doulaknitter

The handmade season is upon us! Makers are working their magic building up holiday inventory while still hustling their way through the summer fairs and festivals. Fans of DIY can start planning their shopping lists while makers can explore new markets to sell their handmade items.

Want to make sure you get access to early bird tickets? Sign up for our emails to get details on the next con in 2020 — Early Bird tickets will go on sale September 1st!

Aug. 23-24: OMG Becky Fest, Davenport, IA
Sept. 7-8: Bellevue Art in the Park, Bellevue, KY
Sept. 7-8: Renegade Craft Fair, Chicago, IL
Sept. 8: Clover Market, Chestnut Hill, PA
Sept. 8: Indie Craft Experience, Atlanta, GA
Sept. 13-15: Indie Craft Parade, Greenville, SC
Sept. 21-22: Cleveland Flea, Cleveland, OH
Sept 22: Clover Market, Bryn Mawr, PA
Nov. 2: Indy MADE Market, Noblesville, IN
Nov. 9: The Handmade Market, Raleigh, NC
Nov. 9: Bloomington Handmade Market, Bloomington, IN
Nov. 16: Maker’s Mart, Toledo, OH
Nov. 16: Traverse City Shop & Sip, Acme, MI
Nov. 23: Not Your Mama’s Craft Market, Columbus, Ohio
Nov. 23-24: Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar, Philidelphia, PA
Nov. 30-Dec 1: Crafty Mart, Akron, OH
Nov. 24: Hoosier Artisan Boutique, Noblesville, IN
Nov. 29: Market Day, Des Moines, IA
Nov. 30 & Dec 1: Crafty Supermarket Cincinnati, OH
Dec. 3: Indie Craft Experience, Atlanta, GA
Dec. 6: INDIEana Handicraft Exchange, Indianapolis, IN
Dec. 6-7: No Coast Craft-O-Rama, Minneapolis, MN
Dec. 6-7: Handmade Arcade, Pittsburgh, PA
Dec. 6-7: OMG Becky Fest, Davenport, IA
Dec. 6-8: Detroit Urban Craft Fair, Detroit, MI
Dec. 7: Indiemade Craft Market, Allentown, PA
Dec. 7: Cleveland Bazaar, Cleveland, OH
Dec. 7-8: Renegade Craft Fair, Chicago, IL
Dec. 8: Not Your Mama’s Craft Market, Columbus, Ohio
Dec. 8: Craftin’ Outlaws, Columbus, OH
Dec. 14: Tiny Expo Indie Art & Craft Fair, Ann Arbor, MI
Dec. 14: I Made It! Market, Pittsburgh, PA
Dec. 14: City Flea, Cincinnati, OH
Dec. 17 – 18: Cleveland Bazaar, Cleveland, OH

Know any other indie craft shows that should be on our list? Add them in the comments!

Crafted by our Social Media Manager, Margot Madison.

Craft Fair season is an exciting and challenging time, isn’t it? You work late into the night, creating new products that blister your fingers and make your eyes go googly. You design and re-design your booth for optimum sales appeal and portability, then pray it will fit into the trunk of your car. If you’re really on the ball, you actually remember to print business cards and takeaways brochures. Ha!

Once you get to the event venue, a new set of challenges arise. Where is the designated vendor parking? How far will you have to carry your boxes of product and your booth display? Did you actually remember to bring your card reader AND your power cord for your smartphone? Will you even have electrical power? Did you remember to bring enough cash to break a $100 that some clueless person brought to purchase your $4 item?

Did you prepare for the weather? Is it going to be torrential rains today? A freak hailstorm, perhaps? Or maybe just 99 degrees and sunny so that you can bake in your crafty little tent oven.

Then, fellow crafting queen, you must be ready for… The Comments. The endless, thoughtless, careless, clueless comments from casual craft show attendees. They mean well, bless them, but it can bring even the most optimistic crafty businesswoman to her knees.

You’re not alone, Craft Warriors. To help you find some modicum of enjoyment from these careless commenters and weather disasters, we created a Craft Show Bingo card (thank you for your inspiration Carey Gustafson!) to help maintain your sanity. Feel free to download and print. Better yet, share a few with your crafting brethren.

We wish top sales and temperate weather weekends for you to find joy and success in your crafting hobby-turned-business this season.

Download this template for your enjoyment at your next fair!

When you REALLY need a break…The 2020 Midwest Craft Con is happening February 28-March 1. Join us for workshops on marketing, business tips and also for relaxing crafty fun. Bring a friend and enjoy a well deserved weekend of happiness. Click for more information on tickets.

Author: doulaknitter

Fall + Holiday Shows around the Midwest!

Craft Show Bingo!