Last weekend, I had the pleasure of participating in a two-day craft show run by the Erie Guild of Craftsmen. It was a wonderful experience, and I already can’t wait to do it again next year!
The craft show featured a wide variety of crafters and skilled artisans, including jewelry makers, quilters, crochet artists, seamstresses, woodworkers, and more. There were also vendors selling handmade holiday ornaments and other Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas related items. There were also some especially fun crafts for sports fans–such as the “Bad Call Bricks” made by the Guild President, Evelyn Mayer and team-themed blankets, pillows, and other awesome crafts made by the skilled artisans of the guild!
I was particularly impressed by the quality and creativity of the crafts on display. I saw everything from beautiful handmade jewelry to intricate quilts to unique wood carvings and 3D printed items. I was also glad to see that there was a wide range of price points, so there was something for everyone.
In addition to shopping, the craft show also benefits a charity and this year that organization was the Quilts of Valor group. The members of that organization make beautiful quilts to give to nominated servicemembers, whether on active due, reserves or veteran status. Each year the guild votes on a different charitable organization to support, but this year’s pick was dear to me personally as I myself have one of their quilts!
I also had the opportunity to perform live pottery demonstrations and sell my own high-quality mugs and ceramics. I was thrilled with the response to my work and had an excellence audience of other potters and those that just love to watch a wheel throwing! I sold a few pieces and received a lot of positive feedback. It was so rewarding to meet people who appreciate ceramic arts, pottery, my work and who were excited to take home something handmade by a local ceramic artist.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience at the craft show. It was a great opportunity to meet other crafters, showcase my work, and connect with potential customers and other ceramic artists. I would highly recommend participating in a craft show to anyone who is looking for a fun and rewarding experience.
Here are a few tips for having a successful craft show experience:
- Choose the right craft show for you. Consider the location, the types of crafters who will be participating, and the target audience.
- Also be sure to consider bringing a variety of priced items so that everyone has an opportunity to take home a handmade treasure.
- Create a professional-looking booth. Display your work in a way that is both attractive and organized.
- This particular craftshow is a very popular one with lots of crafters, limited space and tight rules on set up, so our “booth” was a little bit limited on how it could be set up.
- Be friendly and approachable. Greet customers with a smile and be happy to answer their questions.
- A craftshow is a great place to build connections!
- Offer a variety of payment options. Make it easy for customers to purchase your work by accepting credit cards, cash, and mobile payments.
- Empire of Mud accepts cash, credit cards, and even cash app!
- Another recommendation is to offer to ship the product to them so that they don’t have to worry about carrying the piece with them through the show, or it can be sent to a friend, loved one, or colleague as a gift!
- Promote your participation in the craft show on social media and in your local community.
- This is an area that Empire of Mud will be seeking to improve on. We are already designing the social media postings for our next show in November! Check the Events page for more information on all our upcoming shows and live events.
I hope these tips help you have a wonderful experience at your next craft show! If you have tips, please share them so we can grow together as a community!