Friday, September 28, 2012

Craft Show Tips



Today I thought I'd share with you some tips about Craft Shows that I've learned over the years.

I'm in no way a "know it all" when it comes to this topic, however I do several Craft Shows/Bazaars every year, and thought I could pass along any advice to those just starting out :)

In no particular order:
Always make sure you bring enough "change" with you.  $1, $5, and $10 bills are a hot commodity.  There is nothing worse than not being able to complete a sale because you don't have the change to give them.

If you can, have someone come with you to the Craft Show.  Having someone help you set up/take down, give you a potty break, and to support you helps a lot.  I've been very fortunate that my Mother comes with me to my shows.  She talks my products up to customers, helps me set up, and if I need more attention to my booth she'll act like a customer lol...hey it works!

Ask if you can get a discount if you provide your own table.  Some will offer this discount right off the bat, but others won't.  It never hurts to ask.  My last show had a $40 fee, but I received a $10 discount for providing my own table.  Every little bit helps!
Greet your customers with a warm welcome and a smile every time.  Yes, it gets exhausting, but let's face it, you are there to make money.  Be open to answering any questions.  Sitting in a chair, ignoring your customers when they are looking at your product is a big NO NO...if you look uninterested, then it's a big turn off for the consumer.
So you spend 10 minutes answering questions and talking with a customer, and then they walk away with out buying anything...don't pull your hair out!  It will happen...every....single....time.
However, if you are kind and thank them for stopping by, there is a very large chance they will stop back by.
Some people like to walk around the whole show/bazaar and look at everything first, then go back around and purchase items.
 Always have your prices available to see...people will hesitate to buy something if there isn't a price on it, and some are too shy to ask.
If you don't want to put a price tag on the item...display a large price sheet at your booth for your customers to see.  This is the method I choose to go with. 

Don't forget to hand out your business card!  Give one to anyone who will take it.  From the folks that just stop by, to the people who purchase an item.
Make sure your contact info is on there, so that your customers can contact you for future sales and or questions.


Have little shopping bags to give people.  For me, I have a lot of smaller items, so it's hard for people to hold it all.  I always provide a shopping bag to put purchased items in.  
If you have large items, this may not be necessary.


Display a banner with your business info on it.  This is my banner for when I sell my Duct Tape Items.  I think it makes my booth look more professional and put together.
Pay attention to your show...what I mean by that is....  If your show is at a school, make items in that schools colors or with their mascot.  If it's a sports event, make sports themed items too.  Just a few items that go with the theme of where your show is located can make a huge difference.  People love familiarity.
Don't be opposed to offering discounts.  Such as a BOGO (buy one get one half off), or buy two get this smaller item for free.
People appreciate discounts..ok MOST people do.  If someone asks me for a discount, I will most likely go for it depending on the item and how much of a discount they are asking for.  I want to sell my items.  Maybe it's only a $1off, no biggie for me, but it means a lot to them, and I made a sale. 
If a customer buys a lot of one particular item, I will throw in a free one for them.  It gets people to come back, and it shows you appreciate their business.
Do this or don't do this, and never feel obligated to give a discount, if you don't want to then don't, that's the best part of being your own boss.  :)
  
Often times I will have merchandise that isn't moving as fast as I'd like.  This goes into my sale bucket.  I like to have some items at discounted prices.  Everyone likes to save money.
Make friends with the vendors around you.  Swap business cards!  That way you guys can let each other know when a good show is coming up, or possibly bounce ideas off each other.
Keep your booth clean and organized!  After a big swarm of people stop by and rummage thru your items, straighten everything up so it looks nice and professional for your next customers.
 I must do this a hundred times during a show...then again I'm a bit OCD..but either way, it just looks nicer when everything is in it's place :)
This is THE most frustrating part for me...try not to strangle the kids that are left unattended by their parents and come mess up your booth.  Kids like to touch...A LOT...and sometimes that's fine. However, if a child has Cotton Candy all over his hands and he man handles your handmade merchandise...I can tell you from experience it's beyond frustrating.  As a mother, I would never allow my kids to do this, but we all parent differently.  We are working with the public here.  Don't be afraid to ask them nicely to not touch...or go find their parent.  GRRRR...
Have fun!  Be proud of your work, stand by it, take in all the compliments people throw your way and enjoy selling your handmade crafts!! 
I hope these tips help you in some way....I could go on and on.  Each new show I do, I learn something new, and I love that!
Happy Crafting! 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars


Yummmmm!!!

I made these delish Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars today for my hubby...
It's Friday and I thought I'd make him a treat to munch on after the kids go to bed :)

These are made just like Rice Crispie Treats but with Cheerios instead. 

There are lots of flavor combination's you can do with this, but let me share this recipe first.

You will need:
10oz Bag of Marshmallows
1/4 Cup of Butter (half a stick)
8 Cups of Cheerios

Directions:
Melt Butter and Marshmallows in pan on the stove on medium low heat.
Once it's all melty and creamy, add the 8 cups of Cheerios.
Stir until all the Cheerio's are coated, and put them in a 9x13 pan.
Or pan of your choice.
Press down to squish them together and make the top flat.
Let them cool, and then cut into squares.

 
Then you can devour this little baby...doesn't it look good?!
With my bars, after I pressed them down in the pan, I sprinkled some Mini Reeces Pieces on top..for a little extra kicker.

Now let's talk flavor combo's...
Cheerios have so many flavors out now..
Banana, Chocolate, Honey Nut, Caramel...just to name a few.
Mix and match, or use flavored Marshmallows like Chocolate.

You can add in extras like I did with the Reeces, such as:
Chocolate Chips (white, milk, dark chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter)
Dried Cranberries
Nuts (Peanuts, Cashews, Almonds)
Cupcake Sprinkles
 M&M's

Lot's of options here guys...you make them as plain as you'd like or get crazy with it and make up some real flavorful treats!

These are so easy and quick to make.
Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Box Top Fridge Box




Hello!
So today after school, my youngest wanted some Mac n' Cheese.  As I was cooking the cheesy goodness I cut out the "Box Top" off the box.  Then an idea hit me like a ton of bricks!  
I should make a box to go on my fridge to put all these Box Tops in!

So here it goes..put on your seat belts!


Here's the box of Mac n' Cheese...it's the new kind by Betty Crocker...its very creamy and good.  The kids love it...
That's my own personal overview of the product, they did not pay me to say that lol.


First step was to cut off about half the box.
This is what I chose to do, you can leave it as tall as your heart desires.
Half a box was big enough for me.


I picked out a piece of Cardstock that I had on hand.
I chose to go with a Red and White Polka Dot since my kitchen has a lot of Red in it.  Plus it's just cute :)

I folded the paper around the box, and creased the lines really well.


After creasing the lines, I used Double Sided Tape to adhere the paper to the box.  You could use Glue Dots, or Glue if you'd prefer.

Then I took my Exacto Knife and cut out the corners of the paper at an angle.


Here is the bottom.
Add some Double Sided Tape and fold the paper down like your wrapping a present.


Isn't it pretty?
Not that it matters cause it's the bottom but still it looks nice ;)


Now do the same for the top.


After completing the folding in of the paper on the top..I used the left over scraps of paper to line the inside.


Next I added some self adhesive magnets to the back.

Still with me?
Almost done!


Last but not least I added some letter stickers to the front and slapped it on the fridge!

This was so easy! 
And the best part was I recycled a Mac n' Cheese box, and had all the other stuff on hand.
It took me minutes to make and now I don't have to dig thru a drawer to find all my Box Tops when it's time to turn them in to the school :)

Have a great day!