Craft Shows: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Ok, so maybe there is no such thing as an ugly craft show, but I liked the title. This post is not going to be a how to on craft shows, because I don't believe my experience is really vast enough to provide any kind of insight on that matter. Rather, I'd like to share my favorite and not so favorite craft show.

Let me start out by saying that I am a people person. Good thing, huh? I mean, in my line of business, you kinda have to be ok with people in general. But seriously, I enjoy people. They energize me. So, craft shows are, for the most part, a fun adventure where I get the chance to meet and interact with all kinds of different people. From other venders to customers, I look forward to the chance to get to know others.

Last year, from the launch of my business around June through the end of the year in December, I attended about 12-15 different craft shows or events. Some were a smashing success, some were a total and utter flop. But, all in all, it was a great learning process. I knew there was going to be a learning curve, and I jumped in with both feet and a positive attitude. As far as my display, well, starting out I didn't have much money to buy all the things I knew I wanted or needed to make it look the way I desired, but for me, it was more important to get out there and the perfect set up would come with time.

Soap Doctor Soaps first craft show.

For my display, I took my wooden soap loaf molds, laid them upside-down, stacked them and then covered them with a piece of fabric. My soaps didn't sit flat, so if you bumped the table, they would topple. It was a fun balancing act. I made my signs out of a fence post that I cut into pieces, sanded and painted with chalk paint. Colorful chalk pens, a few plate stand from Hobby Lobby, a table cloth and I had my display. This first show was one of those that was a total bust. There was little to no foot traffic and on the way home, we blew a tire on my van. So, even the little sales I had made were spent on a new tire. But, I had fun! I enjoyed chatting with the other vendors around me and I learned a lot about the importance of eye contact, a smile and a hello. Most people stopped at my table only after I had engaged them. Yes, there were those that avoided looking me in the eye at all costs, but hey, that was ok by me.








I also learned about outdoors and summer in Houston. If you are from around here you are smiling because you know exactly what I'm about to say. If you aren't, well, let me paint a picture for you. It's hot here. No, not mildly hot or only hot when there isn't a breeze. It's HOT. Try 103 in the shade and stifling. After one all day outside event during the summer, I swore I'd not do that again. It was torture. Chock that one up to that learning curve.







My next display upgrade came in the form of wooden crates which I turned into display boxes. I found them at Home Depot and my husband installed shelves in them. A coat of blue paint later, and I was feeling like I had won the lottery. The wood I used for the shelves inside the crates was from a dismantled baby changing table a neighbor was getting rid of. Have I mentioned before how I love to reuse and recycle? Maybe not. But I do. A lot. I have been known to throw the kids in the car and cruise the neighborhood on trash day just in case I find something that can be upcycled. Another thing that got upgraded was my bath bomb display. As Christmas neared and my bath bomb sales began to rise, I needed more display room. So, I found a collapsible shelf at a garage sale, got some plastic bins at Dollar Tree, spray painted the lot of it, and voala! New bomb stand complete. Who says you have to spend tons of money?! I'm not saying my stuff looks extremely high end or anything. But it serves its purpose without breaking the bank. And that way, as my sales increase, I can upgrade little by little. Don't let the fact that you can't afford the vision in your head keep you from chasing the dream that is there. Be creative. Think outside the box. Use Pinterest. :)

Farmers Market and my new display set up.

But, my favorite thing of all, like I mentioned before, are the people. Several have stuck with me and I cherish the fact that I got to be a part of their lives, if it was even for a moment.
One was a lady that came to the farmers market one day. She was in her early to mid-sixties and she was looking at the soaps. She then confessed that she was going to buy one for her boyfriend. She turned a beautiful shade of pink as she breathlessly said that that was the first time she had said those words out loud. She went on to share with me that after being a widow for several years, she reconnected with her high school sweetheart and they had picked up where they had left off so many years ago. The sparkle in her eye, the spring in her step, those things you could see as she walked along. But the why for those two, I only learned because of my interaction with her over soap. What a gift.
Another was a family that visited my booth every event I had from November through December. They were addicted to my bath bombs. Outgoing and full of life, I enjoyed stories of family interactions, pedicures and the ins and outs of raising a pig for show at the FFA. I looked forward to seeing them each time I attended an even in their area. I know for me, I got so much more out of each encounter then the cash for my products.

So, as my busy season for craft shows comes around again, I look forward to my next brainstorm in display ideas. And even so much more, to the pptential of people met, stories told and memories that will be made in the process.