If you've ever wondered how I haul everything to a craft show without losing my mind — or half my inventory to a gust of wind — this post is for you. I've spent years figuring out exactly what needs to live in my craft show bins so that market day goes as smoothly as possible.
I'm wrapping up for the season here in Arizona (we skip summer shows — it's brutal out there), so before everything gets tucked away, I thought I'd take you on a full tour of my bins. Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned vendor, I hope you pick up at least one new tip.
I keep all of my craft show bins out in the garage, pre-packed with stock so they're ready to grab and go. My show stock lives in cubby shelves, my display fixtures are nearby, and my tent — which I genuinely hate using — is tucked in the corner. I use an umbrella almost every time instead.
Here's a breakdown of every bin, what's in it, and why.
Bin #1: Greeting Cards and Mini Prints
This one is pretty straightforward. I line my greeting cards up in two rows inside the bin. I currently carry around 30 card SKUs, and I stock roughly six to ten of each design. My top sellers get closer to eight or ten since I know I'll go through them faster. I also tuck my mini prints and their little display stand in here — it fits just right.
Bin #2: Art Prints and Keyrings
I try to start each season with two of each art print design. With about 25 designs, that means I'm hauling around 50 prints — not because I expect to sell all 50, but because I want variety and the ability to sell multiples of a popular design.
I also keep my keyrings in a little floss organizer inside this bin, divided by color. I aim for five or six of each color when fully stocked.
Bin #3: Accessories and Display Items (The Good Stuff)
This organizer is my favorite. It's a divided media case from the Container Store, and it holds a little bit of everything.
Here's what lives in each section:
- Carded earrings — I use small slatted pieces of wood that I hand-cut to size to keep the cards upright and organized. If all four of those little wood holders are filled, I know I've got enough earrings for most shows.
- Mini hoop earrings — I keep two to three of each color, in two different sizes, and they're just loose in their section.
- Large hoop earrings — I have two styles with multiple colorways, and I try to have at least one of each when I start the season. These are also just loose in their section of the box.
- Cactus stud earrings — I keep these in five colorways, and I usually bring three pairs of each since they're popular. They're also just loose in their section of the box.
- Bookmarks — I carry four paper bookmark designs and two brass bookmark designs. I clip each stack together with a binder clip so they don't get mixed up and pop them in their section of the box.
- Stickers and business cards — I keep about ten of each sticker design in a small bin that fits perfectly in one cubby. Business cards just sit right on top.
- Pegboard hooks and clothespins — I keep a calculated number of hooks plus a couple extras, because you never know. I also keep a stash of mini clothespins that I use to keep things from blowing away.
Sidebar: My Favorite Wind-Proofing Tips
Here's where things get really useful. Wind is the enemy at outdoor markets, and over the years I've loaded this bin with tools to fight it.
Mini clothespins. I clip these mini clothespins in front of products on my pegboard pegs on windy days. It keeps lightweight items — like carded earrings and bookmarks — from blowing right off the hooks. I've lost so many things to the wind before I figured this out.
Clear elastic bands. I measured my greeting card rack tiers and tied elastic bands (the thickest jewelry elastic I could find) to fit each row. I even labeled them by tier number since each row is a different size. These keep my cards from flying away. I've had them in this bin for years, and they've saved me more times than I can count.
Clear bowl covers. You know those plastic covers you'd use for a fruit bowl at a picnic? I keep a couple of those in here. When I display my stud earrings in a dish, those little guys will absolutely blow out on a windy day. The cover fixes that instantly.
I also keep a small acrylic mirror for customers trying on earrings, an extra dish for displaying miscellaneous items, and some random ornament signage I rarely use — but if I ever want to run a flash sale on ornaments toward the end of the season, the sign is already there. No scrambling.
Bin #4: Fixtures and Packaging
Bags. I keep two sizes: a 12x15 bags for art prints, and a 9x12 bags for almost everything else. I go through the 9x12s quick. Here's a tip I love: during slow moments at a market, pre-stuff your bags with a business card so you're not fumbling for one every time you make a sale.
Email sign-up sheet. I stopped using this for a while and deeply regret it. Now I just set it out near my stickers without saying a word, and people sign up on their own. If someone signs up unprompted, they genuinely love your stuff and want to hear from you. Even five sign-ups per event adds up fast. Do it.
Pillow boxes. These are small pop-up boxes that I stamp with my logo and use to package earrings — especially studs or anything with a stud back. Early on, I learned the hard way that customers will say "I'll just toss it in my purse," and then DM you later because the earring got crushed at the bottom of their bag. Now I basically insist on boxing them up. It protects the product and saves me from having to provide replacement products.
Wood trays and small display dishes. I use a couple of these regularly and also keep a few extras so I can rearrange on the fly if I bring something new and forgot to plan out a display for it.
Cash storage. I don't use a cash box. I use a small accordion envelope from the dollar store, and I only deal in bills — no coins. I tell customers upfront that I don't carry a lot of change, so we round to whatever's closest. People are never really bothered by rounding up or down either way.
My Little Pouch of Goodness
This is a highlight of the bin. Inside a small pouch I keep:
- Phone charger
- Hand lotion (setup is grubby work)
- An old swipe card reader as a backup
- Kleenex
- A handheld fan for when you end up in a stuffy or sunny spot
- A counterfeit bill marker (for large bills — though honestly, I often just ask for a card instead)
- Toupee tape (heavy-duty double-sided tape strips)
- A Swiss Army knife with a small knif, nail file, and scissors — incredibly useful
- Hand sanitizer
- My card reader
- Gloves (I may live in the desert but I'm a wimp in the winter!)
- A few zip ties
- A small prop/stand for signs or a mirror
Bin #5: The Wild Card Box
This one doesn't come with me to every show, but it holds things I pull out once or twice a year.
- Velcro straps and S hooks — for hanging a pegboard from my tent frame using a PVC pipe to display more earrings
- Bungee cords — to keep the hanging pegboard from flopping around
- A hat with my logo — sunglasses can feel like a barrier between you and customers; a hat keeps the sun out of your eyes while keeping your face open and approachable
- A clear tarp and a rain poncho — my products are paper-based, so unexpected rain is a real threat (and who wants to be soaking wet?)
- A "Bench Buddy" umbrella clamp — this clamp attaches my umbrella to the table edge. It's great, but one warning: if you tip the umbrella back for shade and then walk away, it turns into a sail. I've had it take out my whole table once and also had a couple of close calls. Make sure to pair this with an actual weighted umbrella stand as well.
- Sunscreen, eye drops, Advil — because craft shows are long and can be rough on your body
Final Thoughts
Building out these bins took years of trial and error, and I'm still learning. The biggest thing I'd tell someone just starting out is to think about what keeps going wrong — things blowing away, products getting damaged, running out of bags — and then solve for it before the next show. That's how most of these items ended up in my bins in the first place.
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If you have your own craft show bin tips, I'd genuinely love to hear them. Drop them in the comments — I'm always looking for a better system.
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