In some of the larger and more popular craft shows, thousands of artisans apply for a booth, but only a mere hundred or so will be accepted. This is the difficulty of getting into juried craft shows. But, this is not meant to discourage you. If you have belief in your talents and hone your skills as often as you can, you’ll eventually get yourself featured in a time-honored juried show. Who’s to tell? Maybe you’ll even win in the category you joined.

However, do not be adamant against joining non-juried shows til then. While they may not draw as much attention as juried shows, all you really need to join is a ready set of crafted pieces and time to call them up and have a booth reserved for you. That’s it! You’re all set for the fair.

But keep in mind that not all non-juried shows are worth your time and effort to attend. Do your background checks and see if you can find reviews or feedbacks regarding that event in the past couple of years. If a fellow craftsperson says it’s a bad place to display your goods, look into it a bit more carefully. You want to be cautious, but not so much as to pass up some good opportunities, as well.

One event that you should attend with great care is the untried and untested craft fairs that are only in their first year. The event organizers in general are going to have a lot on their hands for the first time, and they won’t be able to adequately organize their event as much as the more seasoned ones. Simply put, you may just end up as their guinea pig if you go to these kinds of shows. It’s not advisable.

So there you go. Even if you have great belief in what you can do, it is always recommended to build a great portfolio first. Once you have an impressive collection of photographs and booth events and participation, then you can start playing with the big guns. So build up your portfolio starting now!

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