# What does everyone make/sell for craft shows?



## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

I'm sure this has been asked a million times by now, but I am going to be a doing a few shows just to get my name out there to my local community. My main focus is furniture and luckily the lady running the show is letting me place furniture randomly around the show with tags on it rather than just at my booth. I will also be doing some frames, maybe some pallet art projects, and some other small items from my scrap. I'm just wondering what everyone else sells at these, and what does well for you? 
I have a ton of gorgeous live edge cottonwood to finish up and turn into shelves, tables, and other small projects.


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## haskins (Jan 4, 2015)

I've never bwen to a flee market but my school had some thing similar and I decided to make some a the schools logos on the scroll saw , maybe you could make signs or a local baseball teams logo , something your community appreciates I sold little stuff because teenages don't usually carry around a lot of cash . I would recommend a few "big ticket" items a long with small stuff such as phone stand or logos


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

I don't have a scroll saw, but I have a rotozip and band saw. It's not a bad idea. I'm not scared of hand sanding either.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Most people have some cutting boards, turnings, and bandsaw boxes. Small step stools are good sellers and quite easy to make. If you have some pallets you might consider making some of these:










If you do make these be sure to give us a follow up post on what price point they sell at. I've been advertising them from $80 to $120, but no sales yet. I just can't afford to make things with small profit margins.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

I see a local builder selling them for like $40 online. Some of the people selling online around here frustrate me. They undersell so far that it's like a $50 profit for a whole farm table.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

I'm targeting the higher end crowd though so 80-120 sounds fine to me.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

The distressed market is picking up. Most of my furniture is new wood that I manually distress mostly with finishes. I have about 3 pallets out back that I'm weathering for more of these. If I make them first they will never sell though so I like to take orders for the smaller stuff. I already have a room full of small stuff I can't sell, but they make great thank you gifts for people who make large furniture orders. That little extra touch.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

Yeah. I've thought about doing a serving tray with each dining table. I'm nervous about doing a ton of smal stuff for the show. Don't want to get stuck with it.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

Trying to find out if cottonwood would work for a cutting board.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Cottonwood is soft so I would not use it. Walnut, pecan, maple, hickory, and hedge are good woods for them. 
The problem with these shows is that it costs so much to get in that most woodworkers are actually losing money on them. 
You might find a place that is willing to sell them on consignment, some small shop specializing in things they buy at those flea market extravaganza's that happen once a month or so. Also CL is a valuable resource.


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

At the craft show i did my item price ranged $10-60 I believe, I figure most people are looking in that range and not looking to buy furniture. Of course there might be people or they'd at least take your card for the future, probably depends what show you're at I guess.

Funny RussellAP posted the pallet wine rack because that was the first thing I ever sold, I probably sold 15 or so this past year, funny to think I have pallet wine racks hanging in someones house in 11 different states which i thinks cool since I'm still a rookie. I sell mine for $60, the problem selling them online is shipping one is usually around $25, and that's me using random big pieces of cardboard and making my own box because of the awkward shape. So obviously people will pay $80+ for one since they pay shipping for mine, i don't see someone paying over $100 plus shipping for one. Also considering all it costs me is 6 screws and some sand paper and a little over hour probably worth of time to make, $60 isn't a bad return I don't think. I did a tutorial on making one on instructables for a pallet contest, got 9th out of over 100 people and won a bunch of porter cable tools too.


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## Hermit (Oct 9, 2014)

When I get my shop done the kids and their friends have asked me to make them oversized Jenga games. Would be a good way to get rid of scrap 2×4's. Apparently it's the new outdoor party game.


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## rantingrich (Sep 19, 2014)

I use to do this many years ago. I found out that people will go for the small cheap stuff before they ever go for the more costly stuff.

I have some very small cheaper stuff and some more involved pricier stuff. I don't ever recall selling any of the pricey stuff but moved a lot of the small cheap stuff like Fridge magnets.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

A couple of different wine racks are on my to do list and few rustic frames with mason jars. About $3 to make each. Takes about an hour to make 6. I think those will sell good. I need to make a pallet wall to hold a lot of stuff. Also doing some magnetic bottle openers.


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

I made around 20 magnetic bottle openers and sold all of mine the first day of the show. Only problem was trying to show it off, had to explain it to everyone and show them but once i did that i usually sold one, so i need to figure out a better way of displaying those.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

Joe I was actually looking at yours earlier. I bet it would sell great with a cold chest full of beer. First shows at a church though . May not be the best place for coronas.


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## DonBoston (May 25, 2014)

My last craft show, I took several pieces of furniture with me. And brought it all back home after the show.

But I did sell cutting boards, boxes, wooden bow ties, business card holders and jewelry.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

That's what I'm a little nervous of.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

> My last craft show, I took several pieces of furniture with me. And brought it all back home after the show.
> 
> But I did sell cutting boards, boxes, wooden bow ties, business card holders and jewelry.
> 
> - DonBoston


Yes… small, inexpensive items sell best. So I make small keepsake boxes of cedar with images inlaid into the hinged lids. These boxes measure 6" x 8" x2". Toys sell very well also.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

I've thought about doing a small rocking horse also. Doing it in Crimson and Cream for the Sooners here. I'm about 5 miles north of Norman.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

I'm going to make some clocks out of these rounds. Trying to decide if I want to finish all of them, or leave a few with the rough face. I think it has a unique look to it for a wooden clock.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)




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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

The Drunken Woodworker has a bunch of youtube videos on craft show products and selling.


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

The only problem I was afraid of the magnetic bottle openers is the price of making them. I sold a few before my show so figured I'd be able to sell some but wasn't sure how many. And if you've seen the price of powerful magnets, I was afraid of spending $200 on magnets and then not being able to sell them, but i sold them all. I even brought my own to be the display and ended up selling it haha.


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## PhillipRCW (Dec 9, 2014)

I think I can order them through work at cosy. Keeping fingers crossed.


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