Planning for a Craft Show

Thanks to my son-in-law, I have found out 5 months in advance that there
will be a craft show in a nearby town in late June. The local volunteer
fire departments of our county are having a Chili Cook-off at a city
park. This year, they have really expanded it to include the craft show
and other attractions. With that in mind, I am now planning ahead for
the show.

It has been many years since I have prepared for and sold at a craft
show. The crafts sold have changed since I did them on the west coast.
I have found that geography also brings about changes. What was popular
at shows where I lived back then are not popular here. So, I am having
to really take a good look at the options I have. About the time of the
craft show, the town has their Pioneer Days celebration and a folk Music
Festival within weeks of each other. There is generally craft shows
scheduled around those events. Those events give me the best ideas of
what to make.

So, I am now planning it out and making choices. I have a few crafts
that I am considering. I need to make samples to see how much time they
take and calculate costs to see what would be best. I have already
planned on some that will use recycled items. One is a little girl's
crocheted purse with a small baby doll inside. The purse is a simple
craft that uses the bottom portion of a plastic bottle to form part of
the purse. I remember having one like it as a child and loved it.

One part of craft show preparations from years before that I will be
doing again is being sensible in both the craft choices and the quantity
of each. I make only items that I can use or can give as gifts if they
do not sell. I keep the number of each item low enough also that I
won't be left with a tote full of crafts to store if I don't sell as
many as hoped. Another quick tip that always served me well was to have
a small item for boys and girls that costs 50¢ or less. Kids love to be
able to buy a small item and the sales for those can add up quickly.