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I am considering doing my first craft show this fall, and am wondering what I should make and how much to make. The show is the first week in November, so I have plenty of time to make cards and the like. Last year the show had 1000 people come through the door.
Besides individual cards and stationary packs, I am thinking of having snowman soup, caught a bug get well bags, color-me thank you notes, color-me Christmas notes, stamped tiles as coasters, and gable boxes decorated for the holidays. Pictures of most of the above are in my member gallery--but I don't know how best to post a link.
Please note--the color-me card idea was from someone on SCS--but I don't know who to give the proper credit to--it's a GREAT idea!
Please give me feedback as to how many you would make of each or if there is an item I shouldn't bother with, as it won't sell in your collective vast experience!
Kellestamps, I would buy any one of your items, they are terrific! I may just have to CASE a few of your ideas for my craft fair too. Let us know how it works out for you.
Helen
I think these are great ideas...the notcards especially. Granparents are always looking for somethign fun to do for their grandkids, plus it teaches them good manners to send a thank you card. I think I would even use them myself to send to people (crayons are not just for my kids!)
Great project ideas and I am going to CASE some for stamp camps!
just looked at your galley and think your ideas are wonderful!
How many coasters are you going to put together? I went to HD to buy some tumbled tile and was suprised at the cost! I think the box had 9 tiles and was almost $6....So if you out a set of 4 together it could add up and you dont wnat to get stuck with a bunch of coasters that didn't sell (biut you can always give them as gifts if that happens)
Snow soup is very cute...you can get the mugs at a dollar store and the hot chocolate at a warehouse type place in bulk.. what is teh syaing?
Boxes are very pretyy and the coloring cards are adorable! Good luck!
When this was done at a stamp camp I went to last year, we used the lg. cellophane bags with toppers. The bags were decorated with cut-out snowflakes from the snowflake punch.
__________________ Cathy ~ Member #1237 My Gallery
I don't know if anyone else mentioned the cards to color or not, but I think I posted something about the sets I made of 5 cards ea using Crayon Christmas for a holiday boutique last year. I called them Color-It Cards. FYI - now is the time to stat looking for the 4 packs of crayons - I've seen bags of them with the halloween stuff.
I also made sets with small 6 color paint sets and called them - yes, you probably guessed - Paint-It Cards. I found the paint sets at Party City. I found bags of 12 in s section of the store where they had lots of goodie bag stuff packaged up by the dozen.
I'm attaching picture of the display I used so that people would know what was in the sets.
While it is very cute, I'd ditch the mug--helps you lower your costs and consumer costs--
They say, to try to keep things in the price point range of $15 or less--that's the highest moving retail price.
As for the coasters, I'm not sure what you'd price them--I've seen people pay $20 for a set of 4 coasters in a gift shop .... maybe you could compromise and set a retail price of $18?????
I also think wine charms with polyshrink charms would sell well--displayed cute on a card or in a small box. They don't have to be wine themed--any theme is cool and I've seen sets of 6-8 retail for $15+ in stores. You could show them on a wine glass AND on a mug/teacup handle so people realize it's not just for wine. Pop can charms are also popular--use those thick hair elastics!
Anything you can PERSONALIZE--i.e. stamp or write their name or monogram on (do you have cute/fun handwriting?), while they shop and then they can come back for it later that day, is also popular, from what I've been told--see ideas attached below.
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I made Snowman Soup mugs for my children's school fair last December and they were a big hit! I found snowman mugs at Wal-Mart for 50 cents each. I packaged the "soup" mix in a small cello bag, placed it inside the mug, then wrapped the entire mug in a large cello bag, tied with a tag and ribbon. I know many teachers received them as gifts!
P.S. I loved the color-it/paint it ideas and am not surprised they'd be a HUGE hit--great stocking stuffers for small ones or busy/rainy day activities so moms can get something done and kids feel like they have something important and fun to do!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I've also been asked to sell my microscope slide pins & pendants (never have gone into mass production and prefer to give as gifts, but it's nice to know people would be interested). I have one on display on the DDD gallery. . .so I can't post it here, but if you have access to the gallery you can view it there in the Clearly Creative Category.
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Pop can charms work on same principal as wine glass charms--to ID everybody's own can.
Instead of using the wire hoops, secure polyshrink charms to those jumbo thick hair elastics you can buy in bulk packages even at Wal Mart with a large (10mm) jump ring. Or, you could stitch it on, I suppose?
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Julie, I really love the second monogram card you posted!!! Can you give us a list of all the ingredients for that one? What papers, colors, stamps? I'm dying to do that one! I think it would go really well at my own craft fair -- the SECOND week of November!
I talked to Keri about making some card sets using Kid Cards for the kids at the military base she takes the Support Our Troops cards. I thought it would be nice for the kids to have the cards to color and then send to their parent in the military. It would be great if others helped with that! I thought I'd test the idea by sending a set to Brownee's DD and find out what she thinks. I'll probably post this as a topic after school starts - I know I'm not going to ge any done between now and then.
Oh - one more thing - the Paint-It Cards were more popular than the Color-It Cards which kind of suprised me.
The monogrammed cards in the photos I posted were NOT my creations, but I COPY GOOD using SU! products! Heh, heh, heh!
I made some for secretary's day last spring and I used the daisy from All Natural, and a circle image I had from another company (before SU! came out with all their great ones). I used Pretty in Pink for daisies and Mellow Moss for the centers--in a pinch, if you don't have a circle stamp, you could use the sponge daubers, too. I used Pure & Simple Alphabet Lower Case to make the monograms. You could also use Bold Alphabet in Upper Case, given the size, or Classic Alphabet Upper Case, too!
HTH!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
You might also want to think about some dry erase boards using the large white glossy tiles...I bought a pack of 20 at Home depot for about $21...they turn out gorgeous and very cheap to make....
I love all your ideas....
As far as your snowman soup...you could package it both ways...in the mug and in the cello/cardstock pkg...that way it is a great gift idea and also a great stocking stuffer....
Thanks for the recipe! I'm really happy right now because those cards are GORGEOUS, and I have all that stuff. Or, I will when my All Natural set gets here ... now to go sell some stuff on eBay to earn enough money to ORDER IT!
Thanks for all your help. And, as an aside, I just wanted to tell you that when I was first considering becoming a demo, my upline sent me a bunch of links to various SU galleries. Yours is one of my all-time faves -- I have it bookmarked. YOU ROCK!
Julie ~ I love monogram stuff. And those cards are the best! I have to CASE. You work is awesome.
Kellestamps ~ I think the coasters, kitchen magnets and color me notes would sell really well at any craft fair. You will do great!!
Just my .02
~Melissa
__________________ ~Melissa
"I am what I am because of the choices I made yesterday."
As an aside, I should say that the samples shown in the photos are made using Impress Rubber stamps.
The alphabet set used in those samples retails for $100+ or individual letters available for about $5 each. I love their stuff, BUT, I must confess, a $100 alphabet stamp set is too rich for my blood! And my pocketbook! :shock:
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
This is a great subject and very timely!!! I've been wanting to do a craft fair but wanted more than just cards-thanks for the great ideas! You all are INCREDIBLE!!!!!
I have one suggestion to add-geared toward kids or as stocking stuffers. Magnets. I've done 2x2" magnets (but never sold) and they're very easy and quick. If my memeory serves me well, I believe they cost about $0.25/piece to make. Price them for $1-$1.50 and kids could buy the for grandma and grandpa, etc.
I bought 6 bags last year of the green/yellow/black - now I've got to find them from moving, lol.
BTW, I was watching the news tonight and they mentioned how the oil price increases will likely cause an increase in crayon prices... thought I'd mention so you can get them while they're cheaper.
Lapel pins and necklaces made of stamped dominoes have sold well for me here in NC. By the way, I charge $20.00 for my coasters. Also, Christmas tags sell well.
Loved the color and paint it samples. Wonderful idea.
10 yrs ago whie teaching my very first 1st grade class, my students stamped on white tiles and gave as Mother's Day gifts. Almost all off my parents loved them and every year after that, I had one mother that would pay me to make several sets for her. She would give them as gifts. Now, back then, I don't think we had anything similar to StazOn. My students would carefully stamp the image and I would emboss it. Then they would use acrylic paints to color. I would then spray with Krylon finishing spray. Oh, and I would put felt on the bottom and then these little plastic furniture guards. And yes, I used my SU! stamps. Back then they carried other companies stamps. My favorite for the tiles was this huge rose, I believe it was a PSX rose.
Good luck on your craft fair. I'm sure you'll do well. You sound like your on the right track.
I love all your stuff! I just realized that way way back last fall when I started stamping I bookmarked your webshots site because you had the best samples....now I actually *know* you!!
I'm still waiting on someone to answer the question. How much do the Color-It-Cards sell for? I have a craft fair Saturday and I thought I would make a few. I can't find the 4 pack of crayons here. I did find 8 packs at a local dollar store for 4 for 1.00. The small watercolor paints were at Walmart for 4.83. With tax that averages about 36 cents a piece.
Also, do you just use white card stock or do you add a solid color to the back of the card. I don't want to add too much. The more you add the more you have to charge. Then, they will not buy.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!!!
I don't know if anyone else mentioned the cards to color or not, but I think I posted something about the sets I made of 5 cards ea using Crayon Christmas for a holiday boutique last year. I called them Color-It Cards. FYI - now is the time to stat looking for the 4 packs of crayons - I've seen bags of them with the halloween stuff.
I also made sets with small 6 color paint sets and called them - yes, you probably guessed - Paint-It Cards. I found the paint sets at Party City. I found bags of 12 in s section of the store where they had lots of goodie bag stuff packaged up by the dozen.
I'm attaching picture of the display I used so that people would know what was in the sets.
Just wondering how much you charged for your Color-It/Paint-It cards.
Thanks!
Nancy - that was my first (and only) sale so I had no clue about pricing and took a survey of some friends and teachers at my DD's school. I decided to go with the low end of the prices suggested. I priced the Color-It Cards at $5 and the Paint-It Cards at $6. It also makes a difference where you are selling them. I was in downtown Seattle. After the fact, I'm pretty sure I could have gotten more for them.
In case I didn't say it in my post - the cards are notecard size.
Craft Show Advice--would you buy this?
