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In-Home Jewelry Shows

The holidays are a great time to consider hosting a jewelry show in your home. Everyone is in gift-shopping mode, so timing an event where you can showcase your artfully crafted jewelry designs is a great way to make shopping easier for your guests, as well as earn you some money.

Here are a few tips on hosting an in-home jewelry show.

• Pick a date that best fits your schedule, taking into consideration any events that are happening in your area so you're not competing with other venues. Check with friends to see if they like the date you chose, too (they might remember the pot-luck dinner the high school band is hosting that wasn't on your calendar).
• Once the date is set, determine how many people the home you'll be hosting in can accommodate, keeping in mind not only the space itself but also the amount of jewelry you have available for sale. A good guideline to follow is one or two pieces for each person attending.
• Once you have a sense of how many people you'd like to invite, decide how you'd like to invite them. One option is to create a postcard or flyer to mail to friends and neighbors, circulate through the schools and/or display in local coffee shops. You may also opt to send an evite through an invitation service online. There are many advertising methods, the important thing is to get the word out and to make the details as clear as possible when you do. Use a font that is easy to read at a glance and embellish the borders with images of jewelry and beads to grab people's attention. Here's an example of a typical postcard or flyer.

Once invitations are distributed, it's time to WOW your guests with your jewelry. How you display your jewelry is important. While the display doesn't need to be fancy, it should coordinate with your style of jewelry as well as the design of the room(s) in which your jewelry will be displayed. The displays should lift the jewelry up from flat surfaces so the crystals, gemstones and precious metals in your designs will sparkle the most. Click here for a great selection of economical and space-saving displays where you'll find contemporary and classic styles for each type of jewelry. When setting up your displays, keep in mind mirror placement in your home. Utilize your existing mirrors whenever possible, and make several hand mirrors available so your guests can see how fabulous they look wearing your creations.

Set out small cups of cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol so your guests can try on earrings. If a guest elects not to buy a pair after trying it on, sterilize the earring finding with the swab of rubbing alcohol and place the earrings back on display for the next guest to try. Not only does this ensure your earrings are sterile, it also shows your guests that you care about their well being. They will continue to try on other pairs of earrings with confidence, until finding just the right pair for them. Close the sale with a receipt, your business card and a box or gift bag for the purchased items. Take notes throughout the event, keeping track of which pieces sold, which pieces didn't sell, and jot down any comments so you can make the necessary adjustments when preparing for your upcoming spring show.

Another idea for generating income at home is to host a Crystal Passions® beading workshop. Everyone loves the dazzling sparkle Crystal Passions® bring to jewelry designs. there are hundreds of FREE Crystal Passions® projects available on the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads website. Click here for other resources for hosting a Crystal Passions® workshop at home or within your community, including project instructions Crystal Passions® trends and articles. Have a jewelry-making question? Be sure to check the Ask the Experts section for answers to many questions already asked, or ask a question of your own that hasn't yet been addressed.

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