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This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
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From: MaryW
Date: 08-04-2003, 08:20 AM (1 of 7)
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Has anyone ever had a quilt or craft show in their home. With the holidays coming up maybe it is time to whip up a few things to sell. Have you ever had a one or two day sale from your home of all the things you make? Maybe some wallhangings, winter stuff like mitts, scarves, etc. If you have done this, do you have any advice for someone thinking of maybe doing this? MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 08-04-2003, 07:25 PM (2 of 7)
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Mary, our local 'Farmers Market' has a policy of what you can sell there.. It has to be Homegrown or Handmade. No exceptions.. I have seen lots of craft items there. Not just sewing, but other crafts as well. But they are usually very good quality items.. People are used to that here, and expect to pay for what they get.. I do not know personally of anyone that has had a sale in their home. I think it is a good idea with a few controls on how you publicize it. I would not put signs on street corners all over town. But I would put them in small shops and places that know you, and therefore would give you a good reference to anyone who inquired..Also fabric shops and guilds newsletters would be good places for publicity. Wish I lived close enough to attend..  
Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022 
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From: MaryW
Date: 08-05-2003, 07:32 AM (3 of 7)
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I wish you lived here too Libby. I think I will keep it very small and local. Our community is not the kind where there is a ton of traffic or people loitering. MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542
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From: Mtn Dreamer
Date: 10-15-2003, 01:51 PM (4 of 7)
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Hi, new to the list by about 3 minutes. I have been part of a group, 3 couples that have very successfully held craft sales in our home. We called it 'Christmas Charms'. At the time we lived in an older home, which suited the event. We held a 3 day sale, Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Friday nights was the most profitable. We held the sale the first weekend in December. Having a sale in your home isn't simple. We emptied our foyer, living room and kitchen, and then refilled it with our crafts, basically changing the house into a storefront. We didn't cook in the house for a few days because we didn't want our products to take on any cooking smells. (Fortunately my husband and I can survive on cereal, and our kids were grown and gone, so we didn't have any little mouths to feed.). We decorated the front of the house with cedar boughs, red bows and antique furniture. We piped Christmas music into the street, and usually were able to have a nice snowfall happening, (can't claim ownership of that though). We really went all out to provide our customers with a special shopping experience. As people entered the house they were greeted by the scent of hot apple cider. In the foyer, my husband greeted them, took their coats, and set their wet footwear to the side. We provide baskets for them to put their purchases in, as they entered the kitchen area, they were served hot apple cider, and traditional shortbread cookies. After they paid for their purchases, they were helped on with their coats, and handed a sprig of Christmas holly that we had shipped up from the coast. We three women had made most of the crafts, so we mingled with our friends and customers, the husbands were the charming cashiers. By the time the sale was over we were all ready to collapse in the corner from exhaustion, but what a great feeling. It was such hard work, but so rewarding. We had this sale 3 years in a row and customers would tell us how wonderful it was for them, and that it was the best start to their Christmas season. We stopped having them because of one of our couples relocating, and life in general changing. But just writing about it has restored my enthusiasim, and I'm thinking, do I have enough time to organize one by December? Oh yes, location is very important, especially if you have to contend with winter conditions - as in snow, and lots of it! I have since moved to the country, about 7 miles from town, so it may not be feasible...oh well, I am a Mountain Dreamer, so I shall dream on. If you're considering doing such a thing, do it right, pull out all the stops and give the people an experience they won't soon forget, and have quality products for sale. The set up doesn't have to be expensive. We did post signs around town, put a little ad in the classifieds and dropped off invitations at some of the local businesses. After the sale we put a thank you note in the newspaper. The weekend after the sale, we all took off together, spent the weekend at a B&B, did some unwinding and shopping to replenished our craft supplies. It was great fun, and we made some wonderful memories. |
User: Mtn Dreamer
Member since: 10-15-2003 Total posts: 2 |
From: maps
Date: 10-16-2003, 05:53 AM (5 of 7)
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i never had a sale at my home, i did help out a friend have a yard sale, i swore i'd never have a sale of any kind at my home after that!!! sooo much work! i now appreciate all the work that goes into having a sale. Mtn Dreamer, welcome to our group, what a great story, almost had me wanting to try it!!! Marge
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User: maps
Member since: 06-18-2003 Total posts: 152 
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From: MaryW
Date: 10-16-2003, 07:21 AM (6 of 7)
MtnDreamer, welcome to Sew Whats New.   You certainly did go all out. That is what you call creating an event. I would love to do something like that. You were so lucky to have people help you. I would love to hear more. What type of crafts did you sell? MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542
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From: Mtn Dreamer
Date: 10-16-2003, 02:42 PM (7 of 7)
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Boy, when I think back on how many different articles we had for sale, it almost boggles my mind. We set up 2 Christmas trees in different rooms, One was fully loaded with Victorian ornaments, the other was a Country Christmas tree, with country style ornaments...many, many different kinds. We had quilted articles, table runners, wall hangings, placemats, quillows...we had all kinds of hand made dolls, and toys, Old World Santas, angels, stained glass lamps & sun catchers, wooden cabinets, trunks, shelves, knitted slippers, tea cozies, Santa door stops, stencilled pictures...everything imaginable. Being as there were 3 couples involved, we had to have a means of keeping track of who sold what, and how much money we made, so each family had a different colour price tag on their articles. At the end of the day, we'd separate all the different colours, and calculate the amounts based on that. One year we even recruited a girl who just happened to be an accountant, and she tallied it all up for us, and gave us time reports as to what time of day the best sales were, when they were down, etc. (By the way, she was a friend of one of the couples and just wanted to share our fun.) In order for us to have our act together (getting dressed up) and get fed before the sale, because there are always going to be early birds, we'd go to one of the couples house, and have supper there, then sneak in the back door of our house, turn on the lights and music and open the doors....It was so great. My suggestion for anyone considering a venture like this, is don't do it alone. On occasion, you need some propping up, and encouragement, and you can draw on your workmates for it. Also, you will need help in the redorating of your home, both the removal of your furniture, the set up of the storefront, and then to re-establish your home environment again...Have I scared everyone off yet?? Ok, I know I've been long winded, but I was reliving the adventure as I wrote about it...got excited again. Like I said before, if you have good products, good workmanship, good variety, good location, (and it helps if you have good looking husbands too), and know how to be hospitable, people don't mind paying for it. Aim for the stars! You might be surprised. |
User: Mtn Dreamer
Member since: 10-15-2003 Total posts: 2 |
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