How to set up a craft stall (by a rank amateur)
Everything was laid out on a picnic table covered with a white sheet. I put some boxes between the wall and the table to give a third display layer.
These are beaded bubble wands. Use a heavy duty wire and lots of colourful beads. Just be careful of spiky edges when you cut and bend the wire. I added a little card with a bubble mix recipe to each wand. Sadly, these didn't sell very well...
My bubble mix did sell - mostly. This is made from a mixture of detergent, glucose syrup and glycerine.
My gorgeous little containers of playdough. I made this in my thermomix (use the basic recipe in the main cookbook) and it worked out really well. In retrospect I think I labelled it wrong. I should have pushed it as 'non-toxic playdough'. I think people were confused by the label.
Most of the bunting was sold, especially the crochet squares, to funky mamas of new babies. The paper bunting was made out of quarters of scrapbooking paper, folded and stitched into ribbon. I probably could have sold more bunting in little girl tones.
These flower wreaths were made with three rounds of heavy duty wire, wrapped around with denim strips. The roses were hot glued to the denim and the smaller flowers were wound around the binding and then hot glue finished.
The pendants were just metal plumbing washers painted with nail polish. The price was too high though. When I put them down to $5 they did better.
I sold 8 of the 13 dresses. I think this one went first.
I can't believe I'm over 40 and have never done a craft stall before. That is, not before yesterday. I've been planning for this weekend for approximately six months which was back when our school decided to have a fete. Since then, I've given one morning a week to making and creating and collecting, but yesterday was the big day. (And it was a big enough day so that I didn't have enough energy to finish this blog last night...)
So allow me to share with you the small number of things I have learned, in my limited experience, about how to set up a craft stall.
1. Labelling is fun, and makes things look awesome.
I do so enjoy playing with my graphic art programs and I had a great time making some really cute labels and tags for *every* single item.
2. Colour helps a lot.
This little rainbow box of bracelets was like candy for little girls... and their mothers... and their grandmothers.
3. Some things sell. And some don't. It's surprising.
I expected my beaded bubble wands to walk off the table but they were slow movers. I expected my tutus to be snapped up. But I only sold one. And that was in the 'everything is half price' hour at the end. I could hardly get anyone to look at the playdough I made.
Hair bands did as well as clips even though they were more expensive. The brown ones with pink rosettes went first.
On the other hand, the hair clips were a massive hit with little girls who had enough money in their hands to get two. The felt crowns were the first thing anyone picked up. I should have doubled their price.
I thought these looked a bit dodgy up close and nearly didn't put them out. Just as well I did. Felt is cheap. Next year I'll make more.
And if you ever have a chance to make reversible, adjustable skirts in funky fabrics for little girls, you should jump at it because let me tell you, the whole world wants one of those.
These awesome skirts are made by a very clever local sewer who whips them out effortlessly. For her information, all that were left were the yellow and green ones.
4. Suggesting helpful gift ideas is a useful service. It is not just upselling.
Pink headbands and bracelets make a great accompaniment to pink dresses. And sometimes it's up to me to tell that to my customers, otherwise they might not notice.
5. If your product does something, demonstrate it.
I made these very cool organiser boxes for electrical cords. I would buy one, I think they're so great. But I didn't sell any today. I think it's because I forgot to bring electrical cords to display in them so that people could see what they actually do. Without the demo, they just look like weird cardboard boxes with toilet rolls stuck in them.
The labels are cool, but the boxes needed cords in them to demonstrate.
So, so disappointed that the tutus didn't sell. I thought they were gorgeous. Plus they came with extra scrunchies. Ah well. Neices will have nice Christmas presents this year.