How To Set Up Your Booth For a Craft Show

Hi everyone

Thought, I would post some pictures to show you how we set up our booth at shows. It takes lots of preparation time to get everything loaded up.  People don't realize how long its takes and by the time the show is ready to go, you are already tired.                                                                                                



Working on stock for the up coming year.



First you have to decide what you are going to make for the up coming year.  Each year you have to make many new items, people are only going to buy something once.  They are always on the look for  this years hot item. Everything is made by hand, stamped, tagged and packaged for secure transportation. 



Getting ready to unload



Loading up the trucks and trailer is always fun, trying to get everything to fit in.  You have to remember everything, we usually we travel a fair distance, so you can't run home to grab something. I have to pack everything from drills, paints, brushes, screws,hinges etc. You have to expect something will go wrong or break and you need everything to fix the problem ASAP. 



Now the flooring is down and the booth is going up



Now we are at the show the fun begins.  First we have to start unloading the trailer. We usually put down the foam flooring, then next we put up the old barn wood walls of our booth.  These are hinged and screwed together.  Sometimes, this can be a real challenge, especially when you miss place the diagram of how to set it up ( I have now taped it to the lid of the bin that has all the setup stock).





Family is very important with helping, getting everything ready!! Couldn't get it done without them



Now we put up the material around the back, put up shelves, lights, set up table that we will be selling at. Now we start putting out all the stock and make the booth look great.                             You have to think of your booth as your little shop for the next few days. 

Now everything is ready to go, it takes 3 people about 4 hours from unloading and setting everything up. 

                                 

 The booth is done and we are ready for our customers.

You never know how a show will go but we always enjoy      meeting our old customers and making new ones.



I hope you have found this interesting and informative.  So, the next time you are attending your favorite craft show, take a minute and look at the booth you are shopping in.  Now you will appreciate all the time and energy that has been put into the little shop you love so much.  

Take care,

Melody

I was going through my painting pictures and thought I would post some for you to see. Enjoy



Tissue Box - back this year - supplier stocking again!! as we can't make these ourselves.  We are also in the process of painting rectangle boxes - keep watching for pictures coming soon.  




Wonderful for your front door - has lights on his garland, you can choose your colours.




He is very proud of his skating abilities - great by your backyard pond




Benches sell out at every show




Reindeer on a stick - branches from my bush.



One of my favorites!!

Hi everyone.

It has been quite awhile since I have last blogged.  I'm going to blog on a more regular basis, life just gets busy and things just don't get done.  Well, we had a really good show season last year. We went to "Our Best To You Art & Craft Sale" Red Deer, AB then we headed to "Festival Of Crafts Art & Craft Sale" Calgary,AB and ended the season with "Butterdome Craft Sale - Edmonton, AB.  Working hard  for this years season - have lots of new pieces in the works.  Our family had a wonderful holiday this winter as we headed down to Harry Potter  and Disney World in Florida.  My daughter has grown up with Harry Potter and she was determined to go.  She wanted to help pay for the trip buy selling items on her Ebay Shop.  After many sales, she sold enough to cover the tickets to the parks and house rental for the holiday - she wanted to help pay!!  Then we headed to Phoenix,AZ for a holiday at our home.  Last year we a wonderful opportunity to purchase a house in Phoenix and we are renting it out as a Vacation Home.  It was a lot of work buying everything you need to set up a house to be self contained, but is was fun too.  So cool to have palm trees and a pool in your backyard!!! - Here is the link if you are interested in checking it out - we have had many bookings already and met some really wonderful people from all over the world. http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p932170

Front of our house

Pool with water feature

Well, better get back to painting only 7 months until our next show!!!!!!!  Have a wonderful day  :)