Christmas fete crafts to sell

LilacLillie

I need some simple idea's for bits to sell at our Christmas fete.
Bearing in mind I am a novice at sewing and can't knit very quick!
They do not want any cooked items.
I'm looking for simple, quick to make, small items that will sell cheapish.
Last year (when I wasn't involved) the other class members tell me that people just won't pay a fair price.
I have seen some of the leftovers from then, beautiful patchwork cushion covers, aprons and peg bags that they were hard pushed to get £1.50 for :eek:
One lady is making doggie jackets another fleece covers that turn into pillows. I am at a loss.
Ideas please everyone
Thank you in advance
LL

I am making playdough

annie123

http://www.fresalina.com/homemade-tomato-pincushions/

http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/cupcake_pincushion

http://www.ehow.com/how_4470534_cupcake-pincushion-out-felt.html

pin cushions are quick, cheap and easy to make.
I got dozens out of 2x £1 fleece blankets a few years ago using the the bottom link patten above.
They were for DD's school fate all sold at £1 I think but cost pennies to make.
hth

Mayflower10cat

Years ago we made salt dough Christmas Tree decorations that sold very well for about 50p each. We had some Christmas themed cookie cutters (stars, reindeer, bells, holly leaves), stamped out the shapes plus a hole at the top for ribbon, left them to dry out, painted them very simply with watercolour paint. Then varnished them. The ribbons came from a stash I'd saved up from cutting them out of the shoulders of almost all of my blouses & sweaters! With all the lovely adornments & embellishments you can get now at the pound shops, it's pretty easy to produce something attractive.

SallyForth_2

I think you need to put the shoe on the other foot and think "What would I buy at a Christmas Fete?" People just don't use Aprons, Patchwork Quilts, Pin Cushions, or if they do, you can only have so many, they probably have them already. Also, when you go to a fair or fete like this, how much cash do you normally take with you. I never have more than say £5-£10, so selling £30+ patchwork isn't going to attract buyers who are looking to pay £0.50, £1 for a few bits, have a go at the lucky dip, and maybe have a cup of tea and a cake!

Not being very helpful, sorry about that. But I think these events have gotton a bit confused these days.

Hermia

SallyForth wrote: »

I think you need to put the shoe on the other foot and think "What would I buy at a Christmas Fete?" People just don't use Aprons, Patchwork Quilts, Pin Cushions, or if they do, you can only have so many, they probably have them already. Also, when you go to a fair or fete like this, how much cash do you normally take with you. I never have more than say £5-£10, so selling £30+ patchwork isn't going to attract buyers who are looking to pay £0.50, £1 for a few bits, have a go at the lucky dip, and maybe have a cup of tea and a cake!

Not being very helpful, sorry about that. But I think these events have gotton a bit confused these days.

That is a very good point. I went to a charity craft fair recently and there was a lady selling hat pins and another was selling pin cushions and they were not selling many. Hardly anyone wears hats and only crafters would use a pin cushion and I'm sure most of us already have more than enough!

I think the trick is to go to the newsagents and flick through the fashion, home and craft magazines for ideas. I find fabric or felt flower brooches sell well especially as people will buy them to put on their bags as well as their clothes. Fabric beads and buttons sell well, but you do need some experience/talent or they can end up looking a bit too homemade! If you have enough fabric tote bags are always a good seller.

What is your target audience? Young or old? Arty or more conservative? Kids?

angeltreats

Can you crochet at all? If so you could make some crochet flower corsages and attach pins to the back. They are very quick to make (I have a nice pattern if you want one) and are always popular.

Even if you're not a quick knitter you could probably knit a few flowers pretty quickly and sell them for a couple of pounds each.

Bronnie

Years ago, I made these for a PTA christmas craft sale.

Sorry the pics so big ! We called them Magic Pig Wands and the rhyme on the label attached said

" If of food you're rather fond
Buy a magic piggy wand
Wave it over food you lust
See the calories bite the dust!"





For some reason they captured the imagination and sold really well and we took orders for more! made about £140 out of them in the end as ladies bought them as little extra pressies for their friends, sisters mums etc. They were cheap and very easy to make by hand with a bit of pink fleece, scraps of tuile, ribbon oddments and a bit of gold sprayed dowel/cane.

I expect now you'd have to add "Not for children. This is not a toy" to the label!

There is a similar no-sew version here

http://karin-withaniforpaper.blogspot.com/2009/11/magic-piggy-wand.html

HTH!

Bronnie

Just trying to work out what those things on the left of the photo were....... Ah! They sold well too as tree decorations or stocking fillers....little semi circles of card covered with nice glossy Xmas paper and glued to make a cone shape. Length of ribbon glued inside top edge and a running stitch thread round the top to make a drawstring. Pop a few sweets inside and a bit of braid round the top edge!

Pink.

Hi LilacLillie,

What about Christmas cards, individual (personalised mum/dad/son/daughter etc) Christmas crackers or decorated baubles for the Christmas tree. All easy and cheap enough to make and not too costly for the people buying them.

Once you've had some more replies, I'll move your thread over to the Special Occasions board to see if you can get more input from the regulars who post there.

Pink

qwiksave

Hi, You will find lots of wonderful ideas for chistmas craft fayre items on this thread here

tranmererovers

qwiksave wrote: »

Hi, You will find lots of wonderful ideas for chistmas craft fayre items on this thread here

I agree with qwiksave, I am currently making the following for our school fair

Reindeer dust
Reindeer poop
Beer mat calendars
Snowman soup
Tea / coffee cards
Santa Keys
Peg magnets
Sweetie gift boxes

All of which can be found on this thread