I meant to post this last week, but I got distracted... Anyway, here is a tutorial of the screen I made to go behind my table at the Beehive Bazaar. I mostly followed the tutorial over at Handmade Beautiful. However, I did make some significant changes, namely, I made the middle panel bigger so that the side panels fold flat and I added a cross bar to hang a frame from.

Materials:
6 pieces of 2"x2"x8' furring strips*
2 packs of 2" hinges (4 hinges total)
3 packs of 2" flat corner braces (1 more if you want to make the cross bar to hang a frame from)
about a yard of 48" fabric (I used duck cloth)
Sand Paper (if you don't want to get a SERIOUS workout, use an orbit sander)
Paint or stain (optional)
Drill
Staple guns/staples

*When picking out your wood, make sure that there aren't any large chips or natural dis-figurations. Also, check to make sure non of them are bowing (the two on my front panel do at the bottom...not so great...), by putting each side of each piece on the floor.

Directions:
Cut your wood. You will need the following pieces:
four 8" pieces
six 72" pieces
two 24" pieces (one more 24" piece to hang the frame from). 

The diagram shows how you can most effectively cut your pieces of wood. Also, if you don't have access to a saw, no fear, Home Depot will usually cut them for a small fee per cut. Sand and paint these pieces.

Assemble the pieces using the diagram above for reference. Square up the corners, then using the flat corner braces and a drill, attach each of the pieces to create the panels. Line the small panels on either side of the large panel and, using the hinges and a drill, attach a small panel to either side of the large panel. If you are going to make the cross bar to hang the frame, position the cross bar about 9" from the top then attach, using the extra braces and a drill, to the large panel. Hammer a hook into the middle of the cross bar.

Cut the fabric into two 10" pieces and one 26" piece. Using a staple gun, staple the pieces of fabric to their respective panels. Then stand it up, step back and admire your work!

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Can't see the forest for the trees"? Well, in my last post, Design Your Craft Fair Booth, I gave you the forest, today I am giving you the trees. Some of my links contain tutorials, others are purely for inspirational purposes. Please share links in the comments that you have found helpful when designing a display.

Quite honestly, I began by looking around my house and thinking of what I could use that I already have. The next places I searched were the local thrift stores for items that could double as a display (i.e. a ladder or cake stand). A flea market would also be a great place to scour. To get some more ideas, beyond just searching "craft booth" or "craft table display", I also searched "retail display" (think Anthropologie) and "dessert table". You don't have to spend a ton of money to stand out, although, you may need to spend a bit of time. For more fun ideas, follow my Pinterest Board, Shop Ideas.

Figuring out what to do for my booth at the Beehive Bazaar has definitely taken me back to the long hours spent in the studio completing projects for professors in interior design school and I am LOVING every minute of it! Along the way, I have found a few sites with some great tips. Here are a few things I have learned/kind of figured followed up by my favorite posts:

1. Go vertical, as in don't just set up a table and lay out your items. Use shelves, boxes, stands, etc. to really show off your wares and make the most of your small space.
2. Less is more. Use your space wisely. If stuff is piled up everywhere, it is hard for the eye to land somewhere and decide on something to buy. Keep your booth stocked, but not overflowing
3. Set up ahead of time. Put together your entire booth before the actual event to make sure everything will work as you would like it to.
4. Plan to have at least twice your inventory to fill your space. As I said before, less is more, but empty shelves are not good. Plan to hide the extra merchandise under the table or behind displays.
5. Consider transportation. Although a huge book shelf may be just the thing, don't forget that you will have to lug it to and from the event. That being said, perhaps you can create the same affect in a collapsible form.
6. Make it shopable. I know that I am a lot less likely to buy something if I am worried about knocking the whole display over by picking the item up. In this same thread, things that are eye level are usually more likely to be purchased.

The first link is a guest post by Jane Ragasa from Janie XY Handmade Toys for Dear Handmade Life. Jane clearly knows her stuff as she has participated in over 25 shows and even won an award for her table design. She starts by listing her tips, then going into detail for each one. She also shares pics of some of her favorite booths.

Allisa Jacobs is up next. In this post, you will find pics of Allisa's favorite displays, which will inspire some great ideas. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Similar to the last link, Chrissy of The Pearl shares pictures of different display ideas.

These last two should have probably been in my last post, Prepping for the Craft Fair, so I will probably add them to that post, however, I felt they fit here too. The first is a guest post by Alexis Bonari for The Beading Gem's Journal. Alexis shares some really great tips for how to sell your handmade goods in person (i.e. at a craft fair) as well as some reason why you may not be selling too well.

Last, but not least is an interview of Danielle Maveal on Good, where she shares "6 Tips to Become a Craft Show Superstar".

So, now that I have shared some gems with you, I would love to visit the great sites you have found (or even your own) to help prep for for a craft fair. Also, for more fun ideas, follow my Pinterest Board, Shop Ideas.

Those of you who follow my blog know that I am doing my first craft fair (the Beehive Bazaar) in May. In an effort to make the most of this opportunity, I looked to the web to find resources and advice on how to prepare for the event. I thought I would share with you some of the great blog posts I came across.

I am going to start with the most concise and direct post. Kim Anderson gives some great advice on Thrifty Little Mom on not just where to sell, but also what to sell. Additionally, she has a decent list of what to bring and some thoughts to consider when setting up your table/display/booth.

Next up is a guest post by Ruth Crean from Bugs and Fishes for One Brown Crafter. Ruth really goes into detail explaining her advice. In reading the post, you feel as if she is a dear friend sharing what she has learned. In short, Ruth discusses, as she puts it, the "two sides to doing a market, the nuts and bolts of display, tables, and getting your stall".

This last post is also a guest post and is written by Sharon of Shaggy Baggy on Maggie Whitley Designs. Sharon gives us three really great tips based on her three months of holiday craft sales. Her advice is sound and very helpful.

Alright, so this link is not to brilliant advice on prepping, but to a great tutorial for an utility apron by Sugar Bee Crafts that you can make to wear at the event. I figured it was worth including.

I hope you have found these resources helpful. There are countless other places to look for advice, these are just a few that I found to be very helpful. I would love for you to share in the comments any sites you have found.

I found a couple more sites to share and decided to add them to this post. First up is a guest post by Alexis Bonari for The Beading Gem's Journal. Alexis shares some really great tips for how to sell your handmade goods in person (i.e. at a craft fair) as well as some reason why you may not be selling too well.

This other post is an interview with Danielle Maveal on Good, where she shares "6 Tips to Become a Craft Show Superstar".

Although I opened my Etsy shop in 2011, I would hardly consider myself a successful craft business owner, primarily because I haven't invested the time and/or effort to grow. Truth be told, the idea of selling what I make has been somewhat of a terrifying idea because of the likelihood of failure and rejection. Over the last year, however, my confidence has grown and I am facing my fears. Part of the reason for this change of heart is due to 2 books I read, which I will share with you today. 

The fear of the unknown is a great one for me. I have had so many questions and no one to ask, as I don't really know anyone who is running a craft business and I feel weird asking strangers at craft fairs or online about how they run their businesses. The Handmade Market Place by Kari Chapin dissolved this angst. Not only is this book loaded with advice from successful crafters, but Ms. Chapin covers many of the various venues for selling your items and how to prepare for each one; all while building up your confidence in your ability to make great things.

Once I gained the confidence to start things up, I had questions about accounting and taxes. Like most crafters, I don't have a large disposable income, so I couldn't just hire an accountant and a lawyer. This is when Etsypreneurship by Jason Malinak entered my life. Although, the main focus of this book is on Esty specific businesses, it is a great reference for any craft business as it speaks in a language that people who are not accountants or lawyers can understand and includes downloads to help you make good business decisions from the beginning.

If you are just starting out or have been selling for quite a while, these books have some really great advice and tips to help you enter unfamiliar markets and creatively advertise your handmade goods. Like I said before, in no way do I consider myself successful, yet, but these two books have definitely given me the confidence and know-how to take the plunge and really get things going (hence, becoming a vendor at the Beehive Bazaar in May).