If you’ve never been to a holiday craft fair, well, you’re missing out.
Around these parts, the local spots to get one-of-a-kind handmade items are a pretty big deal. Some have been around for decades, while others are quickly making a name for themselves among the crafters and artisans – and those who spend just about every weekend traveling around to find that perfect gift for that someone special in their life.
In addition to tables upon tables of jewelry, clothing, soaps, candles, knickknacks and home decor (among lots of other great stuff), you’ll find tasty food and desserts, raffles and crafts for the kids to do.
Plus, there’s nothing better than meeting the person who actually made the product you’re about to buy face to face.
And your experience is usually pretty much the same. You show up, walk around for an hour or two, buy what you like and go about your day.
But for those who put together these craft fairs and the crafters and artisans who make everything, this is much more than a one-day process.
For Tracie Flynn, the one who organizes this Saturday’s Employee Activities Committee Holiday Craft Fair at Concord Hospital, the process began back in July. It starts with sending out flyers to employees, and then in early October she opens it up to anyone else to fill the remaining spots.
“Most of it is all homemade crafts,” Flynn said. “We pretty much take anyone.”
Each person gets a 6-foot by 6-foot space and it takes about three hours to put together the table assignments, which includes the use of both the first and third floor rotundas and three, third floor conference rooms, all while making sure you don’t have any issues, like two soap makers next to each other. This Friday the committee will put out tables and chairs to prepare for all the crafters Saturday morning.
“The day of is very busy,” Flynn said.
The Beaver Meadow annual craft fair will celebrate 28 years on Dec. 2, but since it’s put on by the school’s PTO, those who organize it change quite often.
This is Lori Rowell’s second year, and planning for next month’s fair began at last years.
She talks to crafters to gauge their interest for the following year.
“A lot of people have been coming for many years and want the same spot,” Rowell said.
Signups begin in the spring and then she touches base toward the end of the summer.
With 90 participants, you need to keep on top of the list and make sure you’ve got everything in order – and it’s not something you can do the week before.
The committee of three puts out the yard sale signs you see around town, tapes off the 8-foot by 8-foot spaces in the school’s gymnasium, cafeteria and the hallway leading to the gym the night before and makes sure the food and raffle portions of the fair are all set.
“I takes a really long time,” Rowell said. “It takes us about three hours just to tape the floor.”
As you can see the planning and preparation for these one-day events is extensive. Kind of like planning a wedding, but much cheaper and less of a commitment.
On the crafters side, this is where a huge boost in sales can come. Sure, some of them have an online presence or sell in stores, but craft fair season is super busy.
Heidi Pauer makes a lot of jewelry, but also creates stationary and magnets, using recycled and found materials for her work.
She has an Etsy store and really makes her products all year round, but when October rolls around, that’s when she starts planning for craft fairs.
“November is really my busiest month,” Pauer said. “In the next couple weeks I won’t be making new stuff because October is when I see where I’m at and what I need for inventory.”
She typically does four or five, but this year she’s only got two on the calendar, with one being the expanded two-day show at Bow High School.
“You never know how much you’re going to sell,” Pauer said.
Anne Stewart started Cedar Porch Designs in May of last year with her dad, making custom furniture and home decor like signs, wine racks and shelves.
With the 38th annual Bow PTO, two-day fair on the schedule in two weeks, she’s been feverishly working to make sure she has enough inventory for what will be a busy couple of days.
“You never know how much you’re going to sell so you have to overmake,” Stewart said.
Since you can only fit so much at a fair, she brings mostly signs and is working to have upwards of 60 signs, made with reclaimed wood, available for purchase.
“I probably start a good month ahead,” Stewart said.
Since Alissa Jelley specializes in wreaths, ornaments and felt flowers with her business, adorable aDOORnments, this is her busy time of year. It all started three years ago when she was looking for a wreath for her front door.
“I couldn’t find one that I liked,” Jelley said.
So she went to Michael’s and made one and thought she could do it for others.
In addition to having her stuff in Concord Handmade, she’s doing a bunch of craft fairs, too. And that means a lot of time is spent getting ready for these two months.
“I have to start thinking about Christmas in July,” Jelley said. “It’s a lot of late nights and you’re always covered in glitter, glue and burlap.”
It’s not unheard of for her to bring 150 ornaments to a single fair.
Craft fairs are also a great place to meet potential clients for custom work and develop relationships with people you see year after year.
“The cool thing about craft fairs is people start looking for you year after year,” Pauer said.
So next time you’re wandering around a fair, take a second to appreciate all the went into it.
Because it’s been a long couple of months for most of the people there.
