Craft Fair Setup

Last weekend, I participated in the West Orange Women’s Holiday Bazaar (which was organized by my step-mom, Clarice).  My table reservation was last-minute due to a scheduling change, and I was fortunate that Clarice was able to fit me in.

What a beautiful day it turned out to be!  The sky was a clear blue, there was a lovely breeze (my table was in a covered breezeway), and thankfully it wasn’t too hot.  I enjoyed talking with so many new people and marveled at the creativity of the other exhibitors.

The last few days preceding the holiday bazaar were extremely rushed – so rushed that, although I remembered to pack my camera, I completely forgot to take any photos!  Which is very annoying, since I wanted to show you what my table looked like.  I promise to remember next time.

Participation in the holiday bazaar whetted my appetite for another show, so I mailed in my application yesterday (another last-minute thing) for a booth at a much larger event.  A Great Day In the Country, sponsored by the Oveido Woman’s Club, will be held on November 13.  There are 325 booths and last year over 55,000 people attended.  Wow!  That’s WAY larger than any other show I’ve participated in.  So I’m a bit intimidated.  To add fuel to that fire, I’ve never had to bring my own canopy and tables before.

If you’ve got advice, I’d love to hear it!

My booth will be 10 x 12’.  I’ve ordered an EZ Up “commercial” canopy that’s 10 x 10’, has roll-down sides in case it rains, and a small awning that extends a bit at the front of the canopy. 



No, that's not me, this is a stock photo from HutShops, from whom I ordered the canopy.



I’ve been researching online, looking for attractive craft show setups, and found a gorgeous booth that Lori Anderson (a gifted jewelry designer) set up a couple of years ago.

Lori explains in her blog that she likes to create an environment that’s more than just tables, tablecloths and jewelry displays.  Lori builds a boutique in her booth, decorated in rich colors to entice visitors.  I’m quite sure that I won’t be able to pull off such a stunning display, but the “boutique” approach is what I’m striving for.  With that in mind, Clarice and I had fun in our local IKEA last night.  I picked out a few tall, skinny shelf units to add interest at a level other than table height.  (The next three photos are courtesy of the IKEA website.)

I also picked up one of these glass-topped tables:

I love its curvy lines!  I’m thinking of spray painting it a bronzy color, or maybe antique copper – something that will blend well with my ivory table coverings and turquoise underskirts.  I also bought a few clear vases in different shapes and sizes that I’ll fill with silk flowers or greenery.  And I fell in love with this hand-blown glass plant pot:

So my next worry is planning how I’ll arrange everything in the booth.  Here’s my first draft of a layout – what do you think?

Since my canopy is 10x10’, that’s the dimensions I’m working with.  The blue squares are the skinny white shelf units I bought at IKEA.  I picked out a lightweight metal mesh unit on casters that has 3 drawers that I’m thinking of using for a check-out stand.  I’ll store bags, gift boxes, organza bags, extra receipts, and such in the drawers.

I’m already wrapping up a bunch of Clarice’s seashells to use as decorations, and I still need to figure out some sort of curtain for the back and part of the sides of the booth.  Have you got any ideas?  What do you think about my plans so far?  I’d love to hear your suggestions!

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a beadiful day!