Here are some products kids can make, either from kits you’ve put together ahead of time, or by choosing their own supplies from a selection. (However, be warned – whenever you let people choose their own components, they often take a VERY long time to make their choices!)

1) Princess Bracelet – little girls adore this one! Possible components: large-hole beads strung on a pretty ribbon that ties onto the princess’ wrist with a bow; beads strung on heavy-duty stretch cord; beads strung on beading wire and fastened with a base-metal toggle clasp. Pink and purple are a must in these designs.

2) Dragon-Bone Necklace – boys love this one! Simply use a variety of bone beads and a few interesting spacer beads on leather cord and fasten off with sliding, adjustable knots.

3) Surfer Necklace – for boys or girls. Should be choker-length. Use a variety of “natural” beads like clay, bone, horn, wood, recycled glass, etc. String onto leather cord or rubber tubing, and fasten with sliding leather knots or a basemetal clasp.

4) Friendship Bracelet – for boys or girls. Can be made with “natural” beads strung on hemp or leather cord.

5) Friendship Ankle Bracelet – same as the bracelet, except made ankle-size.

6) Magic Bracelet – for boys or girls. An assortment of small magnetic hematite beads makes an endlessly fascinating toy as well as a piece of jewelry.

These jewelry items also make great ready-made products you can make yourself and sell lots of, especially at fairs and festivals where there will be a lot of kids asking their adults, “Can I have this?”

Use components that will allow you to price these items profitably in the $3 to $15 range for maximum sales. Remember, kids don’t need sterling silver or real gemstones to be thrilled with their jewelry!

Check the “clearance” sections of your favorite online jewelry suppliers for items you can use in these products, or buy cheap components in bulk.

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Rena Klingenberg’s Making Jewelry Now website offers free jewelry making instructions and loads of creative jewelry making ideas.

Type up a checklist of things to bring to your shows, and save it as a file on your computer. As your displays evolve, keep adding to this list to keep it current.

Before each show, print out your checklist and use it as you prepare and pack, to be sure you don’t forget anything. Check things off as you go.

Highlight anything that has to wait till the last minute to go in your car (such as the cool-chest that contains your lunch).

2) Make Your Booth Setup and Takedown Faster

Pre-loading your displays with your jewelry at home, a day or two before the show, can easily shave an hour off of your booth setup and takedown time!

You can simply wrap a sheet of bubble-wrap around each of your loaded displays to protect everything and keep the jewelry in place. Then place your displays in the boxes or bins you transport them in.

When you get to the show, just pull your loaded displays out of their boxes, remove the bubble wrap, and set them on your display tables – all ready to go!

3) Reduce Your Load

Pack smaller by making things do double duty.

That makes it easier to pack for your shows, easier to transport things to and from your booth space, and easier to set up and take down. Also, the less clutter you have at your booth the more efficiently you can operate during the show.

One way you can make things do double duty: Create risers for your display out of the trays or boxes you empty as you set up your booth.

Once you cover your empty trays or boxes with a pretty cloth, who would guess what’s underneath?

4) Take the Time to Get Organized

Rather than making more jewelry right up till the last minute before you leave for the show, take the last couple of days to organize yourself for the show.

Clean your jewelry till it sparkles, make sure everything has earring cards or jewelry tags, put prices on your tags or make attractive price signs, do a practice setup, pack everything well, and go over your checklist.

5) Rest Up!

Most important of all – get a good night’s rest before the show!

That’s a thousand times more important than staying up till 2:00 a.m. making a dozen extra earrings.

Setting up at a jewelry show and selling all day can be exhausting. You need to be well-rested at the outset in order to do your best and sell a lot of jewelry!

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Rena Klingenberg’s Jewelry Display Ideas website has free tips and projects for everything from a better craft show booth to making your own displays.