26 Outdoor Vendor Booth Ideas for Crafters & Artists

August 30, 2024

Looking for more ideas for your next outdoor vendor event? We've got you!

Keep reading to find 26 outdoor vendor booth ideas you can try for your next show. And yes, we're covering all kinds of weather situations, day and night, and some fun ideas that can help you stand out from the crowd.

What do we know about craft shows? Well, we've done our fair share of them and gotten pretty good at attracting a crowd and selling our stuff. In this article, we're sharing from our experience, plus some new tips we've learned from other experienced crafters.

Ready to dive in? Let's do it!

Read This First: It's SO important to read through the fine print of your outdoor event to understand all of the rules and regulations. For example, are you able to place items outside of your tent or not? Are there safety regulations for tents or canopies, like weights on each leg or height limits? What's the cancellation policy in case of rain or bad weather? Read through these beforehand to have a smooth selling experience.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that we may receive a commission if you make a purchase using third-party links.

#1 - Use Vertical Space

This is our #1 tip for any vendor event, whether you're outside or inside. Make sure you elevate your items so people can see them from far away! Setting things flat on tables means that no one can see them, and they might not come close enough to notice. For vertical displays, you can use racks, shelves, pegboards, grid walls, crates, and anything else with a little bit of height!

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#2 - Create a Hanging Sign

This idea comes from @modernmeliora on TikTok. She created an awesome sign with a laser cutter for her shop. You can create this at home using a powerful laser engraver like the F1 Ultra or by ordering a custom sign.

#3 - Use a Nail Polish Holder

If you have smaller items for sale, you can stack them in a nail polish holder. Take a fresh look at the items in your home, and you might find something new to use for a display!

#4 - Try a Fence Panel

A decorative fence panel or screen panel provides an alternative to the basic grid wall or peg board. Just add some S-hooks to display art or crafts. Either prop it up in your booth or hang it from the roof of your booth for a unique look. Here's an idea from Amazon.

#5 - Add a Peg Board

It's our humble opinion that the simple peg board will never get old. Dress it up with paint, S-hooks, and other decorations to match your booth decor!

#6 - Try Shelving

You don't have to stick to tables for your booth. Easy-to-assemble shelves can also be your friend. Just remember that weather can damage any natural materials, so you probably want to stick to coated metal or plastic. (And make sure your shelves are secure in case of wind.)

@ems.amzn.finds If you do #vendorshows you NEED these shelves! I can DM you a link, email you a link, or check them out in my bio! #craftfair #tradeshow #tradeshowdisplay #vendorevent #vendorbooth #vendorboothideas #vendorboothdisplay #craftfairbooth #popupshop #smallbusinesscheck #smallbusinessowner #smallbusinesstips_ ♬ Boom - imuzze

#7 - Make a Neon Sign

Most shops will have a printed or painted sign, but you can stand out with a professional-looking neon sign. Of course, you'll need to order this custom- made, and it won't be cheap. But it'll really set you apart, especially when it gets dark.

#8 - Use Grid Walls

Anything you can do to make your booth more eye-catching from far away is a win. Grid walls are easy to set up, and it's a cinch to hang products or signs from them. You can see how TikTok user @muijistudio uses them in this post.

#9 - Host a Make & Take

A make-n-take is when you allow customers and visitors to make something at your booth to take home with them. This is a HUGE draw to your booth! You can offer a free experience, help them personalize your products, or charge people a small fee to make their craft. Either way, you'll get tons of exposure for your business.

UV Resin Make & Take with MakerFlo Crafts

A Make & Take we did at Pinners Conference in Pomona, CA this year!

#10 - Set Out Something Eye-Catching at the Front

If you want more people to come to your booth, you first need to "stop the stroll"--in other words, catch their eye so they stop walking and come visit you. That's why we recommend creating a single point of visual interest with products, signage, or some other interesting display.

#11 - Put an Easel in Front of Your Booth

With outdoor booths, you can often put items a little bit outside of the edges of your tent to catch people's eye. Try a standing chalkboard sign where you can write info about flash sales, funny quips to get people to stop and read, or a simple description of what you sell. It's fun and free advertising!

#12 - Prepare for Weather

The biggest issue vendors face with outdoor events is the changing weather! Depending on the time of year, you might be dealing with broiling heat, freezing cold, hurricane-force winds, or pouring rain. And you often don't know what the weather will be like when you sign up for the event. So how can you prepare for each season? Here are some ideas.

Heat 🥵 : Make sure your booth has shade or curtains you can pull down to block out the sun. Dress appropriately. Bring a cooler full of drinks and food to keep your energy up. Bring frozen water bottles that will thaw throughout the day. Put out a dog bowl outside your booth to keep pets hydrated. Use battery-operated fans.
Cold 🥶 : Dress appropriately. Have some disposable hand warmers available for customers at your booth. Bring a generator and a heater, if available. Look into adding sides to your tent to block out cold wind and keep heat inside.
Wind 🌬️ : Prepare heavy weights for each leg of your tent. Your event might have a requirement for this, but 40 lbs. and higher is recommended by many crafters. You can often get removable sides for your tent that roll up and down as needed, which can be removed when winds get strong so your tent doesn't blow away. Make sure every light item in your store is weighted down or firmly clipped down. Have strong lids for clear containers so you can still show your products without them blowing away.
Rain ☔️ : Use removable tent sides that can be lifted or lowered depending on the rain. Put lids on your containers as needed. Be ready to hide any products that might get damaged in the rain. Attach a canopy to the rainy side of the tent to block more of the rain. Prepare rain boots so your shoes don't get ruined. Consider having lights in your tent for when it gets dark. Consider if it's worth doing an event on a rainy day or not.

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#13 - Weigh Down the Legs of Your Tent

It's hard to know when the wind will suddenly pick up, and you don't want your tent to go flying. Look at your event restrictions and ask other seasoned crafters for their advice. Weights of at least 40 lbs. on each leg seem to be a popular choice. (Again, check your event's regulations and ask local craft businesses for their advice. You can never be too careful here!)

#14 - Use Removable Tent Sides

Some tents have removable sides that can be rolled up or down and attached with velcro to tent sides. This makes it easy to adapt when it's sunny, rainy, windy, or cold, and you can adjust throughout the day to stay comfortable.

#15 - Paint Your Wooden Furniture to Match Your Branding

Not everyone does this. But it really makes your booth stand out! After buying wooden furniture and display racks for your booth, consider painting them white or a brand color instead of the original brown. That way, you can create a more cohesive look and make your items stand out.

#16 - Create an Immersive Space

Experiment with different furniture and display walls to create a store-like experience. Adding taller peg boards and shelves can effectively create three walls that encompass your customers and make them feel like they're in a store. While inside, the rest of the craft fair melts away, and they can focus their full attention on your products.

#17 - Try a Curtain Wall

Maybe you're not ready to set up a heavy pegboard or foldable shelves. Instead, try setting up a curtain wall behind your booth. This creates a colorful background and draws attention to your space. You can pick a color that matches your products and branding or choose white to make your products pop. Bonus points if you add a sign at the top to show people what you sell.

#18 - Add Some Lights

Outdoor events mean that you'll be selling at night, too. So having lights in your booth is a must. Consider battery-powered fairy lights, strip lights, lamps, or camping lanterns that can be hung from the corners of your tent.

@the.arcane.moth My first night market setup!! ✨ The fairy lights added so much magic to my booth :,) Thank you so much to everyone who came out to say hi and check out my work in Senoia this weekend!! We had some rain Friday night but the farmers market Saturday morning was beautiful & the vibes were excellent :) 🌞 My next event is the Marietta Artisans Market on December 2nd! 🍄 • #marketsetup #artmarket #artbooth #fairycore #fairyart #fantasyart ♬ pumpkin spice season - demon gummies

#19 - Use a Power Generator

If you're running fans or lights or other electric appliances, you can also use a portable power station like Jackery to keep them going without an outlet.

#20 - Display Products on a Turntable

A lazy-susan-style turntable can show several products at once, and customers can rotate the shelf to see each one up close. No more crafts getting stuck in the back and ignored! Here's an idea from Amazon.

#21 - Don't Forget Signage

Signs are an important piece of your vendor booth, because they give new customers a quick understanding of who you are and what they can expect from you. If it takes people more than a second to figure out what you sell, they will often walk away instead of engaging. Of course, you should include your business name. But that's not enough. On top of that, include a clear description of what you sell. That doesn't mean everything, but just the main product or category that you want to be known for.

#22 - Feature Your Brand Story

Sharing your brand story makes your business more memorable and interesting to your customers. Your brand story is the tale of how you started your business and why. Bonus points if you can share a struggle you faced along the way and how you overcame it. You can film a short video sharing your story and post a QR code to your booth, inviting people to watch. Or just print out your story on a poster and tape it to the front of your booth. We do this, and we highly recommend it!

#23 - Add Plants!

You're outdoors, so why not add some plants for an accent? They can be real or fake, but putting some in and around your booth will make it even more attractive to customers.

#24 - Bring Folding Chairs

We recommend folding chairs for your events. If you get tired, you can pull a chair out and sit down. Then, when you're ready to stand up and mingle, you can quickly fold it and put it away to save space and keep a clean look.

#25 - Dress the Part!

Did you know that YOU are also part of your booth? Think about what you want to wear and how it could fit into your brand image or color scheme. Of course, you also want to plan for the weather, but make sure your outfit adds to your booth instead of detracting from it.

You can spot a MakerFlo booth from a mile away! 😉✨

#26 - Create a Cohesive Branded Style

One of the biggest mistakes vendors make is making their booths look too busy. When you have tons of different colors and lots of little items everywhere, it can feel more like a flea market than a booth. And people don't spend as much money at a flea market as they do at a store. So if you want people to treat your booth like an upscale store (aka spend more money), make sure you display your products with care, use shelving or other displays, keep your design consistent and balanced, and give each product some breathing room. Think Apple Store or H&M, and you'll find that your customers will want to spend more with you, too.

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