Weekend Craft Fair Info

Holiday Craft Fair Announcement

Who: Babycakes Crafts and 50+ craft vendors

When: Saturday, November 19th, 2011

Where: Wilcox High School, 298 Oregan Road, Meriden, CT

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Raffles, bake sale, handmade gifts and more...

From the Archives - Tips for a Successful Craft Fair

Since I spent a good portion of the night making zucchini bread, here is a post from my archives. For you beginners, here are some things to consider before your next craft show, to ensure it is a success!

1. Check with the craft fair coordinator to find out what you need to bring and what will be provided; chairs, tables, tablecloths, etc. 

2. Be comfortable and prepared - wear comfy shoes and layers in case you get warm after set-up and some healthy snacks as there are rarely any provided. 

3. Decide how you will accept payment. If you accept credit cards, make sure you have your supplies and an electrical outlet at your booth. If cash only, have plenty of change and never leave your cash box unattended.

4. Make sure all items are priced and signs are visible. Customers don't like to waste time searching for prices, they are looking for the items that catch their fancy and are easily accessible. 

5. Be a happy seller! Wearing a genuine smile and having a good time are among the best ways to draw customers to your booth. Bring a friend, string some colorful lights and relax while enjoying all the compliments that will surely come your way. 

Good luck with your next show!

Craft Fairs & Things to Do in Connecticut

Are you looking for ideas for ways to spend your upcoming weekends in Connecticut? Some of these are crafty and some are just plain fun. Read on...

June 11th - Lutz Children's Museum  Touch-A-Truck Event in Manchester CT, as part of Heritage Day. Includes free admission to the museum from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

June 11th - Gallery on the Green in Litchfield CT, featuring over 100 artisans and crafters. No admission charge, event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

June 18th - Craft/Vendor Fun Fair in Colchester, CT, sponsored by the Colchester PTO. Lots of events for kids, many of which are free. Click here to download the application if you would like to participate as a vendor.

June 24th-25th - Strawberry Festival in Bethlehem CT, includes children's activities, a community tag sale and all things strawberries...

Keep an eye out for future posts with more fun & inexpensive ideas for your summer weekends!

Adventures in Sewing

Sometimes I find fabric and even though I don't know what I'm going to do with it, I have to have it. That was the case with this adorable cupcake fabric I found at Joann Fabrics. 

Since I'm trying to perfect my sewing skills, or at least get a little bit better, I bought a simple apron pattern and got to work. I used these fun, over-sized brown buttons that I saved from a ruined pair of corduroys, for decoration. Here is the finished product:

I am very happy with the way this turned out - so happy that I refuse to cook in it! Instead I will wear this when I go to craft fairs, especially since the front pocket will be very convenient to hold change. It's not exactly a difficult project but I'm proud of my novice sewing skills.

Craft Fairs vs Flea Markets

Even though I normally love Mondays, today has just beaten me up! It started off well enough but when I opened my washing machine after the first load of clothes this morning - I realized that the brightly colored place mats I had recently salvaged from my Nana's house had run all over each other. No longer looking like fun fiesta decor, they now looked like I had let a small child near them with a box of markers.

My day didn't necessarily get any worse so that's good. I delivered the birthday gift that our subcontractor had ordered and he was thrilled with the results. His girlfriend's birthday is in 3 days so I can't wait to hear what he says after that!

Here's my question for all of you today - it was suggested to me that I try selling my crafts at a flea market. I've thought about it before but usually talk myself out of it thinking that everyone will try to haggle with me and I'll see my hard work sell out along with my spirit. What do you think? 

Have you sold your crafts at flea markets? How are they different than the average outdoor craft fair in the spring/summer? Do you have any tips or suggestions? Please let me know in the comments section - I'm going to post this question on Twitter too and I'll update with any great advice I get...

First Craft Fair of 2011

I'm happy to report that today was a success! The leopard print and zebra print decoupage candle holders were the first items sold. I was so happy that I experimented with those, during my crafty afternoon with Allison a few weeks ago. The tile coasters generated some interest so I'm going to put them in my Etsy store this week, which is in desperate need of some TLC. Here is a picture of my table - 

Today was my first time tweeting during a craft fair and it was fun - in fact, the whole day was fun but now I'm exhausted! After treating my hubby to dinner, it is time to watch a movie and step away from the crafts...

But first, as promised, here are pictures of my mother-in-laws Easter baskets, which I will be listing in my Etsy store tomorrow -

top view

front

Getting Ready for Maple Fest

It's the night before my first craft fair of 2011 and everything is exactly as it should be - I don't have my pricing done, I still need to seal a plate and I almost forgot change for small sales. This happens every time and yet I never learn, it must be part of some weird ritual...

 

My mother-in-law will be with me tomorrow at the craft fair - she is my crafting partner-in-crime.  She makes these beautiful Christmas baskets with white lights (see picture - although it's a little blurry) and beaded lamp pulls. Obviously, she won't bring any winter items tomorrow but she is experimenting with a few Easter baskets so I will post pictures of those before the end of the weekend. 

I finally went to the store to make change (why does it always feel weird asking the clerk for singles?) bought whole wheat blueberry muffin mix for breakfast treats and now I have to print out my price tags. For some of my larger items, I like to include ideas for where the buyer can use the item or who it would make a good gift for. My darling hubby was nice enough to pick up pizza tonight so as soon as I'm fed, I need to get to work!

I will probably post late tomorrow night but if you follow me on Twitter @babycakescrafts, I will be tweeting tomorrow, all day from Maple Fest. 

Happy Crafting!

Decoupage Light Switches w/ Fabric

Since I'll be displaying a lot of new items at my next craft fair, I decided to also try a few small items as fun add-ons. It's easy at the holidays to have little extras on the table like handcrafted cards, stocking stuffers and moderately priced items for hostess gifts. In the spring, it's a bit tougher for me to find small but quality items so I decided to makeover a few ordinary plastic light switches with a fabric decoupage cover & sequin accents, to see if there is any interest in this moderately priced home decor item.

I tweeted earlier that I was in the mood to decoupage every light switch in the house and I was only half kidding. Here are two light switches I finished tonight, to bring to Maple Fest but if they do not sell, I will definitely put them up in my craft room. I just found the gray fabric with the pink birds in a remnant pile and it's my new favorite!

 

More updates soon - have a crafty weekend!

Weekend Project Plans

The weekend is almost here, thank goodness, and I've got to take full advantage of any extra time because I have Maple Fest right around the corner! On a side note, I'm looking forward to bridesmaid dress shopping for the wedding of our two friends, Ron and Becky, who are getting married this summer. 

On the agenda: 

• I have got to get to Michael's this weekend! Not only do I need a few project items but I also got an email that Easter ribbon is 50% to all Michael's cardholder members.

• To finish the hot pink decoupage candle holders that are currently drying. I'm going to finish them off with a turquoise ribbon that has hot pink dots on it. With some LED tealights, they will be good to go for the craft fair, along with the zebra ones that I posted earlier in the week.  

• I ordered a bunch of wall paper cutouts from Wallies.com so I'm going to see what I can do with those and the leftover slate I have from my grandma.

• This might be a long shot but I have a denim jacket that I would like to decorate for Spring and possibly list on my Etsy store (everything else may have to wait so I can see what I sell...) 

• I'm not sure what else I'll get to but I'll be sure to post pictures by the end of the weekend. 

Thanks for reading & please follow Babycakes Crafts on Twitter @babycakescrafts for more updates!

Craft Show Announcement

Babycakes Crafts is excited to be participating in the craft fair at the annual Hebron Maple Festival!

When: 03/12/2011 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Where: 21st Hebron Maple Festival

            Gilead Congregational Church, Hebron, Connecticut 06248

What: I'll be displaying many decoupage items including decorative wall hangings, candle holders and bracelets as well as tile coasters, wine charms, painted slates, painted plates & much more. 

The Maple Festival is a highly anticipated event each year, with plenty to do for a weekend of family fun!

www.hebronmaplefest.com