DIY 2013 Wrap Up

This past weekend was the annual Ferndale DIY Street Fair and my third year vending.  Despite a very chilly Friday night and a raining Sunday, it was the best show I've done there so far!

This year, I was able to open up the back wall of my tent and use the sidewalk to house two racks of dresses and coats.  This worked super well until Sunday, when I had to shift stuff around due to the rain.  That worked out okay though, because I had (thankfully) sold enough clothing that I could comfortable combine racks and run one down the center of my tent.  It was a little cramped, but it worked for the one day I had to battle the rain. 

I really loved my set up this year.  I feel like I was able to use the 10 X 10 space in the tent much more efficiently.  A few people even commented that it felt a bit like an actual shop!

Every year I like to try out something new and see how the crowd responds.  Last year I brought vintage mens clothing and it wasn't really much of a hit.  This year, I decided to try some vintage kids clothing and I actually sold a few pieces, including the darling blue dress pictured below.  I think these did well enough that I would bring them again next year -- plus they don't take up too much space.  

What I Did Right

-Using gridwalls to take advantage of the wall space on the tent

-Having the right amount of clothing on my racks -- finding the right balance between too much and too little seems to be key

-Using a table to display smalls

-Opening up the back wall of the tent -- it brought in more light and allowed my items to be seen from more than one side -Being more organized -Having a rug in my tent -- made it feel cozy!

What I Can Improve On -Having a more cohesive look to my tent -- while I love how it turned out, my tablecloth, rug, and tiki lights didn't really all "match" -Figuring out a better way to display my shop name and website -- my current banner is too big and I feel like the chalk board (while totally cute) was hard to see -Having a better way to pack up the clothing -- my current method of rubber banding the groups of hangers and then covering in a garbage bag is okay, but I think I can come up with something even better. -Use more vintage suitcases! -Find a better place for my chair and invest in a better, more comfy chair.

I'm already thinking about next year!  I love this show!


Check out my picks for handmade vendors tomorrow!