The Big Craft Fair

So I have a dilema..


There is a huge annual craft fair that will take place in October at a civic center. I took part in a small one last November with 2 friends and I really liked the experience.

There is a sizeable fee, but the turnout will be huge, but I also have not made a lot of stuff just yet. I work full time and will go to school full time when the semester starts in the fall.

I really want to do this, I have lots of ideas, even for the displays but I'm not convinced that it's all that reasonable. And I'd hate to waste money.


What say ye all?

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3 replies since 27th June 2009 • Last reply 27th June 2009

Reply #1:

I can relate. I have two kids and a degree in art & design. My husband works long, long hours and kids. always. need. something.

I was trying for a while to paint and sell artwork. I had my etsy shop up and was working up enough pieces to enter art fairs. But it was sooo frustrating. I would paint something and have to leave it to dry, and it would get touched and repainted and completely screwed up, and it was all I could do not to kill my darling children. frustrated, I gave up. Which isn't acceptable, since if you don't use it, you DO tend to lose it, not to mention the degree, and the fact that we need the money.

I tried lots of things, and just kept getting frustrated. The way I function best is to work endlessly for hours or days at a time, barely stopping for food and coffee, and I get extremely irritable when I'm interrupted, which is ALWAYS when you have kids.

I finally found a solution, though, and my etsy shop and my goods in general are going back up to the public within the next couple of weeks. First, you've got to sit down and figure out exactly how much time each day you can spare, and how many phases you can break your work down into. I don't know what your art is, so I'm not sure how that would apply.

Now, figure out how long it takes you to fully produce a piece of work. This is why breaking it down into phases is so important - so you know when to stop. Otherwise you get frustrated and give up, since you feel like you never have enough of a chunk of time to work with. There is always time in our lives for art, even if it is only in small increments. It's just that we misplace our time with watching TV and vegging when we could feel sooo much more fulfilled.

Make sure you figure out what you can realistically accomplish, and stick to it. Set your goals. and if you stick to them, you can do your craft fair and have fun and make money. Happy

good luck!

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Reply #2:

Well I don't have any kiddos so I can see how that would make things much more complicated.

I've tried to prioritize my time, and plan out what should be made on what days... and let's just say I'm way behind schedule. Something always comes up or something else always gets in the way.

Think I'll continue to create and save it for that next special day when it comes around, thanks dani

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Reply #3:

if you can realistically get enough stuff done before october without putting your school work at risk you should go for it, outlaying the money for the show will be tough but it'll keep you comitted to it and you might end up kicking yourself if you let it pass you by.

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