Craft fair checklist for makers

Not every show suits every maker. A little research before you apply saves a weekend you'd rather spend at your bench.

• Check who attends: read the show's past photos, vendor lists, and reviews to see if your work fits the crowd.
• Confirm the booth fee and what it includes — table, chairs, electricity, wifi, and parking all vary.
• Estimate your realistic sales for the day against the fee, travel, and materials so the math works.
• Pick a show close enough to home that setup and teardown stay manageable.

Applications open early and fill fast. Getting your paperwork together once makes every future application faster.

• Prepare a vendor application with clear photos of your work and a short bio.
• Save the organizer's contact details and the payment deadline for your booth fee in one place.
• Check whether the fair or your local jurisdiction needs a business license, seller's permit, or food handling paperwork — and mark those deadlines.
• Get liability insurance if the show requires it, and keep the certificate handy.
• Once accepted, note the load-in time, setup window, and teardown rules for your calendar.

Your stock is the show. Count it before you pack so you know exactly what leaves home and what comes back.

• Decide how many items per category you want on the table, then make that number.
• Price everything and tag it before the fair — pricing on the spot slows the line.
• Print or write clear signs for prices and anything that needs explaining.
• Pack a small supply of extras: bags, business cards, care cards, and a price list.
• Record your starting counts so you can compare against what's left at the end of the day.

Customers browse with their eyes first. A tidy, well-lit, waist-high display sells more than a crowded table.

• Lay out your table at home: taller pieces at the back, small items near the front edge, price signs facing the aisle.
• Gather risers, crates, or shelves for height, and a backdrop or banner if the booth allows one.
• Confirm how you'll take payments — card reader charged, cash box with change, receipts planned.
• Assemble a day-of kit: extension cord, tape, scissors, pens, first-aid basics, water, snacks, sunscreen, and layers for weather.
• Test-fit everything packed in boxes or bins so load-in is one trip, not five.

The smoothest fairs are won the week before: timing, transport, and people locked in before show day.

• Confirm load-in time, your booth number, and where to park.
• Arrange help for setup and teardown, or plan a system you can carry alone.
• Charge every device — phone, card reader, spare battery — the night before.
• Check the weather and adjust for wind, sun, or rain protection.
• Give yourself a hard packing deadline the evening before so the morning stays calm.

Arrive early, set up simply, and spend your energy on customers instead of scrambling.

• Arrive at load-in with time to spare; set up the display, then the payment setup, then yourself.
• Greet browsers, answer the same questions cheerfully, and let quiet moments be quiet.
• Note what sells as it sells — you'll want real numbers, not memory, afterward.
• Keep the cash box and reader secure; restock bags and cards mid-day.
• Before teardown, note which items need reordering and what display pieces you'd change.

The wrap-up is where the next fair gets easier. Close the books while the day is still fresh.

• Reconcile sales: match card reader totals to cash counted, and note fees.
• Check whether the organizer owes you anything, or whether anything is still owed to them.
• Restock sold-out items and record what to make more of before the next show.
• Save a short note of what worked — display, prices, timing — with the fair's name and dates.
• Store the organizer's contact info for next season's application.