When thinking of a Christmas craft fair, many people picture their grandmother browsing around, excited about the event she’s been looking forward to all year.
They also likely remember the gift they once received from the fair: a hand knitted sweater embroidered with a cat or other animal – one that’s no longer cute after age nine.
But with the rising popularity of websites promoting handmade such as Etsy and Pinterest – they have 40 million and 70 million users respectively – the face of the Christmas craft fair is changing.
Etsy is an online marketplace where makers of handmade and vintage goods set up virtual storefronts.
Sellers on the site have to identify as either a “maker,” or “designer,” meaning that they must make or design the products themselves.
New craft markets pop up every year in the hopes of attracting the young adults who frequent these sites.
On Sept. 27, Etsy held its first Made in Canada event: a series of one-day-only marketplaces across the country, including Ottawa.
The event brings together 158 local sellers of handmade and vintage goods and their customers.
According to Etsy’s 2013 report, “Redefining Entrepreneurship: Etsy Sellers’ Economic Impact,” the median age of sellers on the site is 39.
The sellers may not be young adults themselves, but their target demographic certainly is; unless your grandmother is internet savvy, she’s likely not looking for your Christmas gift on Etsy.
Though the median age of a seller is 39, there are still a large percentage of university-aged sellers on the site.
Etsy’s report says that sellers dedicate an average of 12 hours per week to their shop on the site, making Etsy the perfect part-time job for artistically inclined students.
Another perk: setting up a virtual storefront on Etsy is free and the site takes only a three per cent commission per sale.
This saves students major overhead on renting their own retail space.
These young sellers are a huge part of the shift in the shopper demographic at craft fairs.
Their advertising strategies are word of mouth or sharing links to their Etsy shop with their friends via Twitter and Facebook.
The Urban Craft Market, or as the organizers like to call it, “Ottawa’s Craft Bash” is coming up on Dec. 6.
The bash is another example of a market targeted towards young adults.
Urban Craft’s website uses words such as “hip” and “indie” to describe their vendors, and words such as “gourmet” and “modern” to describe their products.
The Urban Craft website also features a number of perfectly framed and subtly edited photos of vendors’ products, including homemade preserves and soaps.
This further demonstrates that craft fairs are being targeted more and more towards the so-called “selfie generation.”
Shopify’s Maker’s Market is another craft fair using these tactics to target a younger demographic.
The market, coming up on Dec. 12-13, will feature local sellers such as Darling Yes and and Main Street Knits.
While the events and marketing are often geared towards young adults, the products remain the real draw.
More and more, young people are looking to move away from mass-produced, generic items.
Now, they are looking for unique, one-of-a-kind gifts at reasonable prices to give to family and friends during the holiday season.
Craft fairs have always been focused on handmade, but the variety of products available at fairs today goes beyond your grandmother’s wildest dreams .
Urban Craft’s market will include everything from handmade jewelry and vintage clothing to all-natural bath products and gourmet chocolate.
And the best part: the vast majority of products at these fairs are locally sourced.
All the raw materials for the products were purchased from local vendors, creating a cycle of local shopping that will appease even the most socially conscious young consumers.
Craft fairs may still be marked on your grandmother’s calendar months in advance, and your gift may still be a cat sweater.
However, this year’s line-up of Christmas craft fairs offers so much more that young adults should be taking advantage of.