How Set Up a Van to Haul an Art Fair Tent

I did my off-white share of arts and crafts fairs for more than a decade, and I learned a lot of tricks along the fashion. (I even wrote a book about information technology.) My craft evidence tool kit evolved a lot over the years, with a few handy items I couldn't alive without bringing to a craft fair.

Whether y'all're preparing for your first craft show and wondering what to bring, or you're an experienced arts and crafts show vet looking to improve your arsenal, I hope y'all'll notice my acme 5 arts and crafts show must haves useful. Mind to Episode 005 of the Badass Creatives podcast to hear me talk about my craft show tool-kit, or read on:

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links, which means if y'all click through and purchase a product, I receive a small-scale commission. Information technology does Non cost you lot anything extra! That said – I only post things here that I genuinely apply or would recommend to a shut friend. More info at my disclosure folio .

ane. A neat tent!

If you're planning to practice outdoor fine art markets or festivals, a good craft bear witness tent is an absolute MUST! Many event organizers require everyone to take white 10×x craft show tents, to proceed things looking classy & uniform.

My EZ up tent lasted me through many years of arts and crafts shows, and information technology's however going strong! I take the popular-up awning kind of EZ up tent with four zippered side walls, which are great for endmost up shop overnight or keeping out the elements on a rainy twenty-four hours.

ii. A professional looking tablecloth!

Subsequently years of fussing with large pieces of textile and homemade tablecloths, pinning and tucking only and then to keep information technology looking nice, I fabricated the move to these fitted polyester tablecloths. They're so much easier, and they look super professional person. They come up in a variety of sizes to fit different lengths of folding tables.

You could always screen-impress or add appliqués to the forepart to customize information technology with your business proper name or logo!

You can see my own tablecloths pictured below, from my craft show booth at Gretna Heritage Festival:

For my 6 foot tables, I used a pretty standard size plastic folding table I found at a hardware store. I likewise had a lightweight aluminum folding tabular array that I used for craft fairs.

3. A comfortable & tall chair!

I spent years sitting on low chairs, uncomfortable stools or only standing during craft shows, to stay heart-level with my customers and then I could talk to them. My tall fold-upwardly director'southward chair became a lifesaver!

The best directors chair for craft shows is 1 that can put you at the same level equally your customers, yet exist light-weight, portable and comfortable. It helps you to brand a personal connection and sell more than than if you're sitting down low, almost hidden behind a table in a traditional outdoor folding chair.

After years of doing these events, and frequently times continuing all twenty-four hours or sitting perched on an unsupportive folding stool, I started seeing other artists in their booths, sitting on tall directors chairs that were portable and made for outdoor utilise. After searching loftier and low around local sporting goods stores with no luck, my search eventually led me to Amazon, where I found this chair and immediately ordered it.

In one case I got mine, other artists asked me all the time where I got it. I love this chair and it has lasted me years of pretty serious use and abuse. The heavy-duty aluminum chair frame is Not physically heavy at all, but it IS super durable. I love that information technology has side pockets, which are great for storing things in while I'g working backside my booth. (Sometimes I'd use a plastic grocery pocketbook in one of the pockets as a liner for a make-shift trash tin on the go.) This chair is definitely on my list of craft show must-haves.

Fifty-fifty if yous don't sell at arts and crafts shows, this chair is great for outdoor utilise at home, not to mention for other outdoor activities similar sporting events, or selling at flea markets or garage sales! This is as well a great portable director'due south chair for makeup artists who may need to bring a chair to locations for their clients to sit on during makeup applications.

four. Shopping bags or souvenir wrap!

Yous'll definitely desire to have some sort of shopping bags or gift wrap available! What size you need depends on what you sell, of course. I unremarkably keep a few sizes on hand – minor organza numberless for jewelry and some bigger paper shopping numberless for larger items.

5. A user-friendly hand truck or dolly!

Finally, if you'll be hauling all your stuff to and from your auto or truck to your craft show booth, you're going to want wheels! I cannot begin to tell y'all how much using a Magliner convertible hand truck inverse my craft show life!

I don't know how I could take done Frenchmen Fine art Market so many nights without it – I was able to get everything I needed on it in 1 trip and haul information technology a couple of blocks dorsum to my car with ease:

Information technology'south pretty loftier end, just because all of the physical labor involved in doing craft shows, the Magliner was worth it for me. Your body volition cheers!

If y'all're a craft bear witness newbie simply getting started, I too used a smaller (and cheaper) Magna Cart for shows where it'due south easier to do multiple trips dorsum and along to my car.

You'll observe from the picture above that I as well used a lot of stackable storage bins with latching handles to transport my products to and from the arts and crafts fairs. These made information technology easier to stack everything on my Magliner, and they also protected my inventory, particularly during outdoor arts and crafts shows where I might meet pelting or mud.

Bonus craft show ideas:

Okay, so maybe I fibbed. I mayyyy have more than just 5 craft show must haves. Here are a few more of my favorite art evidence brandish ideas:

A mantle properties for sun protection and visual appeal!

Doing outdoor art markets can accept a lot out of you, especially if the sun is striking your neck all day long. That'south one reason I came up with the mantle properties for my fine art show tent seen beneath:

I made it past sewing together 3 semi-sheer drapery panels. On each outside edge, I added a few pieces of ribbon to brand it easy to tie off the edges to the sides of my tent poles. At the summit of the drapery, I used spring clamps to attach it to the top of my tent. Piece of cake-peasy!

Not only was it great for blocking the sun, but it likewise provided a colorful and eye-communicable background for my booth! (Hint: stitch in something at the bottom of the panels to requite them a little extra weight and then they stay more secure when it gets windy!)

Gridwall for displaying your fine art!

Many artists utilise gridwall panels to display their artwork. This type of portable craft show brandish setup works well for fine artists who have paintings or photographs to show off, but near gridwall systems accept other accessories available like prune-on baskets or shelves or hanging racks, which tin as well show off article of clothing or accessories likewise.

Above you tin see a photo from 1 of my own arts and crafts bear witness booths. I'm not the creative person using the gridwall seen hither (that's the back of the booth next to me), but you can come across hither how the dorsum of the artwork is attached to the gridwall with clips or null-ties.

You tin besides see some of my own display systems here, including a vintage suitcase. I sewed a few ribbons onto the suitcase lining so that I could clip greeting cards to the within of the suitcase. I also constitute an old shutter that I turned into a brandish for earrings.

Stackable jewelry trays became some other lifesaver for me. Afterward many craft shows where I'd spend a bunch of time laying out necklaces and jewelry on my tabular array, and and so advisedly packing each item up again at the end of the show, I discovered the magic of stackable jewelry trays! These made the booth setup and breakdown process so much faster!

I took the above photograph at ane indoor fine art show I did. Even though nosotros were within, the artist used his tent frame to hang these screens from and then that he could and so attach his artwork.

There are definitely plenty of expensive, professional fine art display panels out there, but I establish this DIY video tutorial that explains how you can make similar art brandish panels for around $50 per panel using materials found at the hardware store.

Arts and crafts evidence checklist:

While this is past no ways a totally comprehensive list of what to have to a craft fair, this should cover most of the important things that you lot should plan to have on paw, simply might otherwise forget to bring with you. (Download and print a re-create of this checklist!)

• enough of cash for making alter

• a style to process credit cards, similar Square

• toll stickers for jewelry or hang tags

• extension cord

• bungee cords

• zipties or reusable Velcro straps

• spring clamps

• condom pins

• antibacterial moisture wipes and/or paw sanitizer

• tape

• scissors

• calculator

• cool business cards

• sunscreen

• problems spray aspirin / ibuprofen

• a small cooler to concur water or drinks, plus freezer packs to go along it common cold during summer

• a Thermos filled with hot tea or coffee, and hooded blanket for outdoor craft shows during winter

Craft Show Tips for Beginners

Are you just getting started with craft fairs? Lucky for you lot, I wrote a whole book full of my craft evidence tips, tricks and advice, full of everything I learned from more than 10 years of doing art markets and craft shows regularly:

If you found this mail useful, you should too check out my volume, How to Make Money at Craft Shows – Fine art Market and Craft Off-white Tips & Tricks. In it, I cover the basics of getting started selling at craft fairs, equally well as how to design a great looking booth, how to give outstanding customer service & sell more, and even how to detect and create boosted events at which to sell your handmade work.

Information technology too includes how to define your target market, where to notice good shows to sell at, how much you should expect to spend on a booth fee at a show, promoting your show & getting your customers there, dealing with crazy weather & unexpected events, theft prevention, how to give great customer service, how to use arts and crafts shows to create subsequently-the-testify sales and lots more than!

What did I miss?

If yous've been doing craft shows for awhile and call up that I missed something here, please contact me and let me know!

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Source: https://www.badasscreatives.com/blog/craft-show-must-haves

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