My 2019 Craft Show Experience

 

    I have participated in a few craft shows in 2019, and I have learned a lot. There was an awesome show in a neighboring city that was great! Lots of vendors, lots of customers. Granted, it is a long standing craft show and it was in November, so there were a lot of holiday sales. The other was not large, but not the smallest I have ever done, but there were no customers even though it was in the beginning of December. I did another that just was not the venue for me and the crafts I create.

     The November show was great. The venue was very busy until about lunch time and sales and customers dwindled. The show was expensive and there were extra charges for tables and chairs, so I supplied my own. I operated at a loss, but gained some valuable experience. I have never done a show this large and was not sure what to expect. I have done shows in previous years, but I have been limited to sharing space with another person, which limited my inventory. In addition, I lack proper displays to allow me to display all of my inventory, so I had to pick-and-chose what inventory to place on the table.

     I made sure to have a sign (small one) with my business name, I had table cloths and business cards. I gave out as many cards as I could without being overly pushy. I believe I would have had more sales if I were able to offer more of a variety of my products, but that is just speculation though. I do plan on doing this show again next year, so I am already planning inventory and seeking display options that will suit my inventory.

     The December show was at a church. There were 2 large rooms with vendors and the spaces were a generous 10' x 12'. I had to bring a table, but they supplied chairs. The spaces being so large, made the room look sparse. Most people had 1 table. There were very few shoppers that came, due in part to there being a larger craft show in the same city on the same day. Most of the vendors did not sell a thing, very few made their table fees back. I came in just $2 under the table fee, so this show was also at a loss because of mileage, cost of goods sold, and time. I posted on Facebook that I would be vending there, as well as Instagram. I posted when I was there urging my personal friend list to come out and support local vendors if they were in the area. I got a text from my friend late that night stating that she had just seen the post and that she had not seen any advertising for this show, because she has been searching for local craft shows and had been attending most of the ones she found advertised. Other vendors were saying the same thing, that there was no advertising for this show, besides signs on the side of the road, right outside of the church.

     The Summer show I did was in August. This show was also a bust. I did not have to pay a space fee because it was a show that requested 20% of sales to cover the space. I am sure they would have added a cap to that cost if there were a lot of sales, but this venue was not for my merchandise. Many people did not have sales, or very little. The show was advertised as a Psychic Fair so this could have put some people off of the show. Or they simply did not know there were crafts. I am uncertain. I mostly go to this show to hand out with my best friend (sister). I had a loss because of my time and gas to get there, but I had done this show before, so I already know what to expect.

     All of this to say, that I leaned some hard lessons, but good lessons non-the-less. I am planning my 2020 show inventory already. I am trying to zero in on some inventory items that seemed to get the most attention at the shows I did vend at. There are some items that I did not carry that I will be carrying in the upcoming year. I am going to be adding all of my inventory to my website/Square and I will be carrying some consignment items from some other vendors that make things that I do not want to venture into. I make things they do not make, so it works out well.

   I have been doing a lot of reading about craft show vending and watching a lot of YouTube videos from vendors in different states and countries and I have gotten some great ideas, but I have notice that some do not have a good grasp of how to account for actual show costs vs. business costs. I am planning on a series of posts about general accounting for small business owners (vendors) to be able to calculate accurately the costs associated with a particular event and what are overhead costs (general business costs). I think this information would be beneficial to many people who currently participate in craft shows or want to start being a vendor.

*This is the a photo from the summer show.

How Crafting Has Helped Me

Crafting has helped me in many ways over the years, and will continue to help me in the years to come.

Mentally, crafting has been a great benefit in my life. I suffer, as many do, with anxiety. I do not like to sit still and have a hard time waiting in line, or at a doctor's office, because my mind is focused on the rest of the things I need to accomplish that day. I find myself getting agitated when I have long wait times for anything. Instead of it manifesting in anger and frustration, I channel it into something productive.

You can see me sitting in waiting rooms knitting. Many doctors end up being overbooked or running behind. Instead of me sitting in the waiting room, or exam room, messing with my phone. I am knitting or writing to be productive. I am accomplishing something where most people are playing on their phones or sitting complaining about the wait. I am more relaxed as a result which helps me mentally as well as physically by keeping my blood pressure and pulse rate down.

I knit or make lists while I am waiting for my children to get out of school or while they are playing on the playground after school. Again, I do not like to waste time, so again, I am doing something productive while handling my daily duties as a parent. I am not watching YouTube or playing some game on my phone. I am watching my kids and being productive. This again helps me to relax and be less anxious because something is being accomplished.

Knitting and crochet also helps with finger dexterity, muscle memory, mental awareness, pattern recognition, and problem solving. I believe this will be helpful in the future to possibly prevent Alzheimer's, and prevent arthritis.

Now these crafts often lead to a sedentary lifestyle because you tend to sit while crafting. This goes for knitting, crochet, cross stitch, beading, painting, drawing, and so on. But if you use craft time as a reward for activity, it helps to get you moving around. When I am at home, I use my craft time as a reward for many things. I won't knit until I have done (x) loads of dishes or I have to load the washer and dryer before I can crochet 5 rows. I will sit to make a set of stitch markers after cooking dinner, or make an earring after exercising/stretching for 10 minutes. And before I start the next project, I have to do some other chore on my list before I can do it. That has been beneficial to my physical health as well.

I feel that making crafts, whether it is designing or following a pattern, makes me a healthier person mentally and physically while making beautiful items to sell or for my family. I am a part of the online crafting communities in which I am one of many, but outside of that community it feels like knitting, crochet, embroidery and other crafts are no longer something people care about. I have heard too many times, "I don't have the patience to do that", or "I just don't have time to do that" but in the same breath don't want to pay what the item costs the artisan to create because they can buy something at a chain store.

I would suggest of you are someone who suffers from anxiety, tachycardia, high-blood pressure, or you find that you are often easily angered, you try to find a craft that you would like to learn and  practice. See if you have the same type of outcome as I have had in reduction of anxiety and rapid heart rate. This is all my own personal experience, you may or may not have the same outcome, but really, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Who knows, you may just find a hobby you really like.

New Directions, New Inspirations

I have deleted all previous posts on this blog because, honestly, they are no longer relevant. I am embarking on some new life choices and a new business direction. I know, I know, I have said this before. But I have been working hard at developing a new business plan and strategy.

Over the past few years, there have been many distractions keeping me from achieving my goals. I have been without a functioning car, struggling with financial, physical, and mental limitations. Family and friends have been encouraging and discouraging. I wasn't feeling like myself and the "nay sayers" have been getting into my head. But I have decided to cut all that negativity out and get myself in motion.

I will be a vendor at the First Metaphysical Church of Davison, MI on August 10, 2019 for Hippie Fest 2019. I will be selling hand knit and crocheted items as well as launching the newest part of my business Fiber Education! I will start offering Knitting and Crochet classes in Genesee County. I am planning on scheduling time at the local Hobby Lobby on Linden Road starting in Mid August. The first class I will be offering is Knitting 101 - Learning the Basics. This course will consist of learning basic terminology of the craft. Casting on, Knit stitch, Purl stitch and Bind off. I will be offering a free skein of cotton yarn, knitting needles, patterns designed by myself, and a surprise gift. I am planning the classes to be a series so that people can learn various cast on, bind off, stitch and project elements. People who want to sign up for the whole series will be offered a discount price on the complete courses, but the individual courses will be available to accommodate people who already know the basics.

I will also be planning a Knit & Crochet 911 Knit night that will be offered at a low rate for people who might be having difficulty with the courses or anyone who would like to sit and craft together for an hour or two or run into a problem in their project even if they are not taking courses.

The other class I will be offering is Crochet 101 - Learning the Basics for Left and right handed individuals, in which we will cover basic terminology, Chain stitch, Single Crochet, Half-double Crochet, and Double Crochet. Also included will be a free skein of yarn, a crochet hook, pattern, and a surprise gift. There will also be a series being offered and same discounts will apply as with the knitting course.

If you would like more information about the classes or would like to register, please contact me.

I also sell my crafts. I knit & crocheted cowls, hats, washcloths, dishcloths, mittens, fingerless mitts, and other items. I also make crocheted stuffies including a cow, llama, and bunnies to name a few. I also make beaded jewelry and stitch markers and I will be offering sewn project bags soon.

Soon I will be posting links to my stores and to my Pinterest where you can see what I have been making, what is for sale "ready to ship" and what will be available for consignment. I will also have more information on my classes and a link for registration and payment.

I will be more active posting here to keep everyone updated on projects, classes and information. I want to contribute and be more active in our crafting community online and in person.

Here are a few of the items I have made this year.

Hand Knit Progress keepers and Keyring Mini socks

Crochet Cows

Crochet Llama

Beaded Native Earrings

Crochet Bunny

 Hand Knit Lace Weight Mini Sock Earrings (100% Merino Wool)

Glass Chicken Stitch Markers and Progress Keeper

Glass Skull Bead Stitch Markers and Progress Keepers

Acrylic Bead Stitch Markers

Dachshund Progress Keeper

Color Work Knee High Sock - Knit