No matter where you live, chances are there will be several craft fairs planned for the end of November and early December. If you know how to knit or crochet, this can be an easy way for you to make some additional holiday cash. As the weather grows cold, people will be looking for a way to warm up and look for Christmas gifts. Homemade hats and scarves are perfect for gifts or for wearing out in the cold weather while finishing some Christmas shopping. 

Creating your Inventory

Crochet is a relaxing way to spend fall evenings, since it starts getting dark earlier and too cold to be outside. Turn on a movie, a ball game, or your favorite TV show while you create unique handicrafts out of colored balls of yarn. Find a pattern that works well for you and use it over again with varying color combinations to help you build up your inventory. Looking at fashion magazines and visiting popular clothing stores can help you get ideas for the colors and styles that will catch the most eyes.

Set yourself a goal. If you've got two weeks until the craft fair, you will have to make two hats per day to have enough to fill a table.  Once you've made about thirty hats or scarves, you have enough to join a craft fair.

Entering a Craft Fair

Search the web or your local newspaper to find a craft fair near you. They will frequently be located at churches, schools, and community centers in your neighborhood. Most require a sign up fee. Selling your hats between $10 to $20 dollars each will recoup the costs of your entrance fee before you know it. This can be as little as $10, and as much as $50, depending on how many customers the fair is expecting and how popular the venue is. It is important to know how much traffic the craft fair is expected to bring, because too little traffic will mean that you do not sell as many items.

Also, don't forget to collect sales tax. Although most vendors accept only cash, some craft fairs require that you collect tax on the sale of each craft item, and they will offer tax charts so you know exactly how much to charge.

The other plus side of being at a craft fair is that you can scout for other homemade items to buy for friends and family as Christmas gifts. And, if you do not sell all of your inventory, you will have extra hats and scarves to add to your gift pile.  Happy crafting!