My First Outdoor Craft Fair

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a Pink Day Craft fair at a local nursery to support breast cancer research. This was my first outdoor craft fair and a completely different experience from the indoor fairs I've done in the past. For starters, the space was 10 ft x 10 ft, a much larger space than I was used to. Second, as a paper crafter I was a bit concerned over how my products would fair in the elements. Thankfully I was well prepared with extra adhesive just in case!

Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and the day ended up being rainy and cool but I was prepared thanks to canopy sidewalls I purchased from my local sporting goods store and weight plates I borrowed from my neighbor! There were certainly some scary moments for some of the other vendors when the wind picked up though.

This is the view on the left side of my tent. On this table I displayed my paper rose topiaries, fall light blocks, candy treats and prepared card box sets.

On the back wall I included old screen doors to hang my wreaths and framed products. I brought the wrought iron plant stand from my home to give customers ideas on how to display the topiaries and frames. It made the space feel homey!

The right side of my tent displayed my Halloween light blocks, cards, gift card holders, and more treats! My only regret of the show is that I didn't have electricity to show off how awesome the glass blocks are! They certainly were the hit of the show and have been very popular on my Etsy store, MichellesPaperMagic, too!

Overall I'm very pleased with how my space turned out and received many compliments from both crafters and customers! My husband and son were away for a baseball tournament but thankfully my parents were able to help with my other kids and booth setup...oh, and to bring me lunch and hot cocoa...it was cold!

The best part of whole day had to be the people I met and talked to. Here I am (the one in the hat) with a lady I chatted with for quite a long time. Turns out her daughter and I used to work together years ago. I can't remember how we figured that one out but it was certainly one of the highlights of the day for me!

The event was a lot of work to prepare for and made for a very long and tiring day but I would gladly do it again! There is just something about sharing my paper passion with others that makes me so incredibly happy! Oh, and the sales are a pretty good perk too!

I hope to see you at my next craft fair!

~Michelle Battitori