Last weekend we had our school fete. If you have been to a school fete you will know that they are pretty fun. If you have ever organised a school fete you will know that they are a LOT of hard work (and the after party is pretty fun). This year I helped organise the fete and I co-convened the craft stall. I am always up for a challenge.
Last year I shared how to run a successful craft stall. This year, I’m going to let you in on the real story about what it takes:
- 300 glue gun burns. But it doesn’t hurt anymore after the first 100. And I’m pretty sure I could commit petty crimes without leaving any fingerprints.
- Incredibly understanding partners who take the night shift with bath, stories and bed so that you can sew just one more thing.
- Incredibly understanding partners who put up with houses over-run by craft projects, fabric and boxes.
- Incredibly understanding partners who take over most of the house-keeping responsibilities and only sigh very loudly when they are once again vacuuming stray bits of cotton thread.
- Incredibly understanding partners who threaten separation if you take on the craft stall again.
- 5 broken sewing machine needles.
- 180 well intentioned pins on Pinterest.
- Acres of ribbon and still never enough curly hair ties.
- Countless beautiful volunteers.
- A generous and talented mother who gives up her own precious time and gets behind on her own work, just to make beautiful things for the craft stall because she loves you and her grandsons.
- A wonderful dad that will take care of the kids while you sew.
- A box of fabric that you never quite get to.
- A very thick skin and no ego when it comes to pricing the things you (and others) have made. Fete goers won’t pay much and it’s best just to accept that and let it go.
- Wine. Quite a bit of wine.
And if you ever want to help organise a fete, here are some catch phrases that will help you:
- It is what it is
- You can only do what you can do
- It’s just a school fete
- It will turn out okay on the day
- Let’s just remember we are doing for this for the kids.
- In three months time, it won’t matter.
- Where is the wine?
Have you ever organised a school fete or convened a stall?
How did it go?
Linking up with Essentially Jess and IBOT
I’d say your children’s school is very lucky to have such a creative, talented, hard working and willing mum as you as a parent there who also has such a supportive partner! Some schools struggle to find volunteers to take on such roles!
Ingrid @ Fabulous and Fun Life recently posted…Sukin Hydrating Facial Masque Review & Priceline Skincare, Fragrance & Vitamin Sale
Oh thanks – there are actually lots of mums in the same boat at our school so we are lucky.
How lucky is that school to have you! I saw some pics and it looked gorgeous.
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Thanks – we were pretty proud of it.
Wow you are awesome to do this. I would find this daunting to say the least (where’s the wine already!). I guess it’s all ahead of me when my son starts school:-)
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You’ll find your thing at school. Hopefully with other wine drinkers π
Ahh what a massive effort, Robyna. I really wanted to come along and see your craft stall on the day, but we had other commitments. I actually thought I saw you yesterday pulling down a fete sign at Greenslopes when I was driving past?? We’re not having a fete this year, it is an Art & Design Showcase instead. I’m helping to organise it. It will showcase up to 300 pieces of art and design from local, emerging and renowned artists and designers. Let me know if you want to come along and I’ll let you know where to buy tickets. (Sorry about the plug, but I thought it might be your thing.) π
Renee Wilson recently posted…Why our marriage works
Hahha – yes that was me. Can’t abide things being up when out of date π Would love to know more about the Art & Design showcase – hope I’m not too late. Said craft stall has rendered me behind on pretty much everything.
Ahhhhhh Robyna
I do everything I can to avoid actually running a stall!!! I have a friend who had a stall at her children’s school fete last weekend and she is in Brisbane! It would be far too small a world if it was the same fete (hers was for her new business Bright Tights)
xo
Nope – different one. We tend to just host our own stalls. But I think they may need to branch out soon.
Dropping in again via #teamIBOT π
Renee Wilson recently posted…Why our marriage works
Haha yes I took on the Lucky Bottles stall – they probably don’t even have that nowadays because of safety concerns (kids tripping over with a glass jar). At the time we had a pool table which disappeared under a sea of lucky bottles, LOL …
We still have Tombola (but we are pretty old fashioned)
Oh kudos to you! We have a brilliant group of craft mums who do an amazing job with our craft stalls at the fete. They work all year round and then a zillion hours in the lead up. They are amazing!
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It’s a time consuming one but at least you can make and store easily unlike cakes and sweets.
I am one of those crazy people organising the school fete but am not in charge of a stall, thank goodness. There are 2 people (me & another person) doing all the behind the scenes, then other mums taking charge of a classroom stall. I am going to hop straight to the “where is the wine” portion of the advice! Hope the fete was a success for you. PS. Happy Birthday!
Fete was a huge success. Much wine was drunk thereafter π Thanks for the birthday wishes.
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