My followers probably aren’t aware of it, but I try to create my blog posts 1 to 2 weeks before they post. They automatically self-post at a pre-appointed time, by way of WordPress’s electronic “magic!”

Like everyone else in the Blogosphere, I’ve fallen short of the mark from time to time. Occasionally my daily job as a school librarian takes me away from the fun I have with sewing doll clothes, blogging, and making YouTube videos, and I find myself waking up Saturday morning to realize that I forgot to post something the Friday before.

Well I can feel a kerfuffle like that approaching!

A friend and I have decided to spend a weekend offering our wares at a craft fair, so I wracked my brain to try and figure out how I can continue to post new material on this website while also getting ready for our upcoming craft fair.

The solution was obvious… I’ll blog about getting ready for a craft fair!

So this week’s blog posts will take a break from the usual doll-clothes-inspired repertoire, and instead, I’m going to chronicle the events leading up to and during our craft fair experience.

STEP 1: Arrange for Booth Space

How do you even know where a craft fair is going to take place?

You can contact local fairgrounds, community colleges, churches, and recreation centers to find out when their annual craft fairs and art shows will be happening. Get a contact number from their website or through someone you know who is involved.

Call the person in charge to make arrangements for a booth.

There’s usually a fee associated with booth space, and fees can range from $25 (American) to more than two hundred dollars for spaces with added utilities. Specify whether or not your space will need electricity, shade (if it’s an outdoor event), and /or special features (like a large parking area for a food truck or a dirt floor if you plan to use a tent with stakes).

Shade is crucial if you’re selling something like home-made candles, so really think ahead about what you need to protect your wares from the elements. Will you need a sturdy wall behind you to hang paintings or quilts? Will you need electricity to light your handmade lamps?

These added features may bring up the price of your booth space, so if you can get by without them, I recommend you avoid paying extra. If you don’t sell a lot of your products, you need to make sure you can at least sell enough to break even when you take out the cost of the booth itself.

Ideally, you want to make a profit at a craft show, but having done lots of craft fairs before, I can tell you that pricey booths will make it harder for you to earn a profit–and sometimes it’s downright impossible.

You can save a lot of money on your space if you pair up with another crafter to split the cost of your booth. That’s what I’m doing!

So the earliest stage in doing a craft fair is simply connecting with the venue and arranging for a booth space.

Tomorrow I’ll talk about planning what to bring when you attend the craft fair as a merchant crafter.