and my table runners in Christmas and other seasonal colors and fabrics sold the best. Don't limit yourself just to Christmas, as people like to give gifts throughout the year, so variety helps. A friend recommended that I make matching napkins with my placemats, as they might sell better. Also, keep your prices reasonable, your list seems reasonable to me about what might sell and I wish you the best of luck.
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Two years ago I sold items at our local "craft show." Lots of purses (many themes), aprons, table runners. The Christmas purses, of which I only had three, sold immediately to one lady who purchased them for her daughters and daughter-in-law. Other things not so well. I did take orders for a few monogramed dance bags. I spent more money on other peoples' crafts than I made selling my own. I would love to do it again, but since I am such a procrastinator, I wait until very late to start on items to sell and then don't have enough to even bother paying for a booth. My daughter said last night that if I started now, maybe in five years I would have enough. She's so funny and she knows me well.
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how about the microwave bowls. they are great.
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There are a lot of wonderful ideas here. I'm going to save this thread for future info.
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Originally Posted by Wunder-Mar
(Post 4690201)
One things that ALWAYS sells at our guild fundraisers (and at the various churches' fundraisers our members sew/quilt for) are small bags - not purses. Best point of all: THES ARE MAJOR SCRAP & STASH BUSTERS. Many people bought these bags to use to put smaller gifts in (such as a gift card or two with candy, or some sewing notions or items everyone could use (rotary cutter blade packs, special thread, marking pencil)
Best selling items' patterns: 1. Stitchin Sisters "SNAP HAPPY" http://www.ericas.com/sewing/patterns/58951b.jpg Actually, check out ALL of the "snap" line of patterns; these items close using a metal carpenters tape. The fabric tabs make this especially helpful for seniors and kids who have trouble grabbing/pulling zippers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkdpy..._order&list=UL |
I found this free pattern site for many of the items mentioned in this thread!! Gift card holder and crayon bag to name a few.
http://www.sewingmamas.com/b/downloads.php?do=cat&id=5 Good luck everyone, |
Children's purses and boys and girls aprons sell good!
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