Saturday, April 18, 2009

Craft Show Countdown: Day 1

My first craft show in over a year is one week from today. I am SO nervous! Does anyone else get that way? I have a massive to do list and not nearly enough time to accomplish it. People frequently ask me how I get done everything I do. Here's a glimpse:

I have 5 children, 2 of which are still babies (22 months and 3 months old), so while they are awake I'm not able to spend really any time in my sewing room. It's in the basement, so it's a bit chilly down there, and my son doesn't like being down there at all so I reserve all sewing for when they are asleep or when my husband is home to keep an eye on them. That gives me about 2 hours during the day. My husband works second shift, so I also work from about 8:30pm (when all the kids are generally asleep) until he gets home at 11:30. Now, I also run a co-op group, so my duties for that (cutting fabric, sorting notions, compiling packages, etc.) also falls into that time, so I'm still trying to find the best balance to get everything done in a timely manner. via Flickr, booth belongs to Joyful Abode

Which brings me to craft show prep. Apart from the obvious need for product, today I'm worrying about setup. This show is indoors, in a school gym, so I don't need to worry about taking my tent or anything like that. I've not really displayed my children's clothing at previous shows, as I was just starting to dabble in that arena, so I'm trying to work out how to display them. I've been browsing craft show setups on Flickr, and I really like how in the above picture, she's used the lattice to create V's with the hanging bar at the bottom. I have some slatted closet doors here that aren't in use, so I think I'm going to build on her idea for displaying my clothing.

My husband made some cute little pegboard displays for my keyfobs before my last show, so I will definitely be using those again. I also have some baskets I'll be using to hold various things. One thing that's really important with craft shows is creating areas of visual interest to grab and hold a customer's eye. On tables, creating different heights is one way to do that. This table is a perfect example. This whole booth is absolutely stunning! Nice and bright, very eye catching, full without seeming overly cluttered. I love it!

via Flickr, booth belongs to Red Marionette
I think I'm starting to get a handle on this part, I have a layout all sketched out. Now, the dubious-to get my cutting table cleaned off by Friday morning as it is my display table as well!

Do you have any great tips for craft show prep? Pictures of your setup? Let me know!

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