My first fair...

A couple of weekends ago I took part in my first fair, it was a school fete rather than an actual craft fair but I saw it as a good chance to work out how to display my items and test out how it would all work for bigger fairs.

I didn't want to spend too much money on fancy displays and I also don't really like the industrial look of the usual jewellery displays so tried to do as much as I could with things I already had around the house with the addition of a few things.

My table featuring my bored looking assistant salesman for the day!

For my table covering I managed to get two sets of great heavy cream curtains that were perfect as being in four seperate pieces are really flexible for different table sizes and layouts. I applied my business name on one of them thinking it would hang down over the side of the table. As it turns out the tables were a lot lower than I thought they'd be (they were maybe mid thigh level) so I arranged it so the name sat on the top of the table instead so it could be seen as the sides would be well below eye level.

For the actual displays I had to change tact at the last minute. I'd got a hinged cork board I'd been intending on using for my earrings and a couple of other peices I was planning to put my necklaces and zipper pouches on; but I had painted them with blackboard paint hoping to be able to chalk on information/prices but for some reason the paint just wouldn't dry! So on the morning of the fair I had to go to Plan B - a small wooden unit and a chalkboard I usually have in my hall stood in. I actually really like the way the chalk board worked with my earrings and would probably use it again next time.

 You can see my chalkboard earring display and my mugtree keyring displays

Stock-wise I had quite a selection, my necklaces, earrings, bracelets, cufflinks, rings and brooches that are avaiable in my online shops; and also some t-shirt designs I've been working on, some lined zipper pouches in imported japanese fabric and furry cow fabric and some magnets sets. I'm planning to list a lot of these ranges in my online shops too as soon as I get some good photos taken. I'd also made up loads of keyrings and some phone charms as pocket money items seeing as it was a school fair.

On the left are my earrings, cufflinks, zip pouches and magnets. On the right, some t-shirts and my info/cards

I'd went expecting not to sell too much seeing as it was the first time I'd attempted a stall and also because it was a school fete. I was upstairs in the hall while a lot of the games and other stalls were outside, after lunchtime (we were near the canteen!) the footfall really dropped off but I'm still happy with how I did. I sold pretty much one of everything, and got an order in for two t-shirt designs. All in all I made more than I expected, especially seeing as I think I was the only stall there selling handmade items and also a lot of people took my business card so it was a great first event.