So in getting ready for a couple craft shows, I have a three particular items I do (porch leaners, tiered tray sets, and wagon sets) that I may have up to 60+ items that will interchange, so I printed off a bunch of copies of the different categories so customers would know what designs I can make, especially since I don’t keep it all on hand. I wanted to make simple, separate pads out of each group, instead of keeping them in a binder or on a clipboard (which I did at my first craft show), so that a customer could just peel off a sheet to take with them.
My first attempt, although it worked, involved using clamps to hold the edges of the papers together, but was difficult to work around the clamps. I told my husband my idea to have a clamp that would leave the edges open (thinking paper/book presses) and he made me this, because I wanted thicker wood than the GF would cut:
It works great, and at first I just put my papers and the backing on it and clamped it to my fireplace screen so I could apply the glue and keep it from dripping. Not an easy task to do! So when I did the second pad, I hung it over my large trash can I throw my wood scraps in. Hubby came in and asked about it, and I told him that hanging it was my first idea, but it wouldn’t work if my bin was full of wood scraps (which was only empty because he’d just burned it all this morning).
So he found a nice little bucket for me and I made this simple little holder out of 1/4" cherry on the GF. It works really well.
And then Hubby told me I need to make a little box to keep my glue bottle in so it won’t tip over and I can just keep everything together in the bucket when I’m done. So I made a little box, using the “Snap and Store” box from GF, with minor alteration, namely turning it upside down so the wider part is on the bottom, and putting a circle in the now top to fit my glue. Perfect!
And now I am ready to make pads whenever I want. Yay! Ahh, the simple things in life!
Well because I’m cheap, I just use Elmer’s white glue. ModPodge is also supposed to work, but like I said, I’m cheap. Then I realized I had bought a lot of these bottles of glue at Dollar Tree to add glitter to them and make my own glitter glue, and they come complete with cap (which is attached, but not shown in this picture. And as you can see, the glue in the bottle doesn’t even come up to the top of the label. So I added enough white glue to bring the level to the top of the label, added one drop of food coloring, and it gave me plenty of room to shake it all together. It actually works really well as the padding. Adding the white glue makes it easier to see and thickens it up a little, as the clear glue in these little bottles is a little thin.
And I learned you want to use something besides your finger to spread it on the paper edge, because the first time I did it I just used my finger - and stained my finger green. So I have a thin little piece of plexiglass about 1/4" wide that I use to spread the glue. Then I just wipe the glue off the plexi and reuse it.
Thanks. The first craft show was pretty much of a dud. Only 12 vendors, food trucks didn’t show, and probably less than 50 people, including children. It was the first show in that location, and when asked by the coordinator if we’d show there again, I said no. It’s over an hour drive and I barely made enough to cover the cost of the space and gas. This next one is in Knoxville and supposed to be much bigger, so we’ll see. I don’t know what I’ll do if we don’t do well at this one. I don’t know if I just don’t have the right products for our area, or if my painting on them is bad, or… This show cost $80 for the space and is almost 1.5 hours away, so hopefully it goes much better.
The end of those glue tips is so small that I pinch a bit of paper towel about the end and even after a week or more you can pull off the bit of towel and the opening has not been able to harden.
@rbtdanforth, thanks for the info. The micro tips might come in really handy, although I don’t need anything that small for these pads. The sponges though might work well, and I have a lot of “makeup” sponges that I bought off Amazon that I use for painting, but they are a little more dense than the ones I had before and I don’t quite like them as much. I’ll have to try them with my glue. They came in a bag of 500, so I don’t mind throwing them away.
A very interesting rabbit hole that might be better than what I am using. With all the tiny thin bits in the new lamps, the mulberry paper can become structural and keep the bit stable enough that fruit flies can no longer use it like a diving board, but not so much glue that it drowns the bit and destroys the look.
Check out FestivalNet before committing to a show. It’ll give you details about history, # of attendees, vendors, food, etc. A new show is most likely to be a dud because it’s got no history or established clientele coming back. Shows need time & repetition to establish themselves. Also, promoters are usually wildly exuberant about their projections for attendees, etc. Getting the history of what the attendance really was is worth a ton and will save you wasted weekends.
Thanks! I will do that. I know one lady at the small show told me I should go to Halls (NE Knox County) to a local weekly market there. Don’t think I will, but who knows. I’ll definitely check out FestivalNet though.
So I have a thin little piece of plexiglass about 1/4" wide that I use to spread the glue. Then I just wipe the glue off the plexi and reuse it.