Craft Fair Packing List: Everything to Bring to Your Booth

Forgetting one thing can wreck a market day. It might be tape, a tent weight, or the cash for change. This craft fair packing list covers what to bring, sorted by job, so you can pack once and stop second-guessing.

Adapt it to what you sell. A soap maker needs different display pieces than a baker. The categories stay the same.

Start with the booth itself

Outdoor markets are the least forgiving, so pack for weather even if the forecast looks clear.

• Tent or canopy, with all the poles, stakes and the roof top
• Tent weights or sandbags. Wind can lift a tent with nothing holding it down, so don't skip these, even on a calm morning.
• Side walls or a back wall, for sun, wind or rain
• Tables, plus a spare if you have room
• Tablecloths that reach near the ground, so you can hide storage underneath
• Table risers or crates for height
• Bungee cords, rope and clamps
• A mat or rug for the floor, if you'll stand for hours

Check what the market provides before you pack. Some indoor fairs give you a table and nothing else. Others expect you to bring your own power strip or extension cord. Read the vendor instructions the week before, not the night before.

Pack your display pieces

People shop with their eyes first. Good height, clear grouping and a few focal points pull people in from the aisle.

• Shelves, stands, baskets, trays or crates
• Cloths, liners or boards that show off your products
• Mirrors, if you sell anything people try on or hold up to their face
• Testers or samples, where appropriate, with something to keep them clean
• Small props that tell your story, like a few raw ingredients or tools
• Lighting, if the venue is dim. Battery lights are safest when you don't know if power is available.

Set up your display at home once before your first market. Take a photo when it looks right. That photo becomes your setup guide, and you can use it to get feedback on the layout too. Booth Check gives feedback on your booth from a photo.

Signs and price information

Shoppers hate asking what something costs. Make prices obvious and you'll sell more and answer fewer repeat questions.

• A main banner or sign with your business name
• Price signs for every product or group of products
• Ingredient lists or labels, where required for what you sell
• A short card about how you make your products
• Business cards, a mailing list sign-up and a social handle sign
• A small "cards accepted" sign if you take them

If you're unsure your prices cover your costs, sort that out before market day, not during it. The free handmade pricing calculator is a good place to check.

Take payments without stress

Payments are where small mistakes cost real money. Bring more than one way to get paid, and a backup for when one fails.

• A card reader, fully charged, with its cable
• A phone or tablet to run it
• A power bank for both
• A cash box or money apron
• Change in small bills and coins
• A notebook and pen, in case everything else fails
• A calculator

Venues, especially big halls and parks, often have weak signal. A register that works offline saves you here. The Mind the Booth register works offline, so you can keep selling and log sales even when the connection drops.

Packaging and bagging

This is the category people forget until the first customer is standing there with three items and nothing to put them in.

• Bags, boxes or wrapping paper
• Tissue paper or tape for fragile or gift items
• Scissors, a tape dispenser and a marker
• Receipt book or a way to send digital receipts
• Stickers or labels for sealing
• Gift boxes, if gifts are a big part of your sales

Stock, and a way to know how much you have

Bring more stock than you think you need, packed in a way that makes restocking quick. Group backup stock by product in labeled bins under the table.

• Your full range, including slower sellers
• Extra of your best sellers
• A packing list or stock count so you know what left the house
• A few damaged or open items for testing, kept separate from sale stock

Count your stock before you leave and again when you get home. The difference is your sales, and it's a good cross-check against your register. It also shows which items to make more of before the next market.

Look after yourself

A tired, hungry, overheated seller sells less. Pack for a long day on your feet.

• Water, and more than you think you need
• Snacks and a real lunch
• Sunscreen, a hat or an umbrella
• Layers, gloves and a warm drink for cold days
• A folding chair or stool
• Hand sanitizer and wipes
• Any medication you take regularly
• A phone charger

Paperwork and practical extras

• Your market confirmation and booth number
• Any permits, licenses or insurance documents the market or your state requires
• Your sales tax information, if it applies to you
• A first aid kit
• Trash bags and cleaning supplies
• A toolbox with tape, zip ties, scissors, pliers and spare hooks
• A dolly or cart to move your gear

Pack it so setup is fast

A good list is half the work. The other half is packing in the order you'll unpack.

1. Put the booth structure in last so it comes out first.
2. Group display pieces by table, so each bin builds one section.
3. Keep payment gear, signs and packaging in one small bag you carry in yourself.
4. Label every bin with what's in it.
5. Print your list and keep it in the car. Tick it off at home and again when you pack up.

After the market, note what you wished you'd brought and add it to the list. Within a few markets it will be tuned to you.

Check whether the market was worth it

Packing right gets you through the day. Afterward, the question is whether the market paid. Work out your sales against booth fee, travel, materials and your time. The free "Was this market worth it?" calculator does the sums.

Questions people ask

How early should I start packing for a craft fair?

Start the day before, or earlier for big events. Load the car the night before so the morning is only a final check and a coffee.

What do people most often forget?

Tent weights, change, tape and bags come up often. A phone charger and water do too. Keep a small kit that lives in your car so they're always there.

Do I need a different list for indoor and outdoor markets?

Mostly the same. Outdoors, add weights, side walls and sun or rain protection. Indoors, check what power, tables and chairs the venue supplies so you don't carry extras for nothing.

Mind the Booth helps makers track markets, stock, costs and sales in one place. It's free to start.