First Ever Craft Show: Recap
This past weekend I did my very first craft show at the TV6 Mother’s Day Craft show at the NMU Superior Dome in Marquette, MI and I still can’t believe it’s real.
The Superior Dome was nothing new to me, as I had attended the TV6 craft shows many times in the past and I also went to college at NMU, so I knew my way around. However, I had never attended in this capacity, and I was terrified.
I spent weeks preparing for this show. I can’t even count how many late nights I spent crocheting, prepping market tags, figuring out pricing, overthinking my setup, making last minute changes. If you can think of it, I probably worried about it. I went into the weekend feeling excited, but also so nervous because I didn’t know what to expect.
Day 1 was a blur. I was unsure if my setup was good enough or if my prices were appropriate. Set up was essentially me flying around trying to make sure everything was how I wanted it, while also being absolutely starving (shout out to myself for bringing snacks!). I am an introvert at heart, so forcing myself to talk to people was hard. I didn’t want to approach people too aggressively, but I also didn’t want them to think I was ignoring them and trying to find the balance between the two was more difficult for me than I’d like to admit. The people were so kind and supportive, and I started to get into my groove a little better.
What really calmed my nerves was looking up to see one of my childhood best friends, who lives 3 hours away, walking up to my booth. She and my boyfriend planned this surprise for me, and it was honestly everything I needed. To know that she took the time to drive all the way there to come check out my booth and support me meant the world to me. We were able to chat and catch up during the slower times, and my nerves really started to disappear. I cannot thank the two of them enough for doing that for me.
Day 2 felt completely different. I started to settle in, feel more confident, and actually enjoy myself (not that I didn’t on day 1, but it was different). I got into a rhythm, had some really great conversations, and it started to feel real in the best way. So many friends and family came to support me too, and it reminded me again that I am right where I need to be, and I am so proud of myself for finally getting here. Day 2 was LONG, and I had a fantastic migraine to prove it, but that’s nothing a 40-minute shower and going to bed at 8:30 PM can’t fix!
Day 3 was emotional in a way I didn’t expect. I was tired, truly exhausted but so proud. Taking it all in, knowing this was my first show and I actually did it, is something I never thought I’d achieve. Tear down went smooth as butter, and I was so excited to go lay on the couch! Which brings me to: reflection.
Looking back there’s a lot of things I would change, but honestly, they are all minor. Different ways to put up my signage, different layout, small things like that but I truly was quite happy with how it all turned out. It was interesting to see what sold well and what didn’t, and that’s something I can tweak in the future. One thing I know will be coming back with me, to every single show I do, is my gumball machine.
The gumball machine was a HIT. The kids loved it, the parents loved it, everyone loved it. You had a chance to win a handmade item or a small piece of candy with every spin. So many people spun more than once. I was worried about how many items I was “giving away” but seeing everyone’s faces light up when they won and how excited they were to pick something out was worth it. Especially the kiddos.
One little girl took a liking to my fruit turtles, and she came back every single day to try to win one. On Day 3 when she hadn’t won, I told her to stop by my booth again before she had to leave. She came back and I was asking her if she had a fun weekend looking at everyone’s booth and she said I was one of her favorites and she had a lot of fun playing the gumball machine and talking with me. She kept looking at my fruit turtles and I asked her which one was her favorite. Very carefully she looked through all of them and pointed out her favorite thing about each one, all the while telling me that someday she wants to make crafts like I do. I assured her that someday, she will. She ultimately settled on the strawberry turtle: her strawberry turtle. She stared back at me for a minute, as if in shock as to what I just said. I told her again, “that’s your turtle, I want you to have it.”
The look on that girl’s face was all I needed. That is why I do this. The way her face lit up and the happy tears started flowing while she thanked me a thousand times, that was all I needed to confirm that to me that this isn’t a job. I do this to make others happy, and to make myself happy.
In the end, I wouldn’t change a single thing about how this weekend went. I learned so much from other vendors and made so many new vendor friends that I can’t wait to see again. I could not have done this without my support system. Whether you helped me prep, listened to me stress, showed up to shop, or just cheered me on from afar, it meant everything to me. I felt so supported all weekend and I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been blessed with.
This was such a big step for me and I’m really proud of myself for going for it. Definitely not the last one, but I will definitely need a week to catch up on my sleep!
