Stuff for craft fair? Ideas wanted!

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julianf

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A (good) friend is doing a craft fair.

She has asked me to do a small print workshop / demonstration thing there anyway (i do silk screen printing onto metal work for work, but this will just be t shirts, bags etc)

So the key point is ill be there anyway, and it wont cost me anything to sell a few bits and pieces. And, i dont have to have a full stalls worth, as they can just go on a table with someone elses stuff.

Because of all of the above, i thought i might knock up some stuff and see how it sells, more for interest, than i think ill retire off it...

I thought, possible "stuff" might include -

Maybe end grain chopping boards with some sort of cnc cut resin filled "something" to make them more unusual?


IMG_20210822_200543907 (1).jpg


I mean this is not an illustrative photo, but this is our one at home, thats been chopped on for some time now (ignore the witches egg) so somthing along those lines? I think i made that one about 80mm thick, so slightly different to commercial ones anyway. Again, maybe cnc cut something into it to make it more novel?

Ahh, heres another photo ive just found. It was just for us, and, yes, it would have been better if i had paid more attention to strip alignment on the final glue up -


IMG_20210109_125345461.jpg





Or pippy resin serving boards or something?

3boat-2.jpg



Drinks coasters? Seems pretty dull to me, but i guess people buy that kind of stuff (i do not).

Im looking for ideas for pretty but low value items. None goes to a craft fair expecting to spend £150 (at least not in rural devon!)

People say i should sell these, until i tell them what they would need to cost, and then they think otherwise -

IMG_20200313_232531443.jpg



Again, not exactly a christmass craft item anyway!



I do bits of wood for work, but wood work is not my main trade (im a metal worker, printer) so im just looking for suggestions really.

I weld / spray also, so i dont know if any of them could be bought into a craft style saleable item?
IMG_20201224_144433326.jpg
IMG_20200818_165005834.jpg



Im sticking loads of photos on just so as someone may be able to suggest somthing around the same skill set?

Bits of metal again -

IMG_20210316_201316839.jpg


CNC cut bits of wood?


IMG_20201004_140710264.jpg


But, yes, its got to be cheap and easy and in that price range that does not need all that much consideration?

Maybe led powered resin lights or something? (led mainly as then theyre not 240v, and you can just flog a Class II plug in transformer, and not have to be concerned with certification, etc.)

Its November sometime i think, so time to knock up some stuff, and it will get the Christmas traffic.


Any suggestions would be most welcome?

Again, not looking to retire off this, and its outside of my usual scope (i sell specialist stuff on the internet - virtually all for export overseas) but looking to have a bit of fun, as much as anything much else.

Thank you.
 

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I stopped drinking when i was 17, so ethanol products are something that's a bit outside of my range of personal knowledge!
 
Cutting boards don't need to be end grain for the typical craft fair market I would have thought.

Simple boot Jack's seemed to sell well at a local fair here and require little time or material.

Boards with hooks for hanging keys is another idea.
 
A (good) friend is doing a craft fair.

She has asked me to do a small print workshop / demonstration thing there anyway (i do silk screen printing onto metal work for work, but this will just be t shirts, bags etc)

So the key point is ill be there anyway, and it wont cost me anything to sell a few bits and pieces. And, i dont have to have a full stalls worth, as they can just go on a table with someone elses stuff.

Because of all of the above, i thought i might knock up some stuff and see how it sells, more for interest, than i think ill retire off it...

I thought, possible "stuff" might include -

Maybe end grain chopping boards with some sort of cnc cut resin filled "something" to make them more unusual?


View attachment 117580

I mean this is not an illustrative photo, but this is our one at home, thats been chopped on for some time now (ignore the witches egg) so somthing along those lines? I think i made that one about 80mm thick, so slightly different to commercial ones anyway. Again, maybe cnc cut something into it to make it more novel?

Ahh, heres another photo ive just found. It was just for us, and, yes, it would have been better if i had paid more attention to strip alignment on the final glue up -


View attachment 117582




Or pippy resin serving boards or something?

View attachment 117581


Drinks coasters? Seems pretty dull to me, but i guess people buy that kind of stuff (i do not).

Im looking for ideas for pretty but low value items. None goes to a craft fair expecting to spend £150 (at least not in rural devon!)

People say i should sell these, until i tell them what they would need to cost, and then they think otherwise -

View attachment 117583


Again, not exactly a christmass craft item anyway!



I do bits of wood for work, but wood work is not my main trade (im a metal worker, printer) so im just looking for suggestions really.

I weld / spray also, so i dont know if any of them could be bought into a craft style saleable item?
View attachment 117585View attachment 117587


Im sticking loads of photos on just so as someone may be able to suggest somthing around the same skill set?

Bits of metal again -

View attachment 117588

CNC cut bits of wood?


View attachment 117589

But, yes, its got to be cheap and easy and in that price range that does not need all that much consideration?

Maybe led powered resin lights or something? (led mainly as then theyre not 240v, and you can just flog a Class II plug in transformer, and not have to be concerned with certification, etc.)

Its November sometime i think, so time to knock up some stuff, and it will get the Christmas traffic.


Any suggestions would be most welcome?

Again, not looking to retire off this, and its outside of my usual scope (i sell specialist stuff on the internet - virtually all for export overseas) but looking to have a bit of fun, as much as anything much else.

Thank you.
Last time I was at a county show we decorated the stand with balloons. Lots of people started asking to buy them and eventually we went off and bought a load wholesale and gas filled them. Sales really took off when we started felt tipping kids names on them. Never made so much money in so short a time! Some of the wood-ware sold too but you just never know.
 
last show I did over 7 years ago my friend made gypsy flowers. they were Hazel branches sort of peeled with a draw knife and a stem. he had a child's mouth blown air brush to paint. took minutes sold hundreds. People like to see someone do something to make something pretty but don't have patience.
 
I'm into coffee drinking, all sorts of beans from around the world, not instant!
Like all hobbies and interests there are weird items that people 'need' that you might not imagine and wooden versions are common upgrades
For example there are stands for the various tools; they include portafilter and tamper stands. These can be pretty generic as there are standard sizes.
People sort and store coffee beans in weighed doses (often about 18gms) within corked test tubes held in wooden racks.
Message me if photos would help.
 
Coat and key racks are easy and small, and I watched a YT video in which the maker said "You know who wants end-grain chopping boards? Woodworkers, no one else cares"!
I offer both end grain and edge grain boards, and sell 4 edge grain for every one end grain.
 
Last time I was at a county show we decorated the stand with balloons. Lots of people started asking to buy them and eventually we went off and bought a load wholesale and gas filled them. Sales really took off
that should be in the joke thread!! 🤣 🤣
 
If you were going to make coasters, I'd love to see some with some of the design ideas you put into your sound engineering desks, like the coasters are bits of cut up consoles.
 

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