Start with the event, then build your packing list
A useful craft fair packing checklist starts with your actual pitch. An indoor table with a nearby unloading point needs a different setup from an outdoor space you reach on foot. Save the organiser’s instructions where you can read them without a signal.
Write down the table or pitch dimensions, setup window, unloading route, parking arrangement and closing time. Confirm what is supplied, whether power is available and which equipment or documents the organiser requires. Put unanswered questions at the top of your list: an assumption about a supplied table can change the whole day.
For outdoor events, use the organiser’s requirements and the equipment manufacturer’s instructions for shelter and securing your setup. A generic packing list cannot determine what is safe at your venue.
Box one: everything that makes the stall ready
Label this box SETUP and pack it so you can reach it first. Group the parts of each display together. A riser without its supports takes up space without doing its job.
- Your measured table plan and a photo of the display arranged at home.
- Table covering, permitted display stands and the fittings they need.
- Brand sign, clear prices and a small sign with your shop address.
- Stock list with item codes, quantities packed and the box containing each product.
- A compact repair pouch: the tape, clips, scissors and spare labels your own display uses.
Folksy’s craft-fair guide also recommends rehearsing and photographing your display ↗
Box two: everything you need to serve a customer
Put the checkout items together so a helper can find them too. Imagine one customer choosing a product, asking its price, paying and taking it home. Walk through each step with your actual materials.
Test that your payment equipment opens and connects before leaving. If connectivity fails at the venue, follow your provider’s supported options; do not assume every reader can accept offline payments. Keep a paper sales log so a flat battery does not also erase your stock notes.
- Payment device, compatible charger, charged power bank and required cables.
- A recorded opening cash float if you plan to accept cash, kept securely.
- Packaging that fits your products, plus any care cards or product information.
- Sales sheet, two pens and a place to record a basket reference.
- A short enquiry sheet for custom requests, kept away from public view.
Box three: closing down and looking after yourself
Returning home is easier when each product has a known place. Bring the empty protective packaging needed for unsold stock. Reserve a small bag for damaged items or things needing attention so they do not quietly return to saleable stock.
- Return-stock sheet and a separate place for damaged goods.
- Reusable rubbish bag and the cleaning items your setup needs.
- Water, food, comfortable layers and any personal essentials.
- A plan for breaks and a written handover if someone is covering the table.
- Space for receipts and a note titled ‘change for next time’.
Keep personal and customer information out of photographs of your stall or sales sheets.
Worked example: a small crochet stall
Imagine an indoor market with a supplied table. This fictional seller brings 24 small crochet items across three designs. These quantities show how to pack and count; they are not a sales forecast.
The seller writes one code on each stock-list row and repeats it on the storage bag. Display quantities and backup quantities add up to the opening count. At closing, the same sheet becomes a check against sales and remaining stock.
| Design | On display | In backup bag | Total packed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flower bookmarks · FB | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Coaster pairs · CP | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Small pouches · SP | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Total | 9 | 15 | 24 |
If two bookmarks are bought together, record a quantity of two against that basket. Keeping item quantities separate from transactions makes your closing count clearer.
The departure check that catches the things still on charge
A packed box can be ready the night before while your phone, reader and lunch remain elsewhere. Put a short departure list beside the door: phone, payment device, chargers, food, water, keys and the event address. Check each item as it enters your bag.
Finally, try carrying the packed setup the way you will on the day. If it needs several trips, decide the unloading order and who stays with the stock. Photograph the packed boxes as well as the finished display; next time you have a packing reference, not just a pretty stall photo.
- Can I find the setup box without unloading every product?
- Can I process and record one sale with the items I packed?
- Can I fit everything back into its containers at closing?
