It’s craft fair season! And with that, we’ve compiled a list with some of our favorite must-haves for your craft fair booth, as well as a checklist to keep you organized on show day. Help yourself stay stress free and be prepared to present your best booth this holiday season.

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Battery Pack for your Phone

No one wants to get stuck at their booth unable to process credit card transactions, or even call a friend for backup. A battery pack to help keep your phone charged during those long days at events can be a life saver.

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LED Spotlights

Sometimes you have a particular product that needs just a little extra. These spotlights are perfect for that!

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Battery Operated String Lights

Add a little ambiance to your booth with string light decor. These lights are battery operated so you won’t have to worry about cords or whether the venue has electricity for you to use.

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Battery Operated Clip Light

Spotlight your items and give your booth some light. Even during day events, shade inside a booth can make it difficult for customers to really see details on products. Having a few clip lights on-hand can really help illuminate your booth. Pro tip — these are also great for when you’re packing up after an event and need some light as the sun goes down.

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Standing Battery Powered Light

Need a more powerful lighting option, or something that is free standing? Check out this LED portable light.

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Grid Panels

Can be great for visual artists hanging their work. These can also be used with clip on shelving or hanging rods to display fashion and accessories.

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Chalk Board A-Frame

Let customers know if you have any specials going on in your booth right when they enter. We like this sign because it’s a little higher up than a traditional sandwich board making it easier to see, plus it has a shelve for display.

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Felt Letter Board

Perfect for a special message you want to relay to guests without having to chat up every single person that enters your booth.

Something as simple as “Ask me about custom work” can start conversations with interested buyers.

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Multi-Position Cart

What’s awesome about this cart for lugging your gear is that you can use it as a cart or as a stand up dolly. Perfect for all kinds of loads that you may need to carry.

You can even pay a few extra bucks to get it in pink so you’ll never mistake your dolly with another vendor.

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Pop-Up Tent

Buy your own pop-up tent so you’re self sufficient for shows. This is a no-frills tent, so you’re going to need to get your own walls and carry case if you need one, but for the price, you can’t beat it!

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Need weights for your booth?!

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Prevent forgetting to pack last minute valuable items with our craft fair checklist:

We hope that these have helped give you some ideas as you plan your booth!

We love this To Do List on Etsy by BoyGirlParty! 

Preparation:
Make sure you know your booth number and pertinent load-in instructions.  Arriving on-site with an idea of where and when you need to be somewhere will help your stress levels during the event.

Permits: 
Make sure you're all set to sell with the city and state you're selling in.  

Production: 
We think Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids said it best, "Get your S*** together Carol!" Although your name may not be Carol, we feel this still applies. You want to make sure you have enough inventory ready (more the merrier), signage and business cards, and a sound display (tables, table cloths etc). Your display is your first impression so you want to make it solid.  You can read more tips and ideas on our Looking vs. Buying Blog. 

Promote Promote Promote: 
Just think about it, having 200 people talk about an event is more powerful than just a handful. Follow Jackalope Arts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest that way you can remain in the loop and share any exciting news!

if you have a website where you post upcoming events, make sure to include your next event so your followers can know where to find you.  You can even launch a new product at the fair or offer an exclusive discount to help drum up support!

Payment Methods:
Make sure you get change if you are accepting cash and store it someplace safe. Also look into setting up a credit payment system, Paypal or Square card readers are great. 

Fair Time:
Load up the night before and do a mock set up, that way you can pack smart and get straight to business upon arrival. We will include load in/out information as we get closer, but think about including a rolling cart or dolly to help. Also include scissors, string, pens, tape, anything "random" that may come in handy for display. Its important to remain hydrated so make sure to bring water, and don't skip lunch! You want to remain friendly and approachable so don't let a hungry stomach hold you down.