MargeD

I have a table at my church's Holiday Fair, except last year I didn't go because I'd had my shoulder replaced, so couldn't sew much at all then. This year I'm making up for lost time. I make placemats, table toppers, table runners, wall hangings, mostly Snowmen patterns as I love making them, but others as well. i also make quilted hand bags and totes, and this year I've added children's pillow cases, and reversible head bands. I did go to their Strawberry Festival in June this year and did OK, but the traffic was light. However, I mostly do it because I need to have something to do, besides the quilts I make for family, and despite his objections, I managed to bring half of my stash with me when we downsided to a 2-bedroom apt. My quilting keeps me reasonably sane; but the main reason I do the church's craft fair is that i get to spend the day with friends and make some "mad money" too. I used to do 2-4 craft fairs with my sister until her health declined and she couldn't do them any more. I know this is a long answer, however, try one or two and see if you like them or not, and then decide if you want to do more.

patchwork

I have done craft fairs for over 30yrs. You make a little money but not a lot. People expect tp pay Walmart prices for quilts. You need at least one item that is cheep to make and sells for under $10 that you can sell a lot of. The reason I do them is, I can produce more product than I can give away, It lets me try new patterns, and the satisfaction of making something someone wants to buy. A good ego boost.

Rennie

Same here, except I only did 2. Made just enough to cover the cost of entry. Did take several sweatshirt special orders (design with names) but definitely not worth the effort... at least for me. Kathy is right, it seemed most people wanted garage sale pricing. And the more booths at the show, the more duplication of items - so if you are not at the "front", people have already bought. BUT TO BE FAIR, I am a little reticent around strangers, so not exactly a good type of person for selling.

annievee

I do several shows a year. My stash is huge so not much expensive in doing the crafts. Whatever you decide to make and sell, be sure it seems profitable or saleable--I have seen people not sell anything but think it was because of the items they were trying to sell. If you decide to do outside shows, please be sure you have someone along to help with tent. Not many tents. if any, are 1 person set up plus they can get heavy. Last craft show, hubs helped 5 women set up their tent--including me--lol ! He is a helpful kind of person . As thank yous were said, not even an offer for a cool bottle of water !! Time to break down the show, we did, loaded our car and left. Those other ladies were just sitting there--lets hope someone came along and took down their tent. Off my soapbox now !!! Good Luck in whatever you decide.

blhaines

I do well at craft bazaars. I focus on kids items ... cloth chalkboards (my own design), balloon balls, zipper pouches, and other stuff. I always have a new item ... this year it is "I Spy" Bags. I'll also be selling Yard Dice that kept us very busy last summer.

Have fun!

KenmoreGal2

I volunteered to sew for a local cat rescue. They gave me tons of fabric which someone donated to them. With that fabric I made enough items to fill a table. The rescue ran a craft fair and supplied me with a table. I had one quilt, lawn flags, cat bowl placemats, tote bags, tiny tote bags, sunglass holders, wristlets, pet beds, sets of 4 placemats, 1 set of 2 placemats, table runners, wine gift bag and coaster sets and special pins.

This was the 2nd craft fair this group ran. The first one did well so they had repeat vendors. IDK what happened but almost no one showed up for this one. It was so disappointing. I sold one tote bag - to a fellow volunteer. Vendors started to leave early.

This was my first craft show. I thought it was a great way for me to scope them out and practice in case I ever wanted to sell my own items.

I think the lesson I learned is to make sure the show is a long standing one with a big customer base.

klswift

Before doing any, you need to ask a few questions. What type of fair and what type customers? If it is like a church bazaar, you will want to keep your items in the lower price point. If it is in a more eclectic street fair, you can usually have some higher priced items. Even then you will want some lower priced items or 'specials' to draw them in. Also, the kind of thing you make - is it unique? Will there be several other vendors with the same product? If you are only doing one fair, what will you do with the product after the fair? It won't do you any good to make a bunch of money at the fair and yet lose money because of leftover product. But, at the same time, you can not go to a fair with only a small amount of items. I love doing small local events because it lets me get feedback from a variety of people. So, even if I don't make a huge amount, I feel it is very worth it. Once you have decided to do one, take some time at your house to play around with a display. Depending on the set-up, will you have a table or can people walk into a booth? If table only, vary the height. Use boxes or blocks under a table covering to give it some interest. If a walk-in booth, be sure to add a basket or tub on the floor filled with smaller items or even just a decorative element. Make sure you have plenty of change, a notepad to jot down their comments and, if possible, have either business cards made (Vistaprint for $10) or quarter sheet notes printed on your computer to put in their pages or simply to hand out. I have my email on these, not my home phone number. I also have a small binder with examples of the items I make in other colors and variations. Depending on the circumstances, I will take orders (prepaid!). Do not expect the first ones to make a ton of money. If they do - great! But, as with anything, the first couple times you do something, it is a learning experience. But, it is a great way to find out what people think, what they want to buy and it can be a lot of fun. I have met some absolutely terrific people at local events and been hugely inspired by many of them. Good luck - jump in - have fun!

Watson

Lots of great suggestions here.
I did craft shows for years with my Mom and by myself. (Not quilts, ceramics and horse items, but the theory is the same.)
I think one of the real tricks is to really know what is "in". What the current fad and colours are that people are using in their homes or whatever.
Also, have some lower priced items that people will just pick up on the spur of the moment. You want other people to see activity around your booth and be drawn in.
Another "draw", if you can manage it is to have a demo going on....even just a bit of hand-quilting in a small frame that you can put down easily. It's a draw for people to come to your booth to see what you're doing.
Have prices on everything. You may lose sales if people have to wait for you to ask for a price.
Talk to everyone. People at craft shows are there for the experience as well as to buy.
Decide ahead of time if you are going to give out your contact info for future sales and make up cards, if so.
Have bags, calculator, change, pens, paper, table and chairs ready and organized.
Get there early to set up. As mentioned above, use boxes to create height.
Have fun!
Watson

Editted to add: In answer to your question, "Did you make money?" the answer would be yes, with the disclaimer that with the ceramics a lot of the items were seasonal, so that was the big draw for them and with the horse items I got in at the top of a very popular fad, made good money and got out before it was over, hence the suggestion of finding out what is popular with people and catering to that market.

Pennyhal

My friend and I been doing craft shows for several years now. Ten years ago I used to sell several of my jackts that are $90. Most of the craft shows have dissappeared because people were not buying anything. Nowadays, only things that are $5 or less sell around here.

Just generaly, when people walk by your booth, they make an instant decision as to whether or not they are going to go in your booth. Many booths sell just one thing, so people know quickly if they want to shop with you. If you are several different things to sell, you'll need to figure out how to let people know all the things you have. That is why height is so necessary. We'd hang things from the top and sides of the booth so people could see. People won't read either. So if you have something that isn't instantly recognizeable, you'll need to pop up and say..."this is a xyz and this is what it's for... People also like it if you talk with them. I wasn't comfortable doing that and have made an effort to engage people in conversation. At the very least, you should stand up and greet them and briefly tell them what you are selling.

Frankly, nowadays I barely make enough money to cover the entry fee and whatever other expenses I have like parking and gas to get to the show. I think other areas of the country might be doing better. In the meantime, it's just a hobby for me now.

wendiq

I don't think it is a money maker. With all the cute and extremely cheap imports, few people will pay the higher prices. Hand work, in my area, isn't valued like it used to be.