Hello to everyone reading this post

I will be participating in my first craft show on the 29th and 30th of September and am very excited.  I will be renting a 10x10 booth space which includes two tables and two chairs.  I am wondering about the cloth to cover the tables.  Do I buy dark fabric at a store and make it myself or is there a special place I can buy it?  I want to make my booth as special as possible.  I want to stand out from the bunch.  I am hoping there are some craft show experts that can offer their great advice.  I don't want to just display my pieces on typical displays.....I want to be creative.  I am excited to see what ideas you guys have to offer.  If it helps you can take a look at my website www.elitebeadcreations.com.  Thanks in advance for your help!!!

I have never been to a craft show!  Seems odd, but it's true.  But I would say you'll have better luck at a fabric store for your cloths than you would trying to buy tablecloths at the store.  Most tablecloths have patterns...which you may not want..or you may, in which case a store like Homegoods or TJ Maxx might be a good place to start.  Good luck!!

Thanks Audrey

Please, take pictures of your booth and share them!  Good luck!

No tips?   I will definitely take pics but I need help...am for the most part quite lost.  All I got so far were these little wooden trays that I got at Michaels which I painted and covered the bottom with this pretty paper.  I made these for people to use as "shopping carts."  Can you picture them? They came out very nice. 

Sorry!  Never having done a craft show....I don't have a clue.  All I've been to is the occasional bead show - and I couldn't tell you what any table looked like - I was only interested in the gems.  A craft show would probably be different.  Maybe a table cloth of deep red velvet (or a velveteen) with small boxes that you've used or display draped with pieces of black and white satin.  Anything that catches a passerby's eyes will bring them in for a closer look - perhaps small lights that you can have pointed at a special display of your favorite pieces?  Although I've seen your merchandise, you'd need a lot of lights!  LOL.

Your trays sound great!

I haven't actually done a craft show with my jewelry (I'm not quite there yet), but I have done shows with my sister's gift baskets and I have been to a lot of craft shows.  So, FWIW, I have the following suggestions -

Some of the nicest jewelry tables I have seen have height - you need to get at least some of your pieces vertical somehow.  This makes them not only more visible but also more appealing.  If you can't afford actual jewelry busts, get creative.  At one craft show I saw one woman draping colored cloths over rolls of paper toweling to display necklaces.  Another one used a tree branch in a plant pot to hang bracelets.  Even a small gift box or shoebox wrapped in pretty paper can be used as a platform for a display.  Use your imagination.

Make sure you have some kind of additional lighting.  The fluorescent lighting most places that host craft shows have is inadequate.  I'm not saying you have to go out and buy several OTT-lites or anything like that, just get some kind of clear, white light. 

Freestanding mirrors are a good idea too, so your customers can try on the jewelry and see what it looks like on them.  I saw a lot of jewerly tables at craft shows with no mirrors.  Women were taking their compacts out of their purses trying to see what the jewelry looked like on them.

Lastly, as for your table decorations, keep it simple so as not to distract from your jewelry.  If you have "company" colors, try to use those or if not, use your favorite colors.  Black or white always works as a table top, and you can use any color skirting with either one.  My sister and  I sold the gift baskets at holiday shows...we had a white table covering with gold threads running through it and since it was the holidays, we did red and green skirting.  It looked very pretty.

HTH and good luck!!  Take lots of pictures!!  :D 

I was just joking...but thanks for your tips!

Thank you Nancy for taking the time to read my post and for offering all that great advice!

Hi Jimena,

I've never personally participated in a craft show, so I don't have any original suggestions. However, I do recommend looking through the BeadStyle reader tips. There are some great storage and display tips. My personal favorite is the "framed works of art" tip (#5 on the list). I think all of the editors were jealous of that one — it's such a great idea!

I hope you can find something useful!

Lindsay 

Thank you so much Lindsay...the "framed works of art" idea is wonderful!!! I love it =)  I will be going to home depot today to buy the mesh screen and then off to Marshalls to get some beautiful frames. Once again thanks...now I just need to find a great idea to display my necklaces and bracelets.

i do craft shows quite often and have some suggestions for your tables.  for tableclothes- you want something neutral so you do not "lose" the color of the jewelry. also, most shows want you to have your tables draped to the floor to cover anything you might be storing underneath like boxes, etc.  i use grey felt from joann fabrics.(you can buy it by the yard, and it is wide-60  inches).  to dress it up a bit, i found some cool brightly colored felt butterflies at micheals that i fabric glued on to the front of the table cloth.  it helps to identify your booth.  i hear people say they "will be back. it's the one with the butterflies". i guess i might have to think about changing it seasonally, although i like them even if they are out of season...

it is true about lighting.  it is not great.  i struggle with this alot.  most shows i have been to do not have electrical outlets for you-or you have to pay extra to use it, and then you need to pre-arrange that for the floor set-up. i wish there is a way to have a battery operated lamp!  (anyone with suggestions?)

try to get a corner booth anywhere you can so that you have more "frontage" to deal with.  many times people won't come all the way into your booth-they just sort of look in as they walk by.

for display, keep it simple.  again, too much fuss is a distraction.  i really like the way jewelry looks hanging on a tree branch, but people won't notice it.  they see though the branch.  you need a backdrop. i use old picture frames with fabric mattes to display. it is more unique than some wholesale boards/necks, and i can do some different colors so that people can see what matches.  believe it or not, people don't know how to match. they also seem to need matching necklaces and earrings.  they can't picture it if it doesn't "come" that way.

hope this helps some.  anymore questions, let me know!

i forgot something- be set up before the start time of the show.  sounds like a no brainer, i know.  but people come EARLY.  at least here they do.  if a show starts at 9, be ready to go by 8:15 or so.  then take a couple of minutes and check out what is around you.  we like to take a "walk-a-bout" b4 each show.

 There have been a lot of great tips for all of us wanting to do a show.  Thanks for all your generous input.  I've been doing one show in the fall for the last 3 years.  This October will be my 4th year and my set up changes each time.  I've found tables that are about waist high show off jewelry better than lower tables.  I use 6 inch bed raisers under the feet of my tables to give height.  I also have one table without the risers for "just for fun" jewelry.  This differentiates the less expensive items from the finer items.  The different heights of mdse is very important for interest.  I use sturdy boxes for height and drape them with a colored fabric.  My tables are draped in black crushed velour.  Always looks great and can be wadded up in a ball and not get all wrinkled.  If you have a business card, it's good to use the same colors on your table so you can get known for your colors.  For bracelets, I've found the commercial bracelet "hump" to show them off best.  I'm not sure what it's actually called, but it's about 8 inches long and is a half circle.  The bracelets lay beautifully over it.  Neck boards, though mundane, seem to show off necklaces the best.  I've tried manzanita branches, and though it's artistic and pretty, I agree with girlygirl, people see right through the display.  Anyway, I'm rambling so I'll say best of luck to you, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with. 

ybb

Marcy 

I have done only a couple of craft shows, at my kids school around Christmas.  I can only sell things I make for under $5.00 during school and can bring out more expensive items after school is over.  Most of the vendors that sell jewelry use white table covers (me included).  Last year one woman used black and another red.  The one using black table covers, I have to say, sold more jewelry and other items.  Even though she had purchased her jewelry to resell there and it was cheesy~she sold more!  Hmmm!

If I do the show this year, and I probably will...It is so cute to see the kids shop for gifts...I am changing my table cover to black (and I also put decoration on the front of my booth it does help get peoples attention).  Also, I will use other displays as suggested here.  For kids they like the ones that move....I figure you are not selling to kids, of course, but even the parents and teachers liked the moving displays.  We were not allowed to bring extra lighting and the moving displays helped to make things shine more (Gym lighting is not good at all!).  (Moving displays~spinning earring racks, and my DH rigged a display for bookmarks with one of our kids old toys which I decorated to hide it, LOL I thought it was silly but it helped sell the bookmarks!)  I use height displays as well for ornaments and other non jewelry items.

I do not sell the pricey items at the show, no one buys.  They all look and comment and they do take business cards, but that is it.  Not a show to sell these at, but at least they can see what I do.

Thank you girlygirlbeads for all your valuable ideas.  Do you buy chance have any pictures of your displays that you can share? I hope you do

Thanks to you as well Marcy for offering your ideas =)  Do you have pics of your displays?

Thanks Kelly.....I definitely will be using black table coverings!

Hey Jimena,

How did that craft show go????

where are the pictures?