Christmas Craft Shows or Fairs: How to Attend, How to Sell

Posted by Caley on November 18th, 2009 at 05:00am

Of course, we highly recommend that our readers make their own Christmas gifts and decorations this season. In fact, keep an eye out at FaveCrafts for an upcoming Homemade Holiday Gift Guide to be organized by recipient. If you cannot find the time to make all your Christmas presents this year or if you want to support the crafting community, check out some of the local christmas craft shows or fairs going on in your area. These fairs are a great way to meet fellow crafters and can inspire your own creativity. If you find a crafter whose work you like, you can propose craft swaps with any un-sold merchandise. Exchange homemade ornaments for Christmas for example. Check your local paper for upcoming craft fairs.  Here are some online resources to help you find local christmas craft shows or fairs:

• fairsandfestivals.net
• Craft Fairs on FestivalNet.com
• indiecraftshows.com
• indiecraftfairguide

Featured Christmas Craft Shows or Fairs:

Renegade Holiday Sale Chicago- December 5-6 Pulaski Park Fieldhouse

Renegade Holiday Sale San Francisco- December 19-20 Fort Mason Center, Herbst Pavilion

Pennsylvania Christmas Craft & Gift Show- December 2-6 PA Farm Show Complex

Country Folk Art Show Pleasanton, CA- November 20-22- Alameda County Fairgrounds
In you would like to sell some of your crafts, you probably still have time to sign-up as a vendor at the smaller, local Christmas markets. You can sell your homemade ornaments, Christmas cards, jewelry, knit creations, and much more. Many craft fairs require vendor applications with an application fee. The fee varies depending on the size of the show.  Most Christmas craft fairs are held indoors and will provide a table for set-up. Larger craft fairs will require more extensive booth set-up, but the application deadline for larger shows is likely already passed. Here are some tips to selling at local Christmas craft shows or fairs:

• Buy a tablecloth to cover the table which reaches to the floor. You can store boxes, packaging material and extra items to sell under the table.
• Purchase inexpensive tabletop shelving or display units to bring crafts up to eye-level. You can use inexpensive plastic cubes and cover with holiday fabrics. Use solid fabrics over busy, patterned fabrics, so as not to distract buyers from your crafts.
• Add holiday accents such as small Christmas lights or garland to your table. Decorate your tablecloth with iron-on ornaments.
• To display hanging jewelry, place a square of wire mesh, holiday fabric or burlap inside a table-top picture frame. You can use silver and gold frames or paint a wood frame in holiday colors. Hang jewelry inside the picture frames from pins or earrings can be poked through any of the fabrics.
• Hang homemade Christmas ornaments from tabletop Christmas trees.
• To display homemade Christmas cards, set up your table to look like a mantel, with cards displayed along the top and stockings hanging down from the front.
• Provide gift-wrapping services as an incentive to purchase your crafts. Make your own wrapping paper, bows and gift tags before the show. Put up a sign on your table that says “gift-wrapping available.”

Tags: Christmas, fairs, festivals

Under Christmas Tags: Christmas, fairs, festivals