Okay, okay, so it was an Arts and Crafts Fair not a circus. But I really wanted a clever title for this post.

So this year I promised myself that I would do something creative and crafty. I had the idea to make beer bottle candles after we had leftover wax from my teacup candle party favors for our wedding in October. For Christmas Kevin even gave me a bottle cutter! Now, I am truly not the craftiest person out there, but since I had to DIY for the wedding, I’ve come to enjoy the challenge of making something out of something else or just making something else all together. In February I decided to sign up for an Arts and Crafts Street Fair here in Evanston. I paid for the booth spot up front, because I knew if I wasn’t tied to it financially I would never do it. I also invited some friends along to share the booth space with me. Chris of Myth and Arrow (his Facebook) and Stephanie of Franny Pax (her Facebook).

And there I was. An un-crafty girl with an idea to make and sell beer bottle candles. So for the next 4 month I worked on making candles (Cutting Glass Bottles: Upcycling and Crafts Part 1 and Part 2), how I wanted my booth to look, and overall how to make it a fun and enjoyable experience for myself!

I think our tent turned out great for 3 independent people sharing 1 space. I got a small table up front with different candle scents for people to take a whiff at. Chris/Myth and Arrow got the back right corner with all his art pieces on display. I got the left side with my table full of candle options, and Stephanie/Franny Pax got the front left with a clothing rack of Franny Pax (portable pockets or just the pockets part of pants).

As you can see I tried to dress up my side a little differently by incorporating farmhouse elements I think played well with my candles. I wanted to create a boutique vibe with a rug and a bench (on the side behind the little table). I added color with a bright orange curtain and some texture with a white shutter, also a wooden ladder with lights and my homemade sign.

I thought the rustic table played well with all the glass beer bottle candles. I tried creating different levels in a fun way with luggage and an old typewriter case.

Overall it was a great experience and I was more than happy to engage with folks and was truly inspired by all the creativity around me. It helps that I was able to recoup my costs for materials/booth AND I even made a profit! Most of my profit will go towards updating our living room which will be my next post. My husband is such a loving, patient, and supporting individual 😉

It was an unforgettable experience. Go do something crafty in your life! Join and Art Fair!

Love,

B