I work with a lot of crafters all year. They love to use my craft lights to make projects for gifts for family and friends. They also sell them at shows and events.

A couple of weekends ago, I attended the Funky Finds Craft show in Fort Worth with two of my funky friends. Yes, I’m confident that if they see this post, they won’t mind if I call them that.

I was on a mission to purchase a handmade apron – everyone needs a halter-top apron – and a new yard sculpture.

The craft show is held twice a year in the Poultry Building at the Will Rogers Complex. (During the Fair, I’m fairly sure they keep …. poultry in the building but you’d never know it looking around at all the vendor booths.)

As we were wondering down the first aisle, somewhat puzzled as to why everyone seemed to have a dog on a leash, I noticed that many of the 10×10 spaces were nicely lit with a wide variety of lights.

The lights served several purposes:

• They lit the merchandise from behind and from above
• They set a boundary or border for the space where they were installed
• For the cost of a few feet of lights, they made the spaces that were lit feel richer and more festive
• They were inviting and made a person want to stay and browse a little longer

Naturally, I asked permission and started taking photos. (Oh, and by the way, we found out that there was a dog show over in the Cattle Building or something and the craft show had been advertised as “dog friendly”.)

There were several ways that the crafters were decorating their areas. They included several of the following techniques:

• Swagging LED and traditional mini lights back and forth across pop up tents that they had installed over their space
• Winding mini lights around the frames of their EZ Up tents
• Filling vases and containers with river rocks, reeds and mini lights

 

 

 

 

Here is the lovely gami works booth and it’s the craft show display for the products that you can also see here on etsy.

This is a photo of the owner.  She kindly allowed me to take photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a closeup of the vase.  (Next time, I’ll be prepared with a real camera – who knew!  I’ll also pay closer attention to her lip balm and gift tins.)

If you want to try this at home, take a look at white mini lights on white wire here at this product page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stringing lights up in the umbrella over the space was also a nice touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really enjoyed the lights in this booth. The warmth of the incandescent mini lights really set off these traditional projects. The nice woman in this space even tied strips of lace, fabric and organza to strings of mini lights and used them to accent her display tables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She had also made a few extra strands and was selling a basket of the amended lights as well. She was using clear lights on white wire. Sets like these.

I just had to purchase a felted matching set in a lace bag at this booth to take to restaurants as a busy activity for my boys. Boys never get too old for the matching game.

 

 

 

 

 

Using lights definitely added to the homey, warm feel of the booths where they were used properly. I’d kindly suggest you stay away from pure white lights. They were too bright for these small spaces and made me want to move out of the space a little faster.

Pure white lights are great outside on trees and on modern Christmas trees but for crafty stores, consider sticking with warm white or colors.

So, whether you are at a show selling crafts, soaps, makeup, books or art, consider using lights. Make smiles. Make some money.

Try not to spend it at the booth next door.

And if you are a shopper with a little more Christmas shopping to do, be sure to check your local listings and support the small businesses in your area.

Oh, and I did find that yard sculpture. Just $45. Score.  (It’s welded angle iron and farm parts accented with fat glass nuggets.)