UK Craft Shows and the Hobby Crafter

Hi Crafters

The summer is here and crafting is, for most, on the backburner as holidays, gardening and outdoor activities take over.

So I thought I would talk about Craft Shows and how to make the most of them.

There is a lot of info and ideas on craft shows available on YouTube, with crafters willing to share their ideas and displays, and useful tips on making better sales, and these are always useful to add to your knowledge base. However a lot of the craft fayre posts are about American based Craft Fayres and I thought it might be useful to look at the UK, and also what you want and expect to get from a Craft Fayre. 

First of all let me say this is aimed at hobbiests rather than business crafters, and this makes a big difference. Whilst I still want to look as professional as possible there is little point in spending heaps on display items and costly stands if your stock is primarily small amounts of various craft items you have enjoyed making. What you enjoy making, and what you can sell for a profit are two very different things. 

So as a hobby crafter what are you looking for in  a Craft Show.

• You are looking to get rid of some of your hand-crafted items to make space in the craft room
• Hopefully make some money to purchase new craft items
• Meet new fellow crafters and exchange ideas
• Meet new customers who like what you make and build a customer base
• Find out about what is selling in the craft world and whether you can, or want to,  tap into that market  

As hobby crafter I never take a stall at a Craft Fayre that is outdoors, I just do not have the equipment or cover for outdoors and stock would quickly get damaged without good cover. Why do I not invest in  this equipment?. Good question. The answer comes back to be a hobby crafter and not a business. I do not make a huge amount of any one item, and I mostly like to make what I want to make and not be dictated by market forces.Therefore my turnover is not going to warrant the outlay.Neither is an expensive stall even if the number of visitors is huge. 

Here is a  good way to understand this concept.

If you rent a stall at a local Christmas Fayre that is very successful, it is going to cost approximately £100 a day, for one stall. In order to cover the cost of the stall, the travel to and from the venue, minimum wage for packing up the goods setting up, packing away and covering the stall for the day you will to need to make £220 profit. If you have a mark up of 100% your takings for one day need to be £440, with the average Fayre being open 10-4pm that is approximately £73 an hour, you need to make in sales. Ask yourself, is this likely given the average price of your goods. If your goods are in this much demand you will know, and you will also be a business seller not a hobby craft seller. 

If like me you are content being a  Hobby Craft seller but like the idea of other people enjoying your makes, making some additional craft money and making space in the craft room, or you want to sell your items to raise funds for your church or a local project, there are still tips and ideas that can help maximise your income from your hobby, and over the next couple of days we will look at them as well as different outlets for your goods. 

In my next post I will take a look at ideas and tips on selling your crafts in a way that suits the Hobby Crafter. If  there is any particular questions you have please ask, why not sign up to my blog and leave a comment. I will try to answer any questions and/or cover them in a future post .

We will be getting ready for Christmas Fayres now, so it is an idea time to think about your projects and makes with a view to taking a stall at a Fayre.

Happy Crafting 

Dee