Features - We Wish You A Merry Craft Fair …And A Happy New Year

Here we are again ... Christmas is approaching fast and the festive craft fair season is upon us. What makes a Christmas fair for you? Is it the   atmosphere with carols being sung in the        background? Mulled wine and mince pies with  maybe a sprinkling of Victorian dress, or snow? Or is it a cosy atmosphere among friends at the local church hall? What does make the perfect craft fair at Christmas? We asked some WowThankYou    sellers about their experiences of festive events of Christmases past and present.

Vicky Kitchen of All Fired Up is enthused by  Christmas craft fairs that go the extra mile to     provide a festive atmosphere for sellers and       customers alike. “I do a lot of fairs in the festive run up, some bad and indifferent - but a really good one that promotes handcrafted items is the Crafts in the Cloisters fair that runs the same time as the Worcester Victorian Fair... The setting is perfect as it is in the Cathedral Cloisters which is obviously atmospheric but throughout the 3 days there will be choirs 'performing', the Kings Schoolboy choirs 'busking' around

the area doing carol requests and probably the most important person being the mulled wine and mince pie lady with a never ending supply! The timing is just right as well, as it will either be the last weekend of November or the first weekend of December (this year it is the 2-4th   December) so is not too early that people groan or too late that people have done all their present  buying.”

¯Christmas Time, Mistletoe and Wine ... ¯

Mandy Quinn of Raggedy Homespun Crafts has attended many enjoyable craft fairs at Christmas and recommends the Chatsworth House organised market. “In the past few years I have attended many Christmas craft fairs, the most enjoyable one for me was at Chatsworth House Christmas Markets which they run over 2 weekends for 3 days. The atmosphere was Christmassy, they have an old fashioned organ playing, festive foods on sale, mulled wine and many stalls selling festive gifts and decorations. The house is decorated for Christmas with lights and trees... very festive.”

Carolee Crafts’ Caroline Nash has mixed feelings about craft fairs. “Every year the village next to ours holds a Christmas Fair in the village hall. Whilst not big, well attended and organised, the         stallholders all get in the festive spirit with Santa and elf hats, Christmas music is played all day and visitors are happy. There are a variety of stalls from craft to charity. Fresh baked mince pies warming in the kitchen with mulled wine make the hall smell delicious. Our villages have a real community feel and everyone says 'Good Morning' - a timeless   etiquette remains. I love Christmas and all it stands for and nothing better than a craft fair with festive spirit.” However this year Caroline has decided to concentrate on better takings. “This year I am not attending as my takings have decreased over the years and I have taken the plunge for a larger fair at Priorsfield near Godalming; at four times the  table cost, have I made the right decision? Only time will tell. Sad not to be going to my village fair but at times like this we need to move the business on and do what I hope is right. Slight trepidation as this is an unknown event and with everything new there is always a chance of not doing very well,      although it is

Christmas and I hope people will start spending.” Caroline is a little bit worried about the future of craft markets and how handmade products are being sidelined during the recession. “Craft fairs seem to be on the decline, handmade has taken a battering and competing with cheap imports is not easy. I am confident that our time will come again and handmade will reign for the quality and value it gives but whilst in     recession people have to make the pennies in their purses stretch that bit further along with paying for food and the dreaded fuel bills. To me handmade is still best but perhaps I am biased.”

¯In the Bleak Midwinter ... ¯

Some sellers have had some rough experiences at craft fairs full stop, whether it be Christmas or not, and maybe the season of Good Will has turned into the season of Good Value and convenience for some?

Linda Regel of Made by Ewe relates her tale of a Christmas fair that didn’t work out so well. “I went to an     outside Christmas Craft Fair one year in Alton in Hampshire - I was thinking twinkling fairy lights, jolly shoppers, Seasonal Goodwill when I booked     it

- I should have been more realistic! It was November, a freezing cold day and I think it was drizzling too. The shoppers were hurrying past wrapped up in scarves and hats and had no interest in stopping for a chat or  looking at my goods! I spent more than my takings on hot drinks trying to keep warm. Not such a great idea and I don't think I'll be doing that again.”

However it’s not always due to the shoppers lack of interest; sometimes the Gods don’t smile and it just doesn’t happen... Zoe Chambers of Summer Pudding had an          interesting experience at Rufford Christmas Craft Fayre. “We first    visited the Christmas Craft Market at Rufford Hall, Notts, a couple of years ago and it is truly a snapshot of Christmas. Set in the beautiful   courtyard it is so much nicer, in my opinion, than Lincoln Christmas    Market which is on at the same time, it offers all the lovely stalls without having to trawl through the crowds and the tat (which incidentally is my experience of European Christmas markets). There is also the added bargain of being able to see Santa at the same time. Sadly the snow last year put a halt to the festivities but we will be attending

again this year, weather permitting! At eight years old my daughter Ellen considers herself far too big to be gracing Santa with her presence this year, but I'm sure she will allow herself to be treated to the array of goodies on offer!”
¯See Amid the Winters Snow ¯
Another case of best intentions not quite coming to fruition is the   Christmas tale from Louise Carswell of LoubieJewels Bespoke       Jewellery. “Last year I had a circuit of Christmas events for our local council; there were about 10 events over a three week period. I made loads of stock, brought in my bags and boxes and even made Christmas cards! The night before the first event we had the heaviest snowfall of my adult life - and the blanket of      snow - and the subsequent frost and ice  lasted the whole three weeks! It was very festive but very cold and even though the events still went ahead only the brave ventured out! I still sold items but nowhere near the amount of people present that would have normally been there - on the plus side I have lots of Christmas  related products left for this year! One thing I still remember from one of the events was a five year old boy who had saved up all his pocket  money since June to buy his Mum a present and he brought it from my stall - he was so thoughtful and I was touched that it was just him and his mum and he had saved this

money up for so long just to buy her a present!”

But Christmas can still prove to be magical. With a good atmosphere and the right amount of Christmas spirit a market can be a wonderful          experience and also nicely profitable.

Nicola Duckworth of Nic Naks for your home told us of her Christmas experience last year. “Kedleston Hall in Derby had the most festive craft fair I've been too last November. The snow fell so thickly we struggled to get out of our village to the main road. The road up to Kedleston Hall was thick with inches of snow, it was like an expedition. The Christmas atmosphere was amazing, everyone had struggled through the snow and there was a fantastic camaraderie amongst the stall holders, everyone had a story to tell. Looking past the huge Christmas tree and out of the windows of this beautiful National Trust property, the snow glistened across the countryside in the        sunshine, it felt so festive. On the other hand I was absolutely freezing and I couldn't feel my feet!!”

¯Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire ... ¯

Emma Ricketts of H is for House is really looking forward to her     Christmas fairs: “Last year I did my very first craft fair just before

  Christmas - it was in a gorgeous old listed building and I was literally   terrified, but it was SO exciting   making it all look Christmassy with my little tree and battery operated lights. I gave my daughter some pocket money to browse the stalls, I also bought several Christmas presents that day for other people as I made a pledge to buy handmade in the UK, or make things myself for everyone. There was Christmas music playing and stalls nearby selling mince pies etc. Although my stall didn’t do  amazingly well that day, I got lovely feedback from people - it was literally 10 minutes from my house! People are always surprised that I make it all myself and its all made in Birmingham. I’m looking forward this year to doing some   outdoor, evening, night markets -

which always make me feel really Christmassy - I’ll definitely be taking a flask with me though and there may be a little mulled wine in there for me and my helpers, Howard and Traci.”
As for me personally, I love Christmas and especially the Fairs and Markets. As a child I remember the way  American movies depicted Christmas – it starts snowing in New York on Christmas Eve and everyone is wrapped up in long coats, scarves, hats and gloves. Presents from     department stores came perfectly wrapped in bow-tied boxes, all neatly stacked on top of one another as the character made his way through the snow to a sprawling house with a wide snow-covered driveway, and a massive hallway bedecked in tinsel, a huge tree and lots of happy people to welcome

him/her (often him) at the door in their festive sweaters, full of cheer. Thirty years on and I’m still longing for that idealised Christmas! But life isn’t a movie alas, so instead I rely on Christmas markets and fairs to bring my festive cheer ... and this year I can’t wait to dive in with a long list of events, big and small, near and far, to visit. Bring out the mince pies and mulled wine – I’m on my way!
Have a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year. I hope you sell out of your Christmas stock and enjoy yourself doing it. In these austere times, sales may be hard to come by, but remember, handmade items made by all of you here in the UK are so much better than any ‘disposable’ manufactured items from overseas - in the end quality counts, and we will win the day!