My First Craft Fair

The Cake Table

I have been busy baking and inventing over the last couple of weeks as I had agreed to run a stall at the Smile Nursery Christmas Fair this weekend.  I didn't really want to do a fair as they are well known amongst the cake community as being very hard work for very little reward, however, I still haven't received one order so I am desperate to get myself known in the local community.  The nursery were running their own cake stall so there was no point me doing so, I therefore had to come up with ideas of different things to do to to showcase my skills.

First I made some cake toppers for Christmas cakes - I have found that most people make their own Christmas cakes these years but most hate decorating them so I made some decorations to go on top: Father Christmas, Snowmen, Rudolph, Penguins, Teddy Bear, Choir Boys etc.  Then I had what I thought was a good idea - making chocolate tiffin in the shape of a Christmas pudding.  I got in some silicone moulds and made 3 types: dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate ones.  They are very very naughty - but who doesn't love a piece of tiffin and most people hate Christmas pudding.

Biscuit Table

My next idea came my way during a trip to Booth's in Settle where I bought some walnut whips - I turned 3 of these into Christmas figures: Father Christmas, a Choir Boy and an Angel.  I have also been experimenting with Gingerbread and made a big house and a kit for making it which I took along with some gingerbread biscuits and a last minute thought - some miniature gingerbread houses.  I also made some stained glass biscuits - biscuits with a hole in the middle filled with a melted boiled sweet - very pretty.  I was sure girls would want these.

Collection of Cake Toppers

I also took a couple of Christmas cakes - proper size and miniature size just in case someone wanted to buy a Christmas cake.  I also made some cupcakes - chocolate ones with snowflakes on top and some apple streusel ones for those who don't like mega sweet things.

Gingerbread House

Last but by no means least I made some orange peel Christmas tree decorations - for those who like a natural Christmas.

I got to the nursery an hour before opening time to set up.  The nursery provided me with some tables and it took me a good hour to get the tables set up.  I had a problem in that I didn't know what size table  I was going to get, so therefore didn't know how much stuff to take but it fitted well.  The only problem was that the tables were very short so all my wares were at the right height for toddlers to be able to destroy.  I had to bite my tongue and smile sweetly every time a toddler came up and grabbed at something - there was nothing I could do - my fault for not bringing my own proper height table.

Stained glass window biscuit

This was the first Christmas fair that the nursery had held, so they didn't know what to expect.  They have a location problem, in that they are located in a hamlet - so not many locals to come along and they have limited parking for those wanting to visit.  I wasn't expecting many to come, but plenty did.  I wouldn't say it was mega busy, but there were people milling around the whole time it was open.  I didn't do great business, the most popular things were gingerbread men and women.

However, I did get an order for some more walnut whip decorations.  Most important though were the people who took my card and looked through my portfolio saying - "Oh, I've got a 50th birthday coming up" etc etc.  I did get lots of people complimenting my work which is always lovely to hear.

I did come home with a lot of stock though - can you believe it I only sold 1 tiffin????!!!!!  I'm now trying to find an outlet for them and no-one bought a stained glass window biscuit which really surprised me - I think they look very pretty - maybe I didn't present them well enough?  The spare cupcakes went to Playgroup with me on Monday - the rest won't go off.

Walnut Whip Decorations

I got 3 orders for the Gingerbread House kit from a mum who I know at playgroup on Tuesday who went to the fair on Saturday but was having to look after a toddler in destruction mode so didn't order anything on the day.  So all was not lost, all I need is one order for a birthday cake which is then seen and eaten by many at a party then hopefully I'll be on my way.  We will see...

Needless to say I was very tired and aching on Saturday night - sitting and standing at a miniature table did my legs and back in.

Chocolate enrobed tiffin Christmas Puddings

Ha-har

Oh, I totted up what I made - £72 which is better than I thought - that doesn't include the £30 order I got on Tuesday.

Notes for next time:
+ Use a proper height table - ie get a wall papering table
+ Work out how to display biscuits properly
+ Have a proper table cloth (blue/green/with frogs?)
+ Have portfolio showing work other than that on the table
+ Have lots of £5s to hand
+ Rudolph and Santa cookies in a jar
+ Gingerbread Sleighs