I admit it –
I'm terrible at blogging.
I can't believe I
only wrote one post last year! I meant to keep you up to date –
particularly with news of upcoming craft markets. In reality,
everything keeps happening so fast, and I never get around to writing
about any of it! Allow me to fill you in on my whirlwind of a
Christmas.
I ended up doing
two craft markets in November, and made some major improvements to my
booth and selling strategy from last year. It worked! Here are
some tips I learned, and hopefully they will help any other crafters
out there who may stumble upon my blog!
1. APPEARANCE: I
browsed Pinterest for inspiration, and ended up using wooden crates
to build height and make my booth look more attractive. It was easier
to showcase my art on the “miniature shelves,” rather than piling
things up in baskets. Also, if I made more than one of the same item,
I only displayed one at a time so my display would not be too
crowded. Lastly, I chose a featured product, set it at a great price,
and used light to draw people's attention toward it.
2. PRICING: I
decided to round my prices to even $5, $10, $15 etc. so it would be
easier for customers, since I was only able to accept cash; also, I
kept in mind that last year, most of my potential customers found my prices to
be too high, so I purposely made products this year that I could sell
at affordable prices.
3. VARIETY: Last
year, I made several copies of the same three designs. I realised
that it took all the fun out of doing crafts - almost turning it
into a monotonous chore! This year, I made a huge range of different
products; not only was it more fun for me, but there were so many
more options for my customers to choose from!
3. CONNECTIONS:
At craft markets, I've found that it's more fun to meet other
crafters and make new friends, than to view all the other booths as
competition. It makes the event fun – even if you don't sell as
much as you hoped. I even learned some great tips from some of my new
crafting friends; it's more rewarding to be able to help each other
succeed, than to try on your own.
5. LOCATION: One
of the tips I learned from a fellow crafter is that outdoor markets
seem to have the best attendance. I have been to three indoor markets
now, and none of them were really that busy. Since I can't afford to
do any major shows, like the One-Of-A-Kind Show, I think I'll try an
outdoor market next – maybe this spring or summer!
And now, I'm
excited to announce...
...I've FINALLY
opened my Etsy shop!!!
I wanted to be
able to refer my craft market customers back to an online shop –
especially if they didn't end up purchasing anything at the market –
so I pushed myself to open my Etsy shop before my first November
show. The shop was more successful than I could have hoped! November
was the perfect time to jump right into Christmas-time madness! I was
kept so busy right through December, and I even mailed out an urgent
package right on Christmas Day! (Needless to say, I'm going to set my
get-it-in-time-for-Christmas deadline back a bit next year!)
Anyway, I am
astounded at how amazing Etsy is, so I would definitely highly
recommend it to any other crafter out there who is looking for
something to help their business take off!
What's next for
me in 2016? Well, I'm very happy to share that I've been hired to do
illustrations for the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada!
They are producing monthly children's stories that use a cute little
kitten to teach lessons about God. They are available on the C&MA
website to be downloaded and used as Sunday School lessons or bedtime
stories! Check them out here:
http://www.cmacan.org/stories/author/135
How about you? Do
you have any craft market or Etsy shop tips or success stories?
Please share them in the comments. :)
Until we meet
again,
Alison
Taylor-Harder :)
P.S. One of my
new crafting friends is Marion from SMITTEN. I met her and her
husband at one of the November craft markets, and they are so nice!!
She makes the most adorable miniature foods out of clay, and then
turns them into jewellery! I have a couple of pieces myself, and I
love them!! Check out her Facebook shop:
