Wind proof Jewelry Craft Display

How to survive a windy craft fair for your jewelry display?

 How to display my jewelry for the craft show against horrible wind ?  I am at my wits end.

I am serious about displaying my jewelry for craft shows with the most beautiful and functional way.  And I work hard to make it look aesthetically pleasing  and functional. A week earlier I do a mock show display  at my home , in my living room, even after doing craft shows for the last five years and at least six or seven shows a year so that I do not forget any thing. So that I can give the best I can.

Still, it was such an embarrassment  this weekend in an out door show that it took me quite awhile to get over with it.

Here is how it looked in the beginning:

After 2:30 pm the wind stared catching up.  First, it knocked off my two  rotating wire earring stands that hold 24 earrings earring each. Then the busts one by one with necklaces on them.  It totally destroyed my whole theme, all my planning, my pride and self confidence. And  when people started to come back to my store for the second time  after they have seen all the booths, this  is what they saw.  I was totally crushed.


What do they see now ?  My earrings are flying, bracelets on the floor...I am running around like a chicken with out head.  I was almost in tears.

My friend, a ceramic artist and I was sharing the booth.  This was her turn to bring the tent and the weights.  She forgot the weights. And we found after we hoisted the tent,   that part of the tent is  broken, We kind of managed- the roof was not all the way up, and it was not that noticible.  But forgetting the weights was disastrous.

We could  not go home at that point, we had to find a solution very quickly. All my jewelry was flying all over.  I started putting the necklaces  that were on the busts just flat.  Put all the earrings in a basket ( thank God, I had some extra baskets).  We took off the sides  of the tent which was working as a sail  at that point and then took off the whole tent with the help of our kind neighbors.

Fortunately I made okay selling before this catastrophe started,  so made the booth fee and some more.  But the whole thing made me feel very low.

We have already signed up and paid  for another show in August right  here and many vendors said it is typical that the wind will be there.  So I need a solution.

 I took a deep breath and remembered

 

  So I decided to  think about strategies.  First of all the remedy for wind is weight.

Bring weights - not only for my self but for the neighbors too - just in case.

I do use stones in pillow cases that I tie around the legs of the tent at the bottom.  No matter what,  I should always bring them.  In case my neighbors forget them, it will be giving them an important helping hand, besides we are not alone in this journey.   I learned that my neighbor  vendors' mistakes can affect me.


I read from the comments in a blog - a fellow sufferer, Janice writes - "... that not only weights at the bottom of the legs, the key is to attach the weight to the canopy frame."

How to use weights so that they look pretty?

 I decide to attach some weights to the canopy frame.  How could I do that so that it looks beautiful as well as functional?  I think I'll get some stones or rice bags that I'll tie in  burlap  bags and squares tied with raffia.  I'll use several weights - 5lb, 2 lb and 1 lb weights in the similar burlap squares with raffia to match and  give the display a cohesive look. These bags could be hung from the sides of the tent in a nice way.

There are some useful ideas in Rena's blog where the writer mentions similar solutions to add weight aesthetically, making it cohesive with your display and brand.

Remember bungee cords, sturdy yarns or rope, safety pins, paper clips, silly putty, clamps and all these things that with help against wind.

Flat display:

Think how I can display things flat?
*Use beautiful baskets,
*Trays  uplifted  with easel - ( I did this and it it did not topple)
*Tiles standing on wire easels for necklaces instead of flimsy leather or velvet busts -(save them for indoor shows).
*Here I got a great idea that I am going to steal - the portable jewelry binder
*Boxes with lids attached.

I think I am also going to use boxes as my display.  Cover the Priority Mail Boxes with fixed lids that I receive for  my jewelry  supplies from various on line stores and cover them with the same co ordinating burlap.  I can use the  flap as a vertical side for  hanging necklaces and keep similar necklaces in nice gold boxes for people to find out.

The most important thing it to do a trial show at home on the driveway a week earlier.

Phew!  Instead of making jewelry I have enough home work cut out  now to survive a windy craft fair show.  

Craft Shows and Liability Insurance

Should you take liability insurance as a vendor for your craft show? Why? and Why not?

Check out the fine print

This is an important decision because  as jewelry artists many times we run with shoe string budget. And do these insurance really cover us?

In my last blog post a  dear follower commented about theft in your booth and how to avoid it.

So I’ll try to address these issues in this post.

Lately I came to know that I need to have Vendor’s Liability Insurance Clearance Certificate if I want to do a certain show.

I have been doing craft shows for the last four years and this is the first time I am facing such a mandatory requirement.

Taking an insurance was in  the back of my mind – all those “what if? “worries.  But now I have to decide on one of these insurance policies if I want to participate in this craft show.

Why should you have Liability Insurance?

* When it is required from the manager of the show

*Theft:

Here is an interesting article on how to eliminate theft atcraft shows.

*Unforeseen disaster like some ones tent blows and lands on yours.  I know you are safety conscious and have proper weights tied into your tent. But what if your neighbor is not?

Perusing the Etsy forum I found several sites that you may want to consider for buying vendor's liability insurance.  I researched the following two.

http://www.eventinsurancenow.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cContent.vendors

http://www.actinspro.com/

You may also talk to your own insurance agent with whom you have car or home insurance.

Actinspro have several options for people like me who needs it more for the show promoter’s need.  Even though they have a three consecutive day option for $39 it will not work for me.

If I decide to take the 90 day one that will cover all shows I do in this time period, mind you it will not cover the products.  It is for the general insurance. So, check clearly what is covered.

Their yearly policy of $250 plus  will cover your products too.

Petty Theft:

In my four years of doing craft shows it had never happened.  I rather lost quite a few pieces of earrings in transporting, during the  busy packing and unpacking times.

But there is no guaranty that you may not be a victim of theft from your booth.  The preventive measures I take are:

Always keep money on my body.

 I wear a light weight fanny pack or a cute bag across my shoulder where I keep small notes, no coins.  I usually round up and give the customers the change,  if any,  as a token of appreciation.  I keep my card processing things in it too.  I use Propay.com and it works very well with me.  You may try Square or Paypal too.

Keep high ticket items a little higher and not so easy to reach;

Autumn Necklace -www.alankarshilpa.etsy.com

These are usually the necklace pieces and they are on busts. Also, usually I sit close to them at the end of the booth with my easy to do projects.

Try to have a friend to keep an eye while I am not there.

Knitted bracelet in emerald green  www.alankarshilpa.etsy.com

.

Disasters:

I try to prevent wind blowing off my tent by putting stones wrapped in color coordinated pillow covers and then I tie them with the legs of the tent. 

The rest I pray.

You may like:

How to prepare for Craft fairs 

Craft Fair - it is worth it?

What is your experience or thoughts?  

How to prepare for the craft fair business

 Here are the  three most important things I’ll focus for the craft fair business this year:

Are you ready for craft fairs? 

 

As the days are warming up I  feel that it is time for those canopy hanging time, but I must revise all the lessons I have learned from the last four years of doing craft fairs. Also,  I have some resources now that will let me focus.

Scheduling:

How often ?

 I see lots of people who do craft fairs every weekend.  I can handle only once a month or so.  How about you?

 Craft fairs are hard work but then I find that is when my jewelry sell the  most.

Katie Acres in her blog puts it very nicely about  how important the scheduling part is.  You don’t want to overwhelm your self and get sick because of poor planning.  Then,  there are too many distractions, too many craft fairs, near and far.  Some are low cost some are not.  It is confusing to decide  which ones will work out.  

How much shall I spend on booth fees...how much energy do I have for this commitment?

 It  is important  to know when your show is, how many of them are you doing in the near future and the characters of each craft shows.  It is important for me to think the factors,  like how many days apart are they, you need time to recuperate,  and when are  the dead lines for  each of  the applications...etc,  etc. 

For the time being I am getting  ready for three shows in the next three months.   Some  are in the holiday season,  six months away but the dead lines for application is now.

So making a calendar and sticking with the to do list is a must.

 Inventory:

How much stuff shall I take?  Here you’ll find some answer in the  Etsy Forum

 There is a saying that you have  made a good show if your sales are 10 times the booth fee.  I have never achieved that.  If it is five times, I am happy enough.

Say I paid $50 for a booth.  If I make $250 - $500, I’ll consider that I have done pretty good.

 In order to sell $500 of jewelry, my rule of thumb is to take 10 times more of that, meaning I must take $5000 worth of stuff. But I do not need to or should  display them all at once.

I believe in  the power of white space and the branding of my style.

From experience I have found that  there should be some low end items from $10- $20 which  usually   should cover the  booth price.

 Here is the challenge I am facing.  These low end items have to be eye catching,  kind of unique,  quick  to make, and made with less material cost.

On the other hand this is the time to show case your workmanship and high style also, because jewelry is tactile.  People  want to feel it, see it on person and then get the emotion that it must be  bought – NOW.

Here is an interesting article I read about How NOT to prepare for a holiday craft show.  Take a look

Now I have to give some  serious thought about these points.  Do I do this kind of  research before displaying or making  my stuff?

Selling is not the only reason to do craft show

Goal:

Each craft shows have different goals to me.

 Selling is not the only reason we do craft fairs.  I have made great friends with fellow vendors and got  valuable tips, links to future shows and business.

 This is the time for networking too.  Promote and appreciate each other.  This is the time to grab future customers.  One vendor once told me that her goal was to get rid of her whole packet of 250 business cards.  She was new in the area and she was determined to let 250 people know about her existence.

This year one of my goal is to have some cards made with coupon codes in the back.

You can get them from MOO.COM or, Vista prints 

Another article on:  Craft Fair: Is it Worth It?

Stay tuned for more craft show articles.  I am researching and will write soon.

What are your tips?  What are your questions?  Love to hear your comments.

Craft Fair- Is it Worth It

The Craft Fair – Is It worth It

Craft fairs for artisans are a way of life.  You pay the booth fees, mail your best pictures, and then anxiously wait for the passing score.  Okay, you pass.  Then you e mail one hundred friends and fans  (!- well they really don’t care you come to know that gradually, yet this is the rule of the game. You shrug off and do that again any way).

Then for a week or so you worry if you have enough inventory and stay up until 2 pm until your eyes burn and neck falls off.  Then in the morning you panic – do you have enough white space! So, you keep on practicing the display  on your kitchen table disrupting your family life annoying everyone, and then you make several trips to Jo Ann and Michael’s craft stores brushing your credit card over and over and then get upset with your own self…

Then the final day comes.  At the dawn break you haul your tent, tables and all that and get ready for the elbow grease. You put up the tent successfully.  Yeh! (By the way, my crafty friends, I bought a new tent after extensive research and it has made us quite happy so far)

Before it all starts

My friend, Kathy (another jewelry artist) and I usually do the shows together.  I don’t know what I would have done without Kathy!  No, we are not at all threatened by each other; our styles are rather complimentary, not competitive.  That makes our neighbor, Ann (another jewelry artist from the next booth) and the others from close proximity pause to think and then they nod in approval.  True, we all have unique styles, and people do need lots of jewelry.  So now we all feel confident and comfortable and wish each other.

Our Booth is done

It’s warming up.  The music is in full blast now.  I don’t know if I can take this rap until 6 pm.  But I see Kathy is swaying with the beats.  A bunch of teenagers enter with ice cream cones in their hands.  One of them humming “baby baby…” Is it part of this same song?  I can’t tell.

All these happy humming, swaying, people laughing and having good time kind of bring a positive mood in me too, they wash away my doubts and I am kind of liking this punk rock or whatever...

Kathy says, “I am glad that they are not playing country”

They are frying fish or something.  It’s delicious and my stomach is growling. Besides, Nina told me I should not miss Bake Sale Betty.  But people are coming like crazy.  And you know what is sweeter than honey!

Visitors are coming

So we munch on dry almonds and trail mix and sip water.  It is not polite to talk with your mouthful and you may have to do that any minute. I am glad things are moving from Kathy’s table too quite swiftly.

You need to take a potty break.  But there is a long line even in front of the port-a-potty.  So you  have to decide to stop sipping water.

I crane my neck out the tent when it is a bit less busy. There are so many vendors with so many cool things.  But there is no way I can go check them out.  We are all busy with our own booths.  So many of them are in wheel chairs selling hand made products. We out source jobs from this country.  Now, this is another America I see. I would not have known it had I not involve me like this.

An elderly lady approaches.  She is looking for earrings.  I think she spotted one.  A young girl exclaims “ Nona, this one!”   

“YES”!

It is an earring I made last year with a Breast Cancer Awareness bead and a twisted wire design that is actually an error, a deviation from the tutorial instruction I was trying to accomplish.  But I liked the mistake and made a few earrings in this style.

The lady asks for a mirror and then with a happy smile brings the earring  to me.

“I had been looking for something like this for a long time.  This is the best one. I want to buy this.”

I was touched.  “Is it going to be a gift?” I ask.

“A gift to mysel"'  she replies " to celebrate my first anniversary from Breast cancer. One year cancer free today”

“In that case I give you a 10% off”

“God bless you” she said.

“You be healed completely soon” I say.

 She nods with a smile. Kathy and I exchange glances as she walks out.  We feel our eyes misty.

“She made your day” Kathy remarks.

After the show, this morning with the morning cup of tea in hand my husband comments – “Boy, you slept like a log “ True, I did.  I was sooo tired.

The way your adrenaline flows …before, during these craft fairs …it’s something.  It takes a lot of energy, physically...”

“Physical, emotional spiritual…” I add.

 Is it worth it?  I wonder.

Absolutely yes.  One hundred times, for sure.