creative ideas for craft Fair art market display

Creative Ideas For Displaying Your Work At A Craft Fair
Tips and Pics 

If its your first craft fair then your not going to want to spend a fortune on exspensive display equipment. You don't know whats going to be popular and how much of one thing you are going to sell so don't go guns a blazing and buy a load of stuff that dosnt work on the day. It is helpful to have a display that is versatile enough for your stock. Don't forget as a creative person you will always be coming up with new ideas and things you will make and sell. There are lots of solutions that don't cost the earth and i have some creative ones where you even get to recycle so don't throw out those old newspapers just yet.

Depending on what you are crafting will define the look you want to achieve for your stall so decide this first it will help you to be more defined and focused. Going for a theme helps this, maybe carry that theme onto your packaging. It could be a theme based on your craft name or just the kind of stuff you like to make.

Remember if your making your own displays bare in mind that it needs to be sturdy, there is nothing more off putting to customers when a display is rocking all over the place. People will not dare touch your stuff in the fear the whole lot will topple over. Make it user friendly where people can touch and feel your stuff. Remember they have come to buy handmade and to me i want to touch and feel what I'm buying. Another thing to think about is it an indoor or outdoor venue? This can make a massive difference to your display. Outdoor there maybe no electric and you are in the elements.Think about a gazebo not just in case of rain but the sun can be just as bad and you don't want to be going home with sunstroke. The best gazeboes are the ones that pop and click up. Remember you may be doing all the setting up on your own so its got to be easy. Gazeboes also give you an extra display tool because you can hang stuff from the rafters. Indoor venues can sometimes be smaller so make sure you ask how much room you will have. Always ask what your getting for your money e.g. are there toilets? it may seem silly but i know my sister has been to some poorly run craft fairs before.

To me being able to see how much something costs is vital. I make sure that i price everything, sometimes i have found it off putting when iv had to ask how much everything is on a stall. You don't have to in your face about it but it does hold a baring on people walking off. Your stall may look so good people may assume that your out of their price range and if you need to nip to the loo a fellow stall holder can easily look after your stall.

Tresel tables are great, make sure they are easy to put up and take down. I got a great one from Bunnings warehouse. It is light weight and very easy to put up and a great price. I always think it looks nicer with a table cloth. It just gives it a more professional finished look. Try not to use anything to patterned because it will distract from your crafts.

This is where all your old newpapers come in handy. These are two basks i made from cardboard boxes and paper mashie.
I started off with one big and one smaller box. I carved a slight tapper into the boxes where the waist would be with a craft knife. I used an old bra to give the bust shape and packed them with newspapers. To get the neck i used an old bottle and carboard to connect the shoulders. At this point it looks quite hideous but don't worry it all gets smoothed out with the layering of paper mashie. The next stage is to mixx up flour and water, this is your paste. I them paint the mixx onto ripped stripes of newspaper and cover the whole bodice. Let this dry then you can use pritty craft paper to cover it again this is your final layer. You can add a finishing touch of clear varnish to seal the deal.

I think its a nice personal touch to have a little sign just saying what you make maybe a little about yourself. You will be surprized how people will be interested. When you buy handmade you are buying something someone has made by hand with love and care, it is only natural that it will interest people. 

Below you can see i added a little graphics to the top of the bust.  I was displaying vintage broaches so i use some vintage images to set the scene. The stars i attached to wire to give it a floating effect.

The great thing about these manikins is that you can pin any thing to them, i do think they work well with displaying jewellery. I use dress making pins. Pins with the perl heads give a great vintage look and the paper mashie construction makes it so easy to pin into.

Notice boards work well too, i painted tree branches
on mine and used it to pin jewellery and key rings onto. I got my other half to make some legs for the notice board so i could stand it up on its own.

I think it gives a stall interest if there are lots of different levels, if your stall is in a crowed market place you want people to still be able to see it from a distance. You want it to look interesting, don't choose to many colour that are monatone.

This is a old picnic basket i picked up from the salvation army shop it was only $6 and works well with children's items. Its gives a playfull touch and you can store your stock in it too.

Again another cheap buy, this wooden basket was from a garage sale $3, i just covered the handle with material, painted it with a wash of white and added two star images with PVA to give it a retro feel.

This was a large pot again from a garage sale i filled it with stones to give it some weight, collected lots of sticks to go into the pot. I then covered the pot in paper. I added wire which i wrapped around the sticks and used those small cute craft pegs you can buy to give it a washing line effect. Perfect for hanging your little creations on. I gave the whole lot a once over with white spray paint.

I will add to this post when i come up with any new ideas so get following xx & good luck if you have an event coming up.