From the Shop: Craft Show Prep (aka Controlled Chaos with a Coffee Dependency)

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into getting ready for a craft show… just picture a mix of strategic planning, creative chaos, and me walking around the studio holding three different things like, “Why did I pick this up?”

Let’s set the scene.

Step 1: Become a Trend Detective 🔍

Before I make anything, I do a little digging into what people are actually shopping for right now.

Right now? We are in that magical overlap of:

• 🌸 Mother’s Day gifting mode

• 🇺🇸 4th of July creeping in like “hey… don’t forget about me”

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So, I’m thinking:

• Giftable bundles

• Cute, easy grab-and-go items

• Seasonal decor that makes people feel like they have their life together

(Spoiler: none of us do, but the decor helps.)

Step 2: Inventory Reality Check 😅

Next, I take a look at what I actually have made… and this is where things get humbling.

Because in my head, I’m like:

“Wow I have SO much inventory.”

And then I check and it’s like:

✨ 3 candles

✨ 1 lonely terrarium

✨ 17 things that don’t match anything else

So, then it’s go-time. I start crafting to fill in the gaps—making sure I have:

• A range of price points

• Best-sellers stocked

• Enough variety that my booth doesn’t look like a yard sale (important)

Step 3: Booth Layout… aka My Roman Empire 🧠

This is where things get serious.

I sketch out my booth layout… and by “sketch out,” I mean:

• Redraw it

• Move everything

• Redraw it again

• Question all my life choices

• Repeat approximately twice a day until the show

I’m constantly thinking:

• Where will people walk?

• What’s eye-catching?

• Can I see everything (aka anti-theft mode 👀)?

• Does it look cute enough for Instagram? (obviously)

Step 4: Pricing & Signage (The Unsexy but CRUCIAL Part)

Every single item gets:

✔️ A price tag

✔️ A double-check

✔️ Me staring at it like “does this feel right??”

Then comes signage—my favorite part lately.

I design and print seasonal signs like:

• My Mother’s Day bundle menu

• Promo signs

• “Please buy this, I worked very hard” energy

Good signage = less explaining = more selling. We love efficiency.

Step 5: Charge Everything 🔌

This step sounds simple… but forgetting it? Devastating.

I make sure to charge:

• Lights

• Card reader

• Phone

• Speaker (because vibes matter, okay?)

Nothing humbles you faster than a dead card reader at peak shopping hour.

Step 6: Packing Tetris 🧩

Then it’s time to pack bins… and this is where I become a professional-level Tetris player.

Everything gets packed:

• Products

• Displays

• Signage

• Backup of everything because I don’t trust myself

  
  

And then… the car gets packed the night before.

Because morning-of packing?That’s how you forget something critical.

(Do I still forget something? Yes. Every time.)

Step 7: Show Day Survival Kit ☕

Morning of, I grab my essentials bag:

• A project to work on (because I physically cannot sit still)

• Snacks

• Drinks

• Allllll the coffee

• The 5 random things I realized I forgot while trying to leave

NEW ERA: Setup Day Videos 🎥

Okay this part I’m actually really excited about—

I’m planning to start sharing setup videos on show days so you can see:

• The transformation from empty booth → full setup

• The chaos in real time

• Probably me rethinking my layout again

  
  

I feel like people always see the finished booth… but not the process, and honestly? The process is where the personality is.

Final Thoughts 💭

Craft show prep is a mix of:

• Planning

• Creating

• Overthinking

• Repacking

• Coffee

  
  

And somehow… it always comes together in the end.

(With maybe one slightly crooked sign and at least one “I forgot that at home” moment.)

But that’s part of the charm, right?

If you’re coming to an upcoming show—just know everything you see started as a pile of yarn, glue, and mild chaos in my studio.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way. 🐄✨