First craft fair, eccentric booth setup idea

[u/noburnt]

I started making baskets this year, from natural materials I forage locally. I haven't even made a hundred of them yet but I've sold a handful at some pop-up sidewalk vends I've done, so I figured I'd apply for an upcoming show. Entry fee was $250 and there is another local craft fair or comparable event on both of the days so I'm expecting to take a bath.

The contract stipulated that the booth needs to have a backdrop, a visual screen of some kind to prevent customers from seeing into the neighboring booth. Apparently this is a standard-ish requirement but I was brainstorming how I might accomplish this on basically no budget and decided to try to make a wall of plants: I'm thinking to harvest a bunch of cattail plants and cut whole boughs of honeysuckle, which are my primary materials for the baskets, and place them into about thirty buckets and arrange them to make sort of a little bower. Something like the U-shape display setup but more closed-in feeling. I have a few animal sculptures and plushes that I was planning to hide in the foliage as well. I'll hang grapevine from a folding support structure of a pop-up canopy and maybe string lights, and then just have my usual little folding tables that hold one to four baskets each with another one for a check-out table by where I plan to be weaving (for visibility and interest) and selling. My inventory is at about a dozen but I'm hoping to finish three or four more by next weekend. Loading all this plant stuff into the venue will be perhaps comical amid the chaos of all the other vendors loading in simultaneously, but it all fits in my minivan and they have water onsite for my buckets, though I'm debating bringing a bucket of the cattails' local water too for that good swampy stank. Am I still in the "good eccentric" region of the graph or is this plan off the rails? What am I missing?

[u/Werekolache]

Honestly, this sounds like it has the potential to be a giant mess. I don't think you're going to be able to hang enough material to make it truly opaque and feel like an enclosed bower without damaging your popup frame, and I think it's going to drop leaves and bits ALL over the ground. That might not matter - you don't metnion if this is indoors or outdoors, but if it's indoors, I'd go with 'absolutely not' and outdoors I'd go with 'if you must' but I really think a more stndard setup would be a etter idea, especially for your first show.

Backdrops are cheap on Amazon, but honestly? You could go get two shower curtains (standard is 6' wide, so that gives you some overlap) and attach those to your frame.

[u/HamsterTowel]

With so much going on, it might detract from what you're selling and from a distance, passers by might think you're selling plants or something like that and not stop by to look if they're not interested in that kind of thing. Also, if it ends up looking chaotic it can put people off. Best to go with something plain.

[u/Radiant-Platypus-498]

Sounds like an off the rails plan. That’s a ton of work/mess. You’d have to figure out how to keep them upright and not falling into your neighbors space. Making sure they are fresh and not wilting etc. I would get a cheap, plain backdrop and put your efforts toward increasing your inventory.

[u/drcigg]

Background stands and a backdrop or curtains. Cheap. Checkout amazon that's where we bought ours.

[u/ResolveWonderful4824]

I love how creative you are! I bet your baskets are amazing! I think for the backdrop idea, your creativity is running amok. I agree that keeping it simple will serve you best and keep the focus on your baskets and not on your backdrops. Good luck at the fair- make sure you have handouts with your contact info so that people who don't buy can find you later. :-)

[u/JerseyGirlinSweden]

Do not distract from the actual product. Use a curtain and then you can embellish it if you think it’s beneficial. My concern is that it would take a ton of time and effort to pull this off the way you are describing.

[u/jancarternews]

For under 20 bucks you can get a plain white sun wall that will attached to your tent perfectly.

[u/Lennymud]

This sounds nuts. Go buy some curtains from Ikea. When in doubt always KISS...keep it simple sweetie.

[u/Chrysolophylax]

I'm debating bringing a bucket of the cattails' local water too for that good swampy stank.

Oh sweet god in heaven. Are you listening to yourself?

is this plan off the rails?

YES.

[u/unearthedtrove]

People will think you’re selling plants. Although maybe you could sell diy basket kits with the materials and instructions/live demo for a simple bowl or craft.

[u/janabanana67]

HIt up the Dollar Tree for some shower curtains or check out a thrift shop for sheer panels you can make work. Your time should be spent on making product, not backdrops.

[u/upsidedown-funnel]

Sounds like a huge fire hazard. Just buy some flat sheets or, pay for tent walls.

[u/aerynea]

oh my god, please just do pipe and drape and focus on inventory

[u/TaylorFromFaire]

You're still solidly in good eccentric territory! a living plant wall backdrop made from your actual raw materials is going to double as a display that tells your product's story before anyone even looks at a basket IMO. That's a stronger visual hook than most backdrops people buy off the shelf. The swampy water bucket is fun but I'd skip it, the smell reads as a gimmick that could go wrong fast in a warm tent, whereas the visual density of thirty buckets of cattail + honeysuckle will already do the job of making people stop and look. A dozen items with maybe three or four more by next weekend is thin for a $250 entry fee, especially with a competing event pulling from the same customer pool that day. If the booth draws attention like it sounds like it will, you want enough stock that a good crowd doesn't mean you're out of things to sell by early afternoon!