Sunday, December 4, 2011

Craft Show -- Take Two

For the sixth year, the McGraw-Hill Polaris office held a lunchtime Craft Show for employees, family, and friends. So, inbetween making Christmas and Valentine cards for Operation Write Home, I designed and made cards to sell at the Craft Show -- with proceeds to benefit Operation Write Home.

This was my first craft show of any kind and I really didn't know what to expect. I'm thrilled to report that I took in almost $300! (While I don't know for sure how much money I invested in the cards, I'm thinking $50 might be a good estimate.)

                       

As a result, I will be able to:
  • make significant shipping donations when I send cards,
  • use even nicer paper and more embellishments, and
  • invest in additional punches, embossing folders, etc.
So, what were the secrets to my success?
  • Minimizing expenses by: sharing a table with a colleague selling cupcakes, maximizing the number of cards made from materials purchased, and using a picture/postcard display that I already had to display cards,
  • Including birthday card designs -- which went really fast -- along with holiday designs,
  • Using a variety of papers -- some feminine, some masculine, some kid-like -- for the birthday cards,
  • Limiting holiday designs to three types -- a traditional punched-out tree on Bo Bunny's Father Christmas collection paper; stamped and painted Baby Rudolphs, aka Rudy, for kids big and small; and embossed, hand-decorated ornaments with a little more artsy take,
  • Packaging each card in a clear plastic sleeve,
  • Sending a pre-event e-mail to colleagues who have previously supported Operation Write Home events, as well as to team members and friends,
  • Displaying a poster of card designs in my cubicle a few days beforehand, and
  • Reaching out to potential customers at the show as they walked by -- not hesitating to ask if they were familiar with Operation Write Home.
And, what would I do differently?
  • Not maximize expenses quite so much. I tried to use as many sheets of paper from my 6 x 6 paper pads even if the combinations were not my favorite,
  • Building on the previous statement, trusting my instincts when it comes to card design. The cards that weren't my favorite, didn't sell nearly as well,
  • and include one or two more non-holiday cards, like thank you cards.
All in all, a fabulous craft show debut -- with lots of money to put towards 2012 OWH card-making endeavors! My sincerest appreciation to everyone who supported the event.

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