Craft Fair Vendor Instructions

Craft Fair Vendor Guidelines

We are very excited to offer this opportunity for young artists to sell items that they have made.  We want you to have a successful experience at the craft fair.  Listed below are details about setup and helpful business tips!

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Logistics

• Sellers provide their own table decorations and displays (see below for display tips)
• Sellers provide money to make change for customers Bring cash*, or provide a Venmo/Paypal/Zelle info. (*Try $30 in ones, $20 in fives)
• Library provides all tables and chairs for sellers, including space for parent or guardian to sit with their child.
• Table sizes vary. Library staff will inform all participants of their table locations and sizes by mid-November.
• Tables must be occupied by the youth vendors during the event. (Bathroom breaks are permissible, of course)

For crafted items:

• Is my craft well made?  
• Is my craft something I would spend my own money on?
• Is my craft priced to sell to children or adults? (Children usually don’t have as much money to spend as adults.) 

For baked items:

• Always use good hygiene! Wash your hands and pull back your hair.
• How will I package my baked items? (Plastic wrap, baggies, paper plates, tin foil?)
• Will I price these individually or as a group?
• Will I offer samples? 
• Please include ingredient list to share with customers. Common allergens are dairy (butter, milk), eggs, gluten (flour), and nuts

How many and what price?

• A good number of items to sell is at least 30 items. 
• Kids who have more than one craft item to sell don’t typically sell any more items than kids who are selling only one item.
• A good price range is $1 to $10.  Items selling for under $5 sell much faster than the more expensive items. $10+ items are harder (but not impossible) to sell
• Well-made items sell better than poorly-made items.

Display ideas:

• Bring a tablecloth. Blankets of fabric yardage work well
• Add height! Use books, upside-down bowls, or boxes to raise some items
• Label your products and price them (Ex. Bookmarks 50 cents each; Ornaments $1 each, 6 for $5)
• Use bowls, baskets, and plates from home to display similar items together
• Ask a children’s librarian to show you the table you have been assigned if it is library furniture (not a portable table)
• Add props! Example: Place a basket of dog treats you are selling next to a stuffed animal dog. Or, if you are selling ornaments hang them on a tabletop Christmas tree

Customer Service

Being a good salesperson takes practice.  You may want to practice with your friends and family before the fair.

• Smile and look at your customers in the eye
• Say, “Hello” or “Good evening” to shoppers
• Be prepared with change, bags, order forms, pencils, etc.
• Be ready to answer questions about your products
• Speak clearly and loud enough to be easily heard

Marketing

• Use the postcards (library can print more) to invite friends and family
• If your parents use social media, ask if they are willing to share the event to invite their friends [Facebook event will be live around 11/9/25]

Our librarians have some advice.

Did you know that McMinnville Public Library has hosted    the Craft Fair for at least 16 years?! Here’s what each of our    children’s librarians recommend as tips to vendors.

• Miss Nicki says, One of the pieces of advice I really like to give kids is to think about their product displays. Use your space well so people can see what you have made. Think up and down as well as side-to-side. I am more likely to approach,        if I can see you have something I am interested in.
• Miss Krystal says, Make sure to price your items. I don’t always like to ask questions, so I want to be able to read the prices on my own without asking.
• Miss Jackie says, Price your items fairly, but know that $5 and under items usually sell much better than more expensive items.
• Miss Samantha says, It’s okay to lower your prices if folks aren’t buying your items. A lot of shoppers come to the library’s Craft Fair because they want to support you kids. They want to make twenty dollars stretch across as many vendors as possible, not spend it all at one or two tables.
• Miss Kimbre says, Have a theme! Pets, Jewelry, Bakery. As a shopper I like when it’s easy for me to understand what you’re selling. It is okay to stick to one craft. One year, a young girl made glitter pinecones and sold all 30 of them!

Reach out to us if you have any questions!

Call the Children’s Desk (503) 435-5559

Email us libref@mcminnvilleoregon.gov 

• Life happens. Let us know as soon as possible if your child needs to back out.