The Learning Curve at Craft Fairs

Thanks to a good friend saying 'let's share a booth and get into craft fairs' ( I was too much of a wuss to do it all by myself), I am now a veteran of three (yes a whopping three!) craft fairs. None of which have been successful but at least I have covered the booth fees. Except I spent more at the fair last weekend than I made.

Doing craft fairs is really hard work and stressful. I have a new found respect for those people who do it all the time. Getting all your product ready the entire week leading up to the fair; loading your car the night before, well 1am of the day of the fair; leaping out of bed at 5am, which explains why I kept nodding off in my chair behind my table and guaranteed that scared a lot of customers away; then breaking it all down and taking your product home after its big day out!

This pic is a rare sighting of my sofa. These days its normally covered in packaging or supplies or half finished projects. I think I need to frame this pic and hang it on the wall of my living room to remind myself that there is a sofa in there somewhere.

That was last week and the sofa has now disappeared again. I like to set up my little table at home to 'practice' the layout. With Halloween coming up I have a really cool ghoul that I planned to have on my table, shown in this next pic.

Guess who forgot to take the ghoul, or whatever you call it?!?!?

So here is my little table (without ghoul) at last weekend's craft fair. I keep calling it a little table, cause it is. I can't fit a bigger one in my little car.

I'm no spring chicken and sitting outside in Houston heat and humidity for 10 hours that day was torturous. Add to that the fact that my first and biggest single sale for the day ($41) did not go through on my card reader, so that lady got her soap for free [good Karma?] OK so I really didn't cover my booth fee, but that's just a detail.

We couldn't face staying till 11pm when the fair closed so we were out of there by 5pm and we didn't go back for the second day. Came home and just flopped out on my patio like a beached whale (with a cocktail in hand) and started researching how to be successful at craft fairs online. Indoor craft fairs that is.

This is my friend, Dynette's, recycled glass art. They are really sturdy and durable and each one comes with a flameless candle.

She's sold out of the Halloween Pumpkin Heads but the Snowmen are still available and you can order directly from her via email: ForlunaCreations@gmail.com