Craft Fairs

Craft Fairs

Craft fairs are a great way to promote your business and reach new customers in your local community. At my first craft fair, I made over $600! People feel good knowing they’re supporting a small, local business like yours. I’ll give you some tips about how to make money at local craft fairs.

There are craft fairs going on all year round, so go online and find some in your area!

Accepting Payment at Craft Fairs

There are 2 ways I accept payment at craft fairs and that’s cash or credit cards with my Square reader.

1. Square
   The most important tip I have is to ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS with a SQUARE READER. The last thing you want is to watch a sale walk away because you were not prepared. Square readers are great because it plugs right into your phone or tablet. It allows you to accept all credit card payments anytime, anywhere. Most people don’t carry cash on them anymore. You would hate to miss out on that sale because you didn’t have a way to accept their credit card. Square is also nice because your customers can get an email confirmation of their order so you don’t have to write out a receipt. Square has tools to manage all of your invoices, too!
   
2. Cash
   A cash box is a great tool to have when handling cash at a craft fair.  Make sure you bring enough small bills so you have the right amount of change to give back.

Setting Up Your Table

You’ll need a 6 foot folding table for a craft fair.

Bring a tablecloth and make sure it’s long enough to reach the floor. That way you can store all your boxes out of sight!

Ask if there is electricity. If there is, you can bring your heat press or an iron and personalize on the spot! This can be challenging for beginners so it’s also good to bring displays and order forms.

Show off your items in unique ways, don’t just have everything flat on the table. If you make shirts, wear your best seller! Use stacked crates or shutters to gain vertical height. You want your table to be eye catching, but not crowded.

A lot of people make custom jewelry with their Cricut machine! This pegboard would be a great way to display leather earrings or bracelets. 

Take advantage of displays that will give you vertical height. It will save you space on the table and be more eye catching for your customers. 

If you have things you want to show off but don’t have the space for, you can create a photo book on Vistaprint. Include high quality photos, prices, and have your order forms ready!

A Few Other Tips!

• Bring a friend with you! This is especially helpful if you want to make anything at your event with your Cricut. During my first craft fair I brought along my husband and my best friend. They handled the payments and talking to customers while I personalized stockings and stuffed animals. It also makes the day more fun when you’re hanging out with friends!
• Do some research on the event. How long have they been putting on craft fairs? What is the table fee?
• Advertise at your craft fair! This is a great opportunity to tell everyone about your new business! Order business cards from Vistaprint and a holder to put them in. Get a banner with your business name to go across the front of your table.  Or even better, use your business cards as price tags!
• Have a wide variety of prices.

Don’t forget to HAVE FUN! This is your chance to socialize, network, and get people to fall in love with your products! Craft fairs are a great way to promote your business and reach new customers in your local community!