Crafting Live at Doncaster 2016 - Top Tips.

Hello Crafty Friends,

If you follow us on Facebook you may have noticed we recently went on our first ever major crafting day out to Doncaster Racecourse for the 2016 Crafting Live (formerly Summer Crafting) in association with Create and Craft TV.

Excuse the wet hair, we got drenched on the way from the car park- first tip: Take an umbrella!

We had a blast. The event was a great opportunity to discover new-to-us brands, indulge in some serious retail therapy and get a little bit starstruck when we saw our favourite Create and Craft presenters. It is the perfect day out for crafters and we will be definitely be returning. However, all day on your feet in the hustle and bustle can prove tiring so here are our top tips for making the most of your visit.


"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail"
Be prepared. Wear comfortable shoes, loose fitting, comfortable clothing and a small easy-to-carry handbag that can house a bottle of water and some painkillers. If the sheer excitement doesn't cause a headache then the intense heat inside the event will.

You will have to navigate small spaces if you want to find the best bargains so avoid large handbags and large shopping bags, they will make it more difficult to shop. Take a small wheeled suitcase instead. They are easier to manouver around the crowds and you won't keep nudging people with your shopping bags. Plus, wheeling a ton of goodies is much easier than carrying them!

"Not everything is cheaper...."
We prepared ourselves for some mega bargains and whilst some stalls offered great deals, other items were much more expensive. It also pays to shop around in the event, we bought a Dovecraft paper pack from Every Crafts A Pound (for a £1) and saw the EXACT same pack for £5 on another stall.

"...But some items really are cheap."
If you're prepared to cram yourself into the tiniest of spaces then the bargains are all yours. The Every Crafts A Pound stall undoubtedly offers the best value in the event. That's why it's the busiest stall. It was a mammoth task trying to look around this stall but with some patience and the aforementioned water and pain killers we managed to get some fantastic bargains. Also be prepared to rummage, there are quite a few stalls that have bargain bins and spending some of your time rooting through them can pay dividends. TOP TIP: A stamp is a stamp regardless of packaging. So if the packaging is torn, marked or not even there at all offer the seller a cheeky offer. They can't sell the item via their main outlet so they are usually glad to get rid of it. That's how we ended up with 25 clear stamps for just £3.

"Go off the beaten path"
In the hubbub of the main event you may forget to browse the other areas of the event. The artisan marquee was a real treasure trove of unique companies. We got chatting to the marquee organiser's Bert & Gert's and discovered not only their unique range of hilarious stamps but also found out all about the companies family history. Chatting to other stall owners at the quieter, lesser know brands led to us discovering local stores and brands and kindly being offered discount vouchers for future use.

So they are our top tips for getting the most from this great event. Be prepared, have fun and shop 'til you drop. It's a great day out for every type of crafter and we are eagerly awaiting the next event. Thank you Create & Craft for putting on such a fantastic event, thank you to the staff for being polite and helpful despite being overwhelmed and thank you to our fellow shoppers for all the crafty conversations. It's been a blast. See you all soon.