Author
Cole Brennan
Cole has been 3D printing and selling at craft fairs since 2024. He built MyEventPrep because he got tired of guessing what to bring and doing post-event math on napkins. When he's not writing about the unglamorous parts of vending, he's probably adjusting print settings for the third time.
Posts by Cole
Farmers Market Booth Setup and Ideas: A Calm Guide to a Booth That Sells
A calm, practical guide to farmers market booth setup: the gear you need, the layout tricks that pull people in, and the crowded-table mistake that costs sales.
One week until your craft fair and not enough time? What to cut first
A calm triage guide for the final week before a craft fair: rank by what sells, make your proven items first, and cut the rest without guilt.
How to collect customer emails at a craft fair (and actually use the list after)
Three booth-tested capture methods, what to offer in exchange for an email, and the 3-email follow-up that turns one craft fair into months of revenue.
The Vendors Next to You Are Your Best Business Asset
Booth neighbors share tips, send referrals, and watch your table. Here's why fellow vendors matter and a calm way to remember the ones worth keeping.
How Much Do You Need to Sell to Break Even at a Craft Fair?
How to find your break-even point for any craft fair, with a worked example, every cost to count, and the fast 3x booth fee rule of thumb.
How Early Should You Start Making Products for a Craft Fair?
Stop guessing how early to prep for a craft fair. Use simple backward math from your own production hours to pick a start date you can actually trust.
Craft Fair Vendor Applications: How to Apply (and Actually Get In)
How craft fair vendor applications work, where to find shows, what to submit, how to nail your jury photos, and why good applications still get turned down.
Craft Fair Vendor Insurance: What You Need (Without the Overwhelm)
A plain-English guide to craft fair vendor insurance: what it is, why markets ask for a COI, what it costs, and how to get covered without the overwhelm.
Stop overthinking your booth setup: here's what you actually need
The honest short list for a first craft fair booth: display, payment, packaging, and comfort gear that matters — plus the stuff you can safely skip.
Your Craft Fair Prep Sheet: What to Make, How Many, and How Long It'll Take
A craft fair prep sheet tells you exactly what to make before an event. Set targets from past sales, subtract on-hand stock, and total the hours.
Best Selling Items at Craft Fairs (And Why the Lists Lie)
The lists say jewelry, candles, and ornaments. They're not wrong — they're just not about you. Here's how to build a bestseller list for your own booth.
What to Sell at a Farmers Market: High-Margin Items and How to Pick Yours
The best high-margin items to sell at a farmers market — baked goods, jams, honey, spice blends, soap, candles — and how to find your own proven winners.
Becoming a Craft Fair Vendor: Your First Year on the Circuit
How to become a craft fair vendor, step by calm step: finding shows, applying, packing, pricing, and getting a little better after each event.
Farmers Market Booth Fees: What They Cost and When They're Too High
What farmers market booth fees really cost in 2026, the add-on fees to watch for, and the simple 3x math that tells you when a booth fee is too high.
How to Sell at a Farmers Market: A Calm, Step-by-Step Guide
A calm, step-by-step guide to selling at a farmers market: the costs, permits, booth setup, and the one prep decision most new vendors get wrong.
Craft fair display ideas: what gets people to stop
Most craft fair shoppers decide in 8 seconds whether to stop. Here's how to build a display that earns the stop: height, sight lines, and one clear focal point.
What changes when you bring your Etsy prices to a craft fair
Your Etsy price usually isn't your booth price. Here's how costs and buyers shift in person, and how to set a number that pays for the day.
Craft Fair Red Flags: How to Tell a Bad Market From a Good One Before You Apply
Most bad craft fairs send signals before applications close. Spot the marketing, communication, curation, fee, and scam patterns before you pay.
Should You Track Craft Fair Sales in a Spreadsheet or an App?
A spreadsheet works great for craft fair sales tracking — until it doesn't. Here's how to know which tool fits where your business actually is right now.
Craft Fair Booth Layout: How to Design a Setup That Actually Sells
A three-zone framework for a 10x10 craft fair booth — traffic flow, eye-level displays, checkout placement, and the garage-floor test before every event.
Outdoor Craft Fair Survival: Wind, Rain, Sun, and the Gear That Actually Matters
Canopy weights, rain protocols, sun gear, and how to read a forecast like a vendor — the outdoor craft fair survival guide we wish we had year one.
How to Find Craft Fairs and Markets Near You (and Pick the Right Ones)
A three-step framework to find craft fairs, filter the bad ones, and build a seasonal calendar. Source rankings, red flags, and booth fee math.
"Did I Actually Make Money?" (And 4 Other Questions Your Craft Fair Numbers Can Answer)
Five simple questions turn your craft fair sales data into real decisions. Each one takes 30 seconds with numbers you already have.
The 5-minute craft fair debrief: what to write down before you drive home
A 7-question debrief template for craft fair vendors. Capture what sold, what didn't, and one change — in 5 minutes from the parking lot.
How to build a craft fair bin system that's always ready to go
Build a 5-bin craft fair system that stays packed between events. Covers which bins to create, what goes in each, and the 15-minute restock routine.
The complete craft fair packing checklist (so you never forget a thing)
A categorized craft fair packing checklist covering booth, display, products, payments, weather prep, and the items vendors forget most.
How many of each product should I make for a craft fair?
A three-step framework for deciding how many of each product to make for a craft fair — sales goal, price-tier split, and display buffer.
How to use Square sales data to plan your next market
Your Square account already knows what to make for the next craft fair. Here's how to read the reports like an event planner instead of an accountant.
Pricing handmade products for your first craft fair
A calm pricing framework for first-time craft fair vendors — what to count, what to charge, and the price points that actually move at a booth.
What to bring to your first market: the short list
A focused starter list for first-time vendors — the non-negotiables, the easy mistakes to skip, and what to do the night before so the morning of feels calm.