First craft fair checklist: what to bring, what to print, what people forget

Your first fair is mostly logistics. The product is done; what decides whether the day goes smoothly is whether you can take a card payment, whether the tent stays put, and whether every item has a price on it. This checklist is organized in the order you will need things. Print it and cross items off as you pack.

1. Paperwork and payments (do these a week or more ahead)

• Acceptance and booth fee paid. Reread the vendor email: load-in time, booth number, what they provide (table? chairs? power?), and any rule about tent weights or branded canopies.
• Sales tax permit or seller's license if your state, province, or the organizer requires one. Rules vary by location; check your state or provincial revenue department's site and the organizer's vendor packet. Bring a printed copy.
• Liability insurance if the organizer requires it. Some do, especially for larger or city-run events.
• A card reader (Square, SumUp, Stripe Tap to Pay, or whatever is common where you sell), set up and tested with a real $1 transaction before the day. Load your items into it so you can tap instead of typing prices.
• Cash float. Mostly small bills and some coins if your prices are not whole dollars. Whole-dollar prices mean you can skip the coins entirely.
• A way to log sales if your reader does not do it: a printed inventory sheet with a tally column is enough.
• Prices decided. Not "about $20." If you have not run the numbers, see how to price handmade items for markets. Deciding at the table under pressure is how sellers undersell.

2. Display

• Table (usually 6 ft) and a tablecloth that reaches the floor so your bins and bags hide underneath.
• Risers (crates, boxes, a small shelf) so the table has height. Flat tables read as a garage sale.
• Tent and weights for outdoor fairs. Most organizers require weights on every leg, and a tent with no weights is the single most common first-fair disaster. Sandbags or filled water jugs strapped to each leg; check your vendor packet for the minimum weight the organizer requires.
• Sign with your shop name, readable from across the aisle.
• Price tag on every item and a tent card for any bundle deal ("$6 each, 3 for $15"). See craft fair price tags: sizes and what to print.
• Mirror if you sell anything wearable.
• Business cards or a QR code to your shop or Instagram, sitting where people pick things up.
• Lighting (battery LED) if the venue is indoors and dim.

3. The print list

Do all of this the night before at the latest. Printer problems happen at 11 pm, not at 7 am.

• Price tags for every item, plus 10–20% extra and a few blanks. Cardstock, printed at 100% scale so they cut to true size.
• Tent cards for product groups and bundle deals.
• "We take cards" sign. Many shoppers walk on assuming cash only.
• Shop name sign if you do not have a banner yet. A large-print sheet in a frame is fine for a first fair.
• Inventory sheet: every item, quantity brought, and a column to tally sales. This is also how you know what sold when you get home.
• Care or ingredient cards if your product needs them (soap, candles, textiles, food).
• Email or text signup sheet with a pen clipped to it. Low-tech, and it works.
• Copies of your tax permit, vendor acceptance, and insurance certificate.

4. The toolkit to bring

Keep this in one bin that lives in the car between fairs.

• Scissors, tape (packing and clear), a marker, pens
• Blank tags, twine, safety pins, and a hole punch (for the item you forgot to tag)
• Zip ties, binder clips, and clothespins (for signs, tablecloths, and wind)
• Bags for purchases, tissue paper, and a box to pack fragile items
• Phone charger and a battery pack; your card reader dies with your phone
• Extension cord and power strip if you were promised power
• Folding chair or stool, even if you plan to stand
• Water, snacks, and a lunch you can eat in two minutes between customers
• Layers, sunscreen, a hat; outdoor fairs are colder and brighter than you expect
• A small first-aid kit and hand sanitizer
• Trash bag, paper towels, and a cloth to wipe the table down
• A dolly or wagon for load-in, if your car is not next to the booth

5. What first-time sellers forget

• Tent weights. Listed twice on purpose.
• Change for a $20 bill. Your first customer will pay for a $6 item with a $20.
• A bathroom plan. Find the restroom during setup, and ask a neighbor vendor to watch the booth. Most will, and will ask the same of you.
• Prices that match. If the tag says $6 and the tent card says $5, you will get asked which is right all day. Print both from the same list.
• Enough tags. Tags fall off, blow away, and leave with the customer. Bring the extras.
• Somewhere to put the money. An apron with pockets, a cash box under the table, or a zippered pouch. Not an open jar.
• A teardown plan. Pack in the reverse order of setup, and keep the boxes under the table so you are not hunting for them at 4 pm.
• Noting what people ask for. "Do you have this in blue?" three times is a product idea. Keep a page on the clipboard for it.
• Standing up and saying hello. Sitting on a phone behind the table is the quickest way to have a quiet day. A simple "Hi, everything's handmade, let me know if you have questions" is enough.

6. After the fair

• Count remaining stock against the inventory sheet and write down what sold.
• Note which prices got resistance and which sold out fast. Sold out fast usually means priced too low.
• Save the vendor contact and apply for the next one while the details are fresh.
• Reprint tags for anything you reprice, so the next table is consistent from the start.