Craft Show Survival Kit
Sunday October 7, 2007
Being prepared is not just for Scouts! Make sure you have a good little "survival kit" of necessities with you when you take
to the road for craft shows. These things should include a small tool set, a first aid kit, a cell phone, oh and my all time
favorite: the ever-so versatile duct tape! (I can't tell you how many times duct tape has saved our hides at shows!) Other
things to include would be extra batteries (for things like the kid's games and your cash register), snacks and drinks, and a
blanket. What things can you suggest to other crafters that they should have in their survival kit?
Comments
don’t forget glue or glue gun, hammer and nails, etc. to fix the crafts that didn’t survive the trip to the show.
We’re new to the arts and crafts shows but a roll of paper towels. Not only handy for quick clean-ups but our last show was outside and many crafters left their tables uncovered over night. The morning dew sent several searching for something to wipe them off before setting up for the day and my roll of paper towels helped others and helped to make some new friends.
bungee cords and a good first aid kit, especially if you are a woodcarver.
I keep a small Tupperware box with a pair of scissors, sewing needle, buttonhole thread (practically unbreakable), small spool of wire, a few index cards, a marker, a hole punch, a pen and extra price tags. Always comes in handy! A small tool assortment has helped out neighbors, too.
Don’t forget a good flashlight. At one of the Christmas Craft shows I attend, we frequently have blackouts due to overloading of the power. If every booth has a flashlight, it makes it safer for the customers and the vendores to not only light the way, but to make sure no-one pockets an odd little item in the dark.
good suggestions so far… I would add a lint roller (for velvet displays for example). Twine or dental floss. Safety pins and clothes pins for table cloths. Power strip.
My kit always includes push pins,string, 3×5 blank cards and a sharpie marker…you never know when you need to make a new sign.
I also include: a calculator, pens (for check writers), a bottle of water and a snack bar since I man a table alone and often am too busy to even eat a sandwich. It’s helpful to have a small plastic grocery to throw trash into as the day goes on then it’s simple to throw away at the end of the day.
A cheap plastic poncho, some strong cord, extra weights for your canopy, and a tarp to cover the ground if it’s muddy under your tent. Also the ground isn’t always even, so some flat thin boards to shim your display tables. I am always loaning clothespins, scissors, adhesives, twine, eating utensils, etc. to my neighboring crafters. Don’t forget sheets to put over your goods at night in a shared room or tent.
P.S. Don’t forget the gum and/or breath mints!
A paper hand fan for the summer shows. Clothes pins for the booth sign.
The most important thing is bring a friend!!You will need a break sooner or later.
I always bring an unfinished product to work on in slow times. It’s a great conversation starter, and shows the buyers what goes into the finished product. A traveller’s cribbage board and cards are also a good way to pass the time, and possibly make fellow booth holders into friends!