Wednesday, December 12, 2012

My First Jewelry Home Show...

I recently hosted my first jewelry home show. Still new to the idea of inviting customers into my home, I sent out a small number of invitations to my regular customers and neighbors who have purchased from me in the past. 
I scheduled it for Saturday December 1st from 1-4 pm. I thought that having a home show the first weekend of December was perfect timing; close enough to Christmas so that people are ready to start buying gifts, but not so close that they have other holiday events lined up.

This is the invitation I sent...


Maybe a little fancier than necessary, but as some of you know I am a packaging geek! I am a strong advocate for beautiful packaging, right down to cards and invitations! Plus, it sets a tone for both the event and my jewelry.
I included a 10% off discount and also wrote "feel free to bring a friend".
Most people did, which was great as I now have some wonderful new customers!


This is the first view attendees had upon entering.


 We live in a unique five floor townhouse, where each room is on a different level, so I decided that the living room would be the most inviting room to display my jewelry. We rearranged our furniture a bit and ended up with a really nice "retail" space. My husband even found a "fireplace" on Netflix to play on our TV! It helped add some nice atmosphere to the room. The guests loved it!



My tables always have touches of nature-it is my signature style!


 It is always a good idea to serve refreshments at a home show. 
It is the little touches that make an event memorable and fun!


My amazing husband prepared all of the food. He spent the night before cooking and baking! 
He also purchased some gourmet cheese and crackers from Whole Foods.
Here, he is putting the macaroons that he baked onto a platter. Mmmm.


Glassware and coffee cups for organic brewed iced tea and fresh roasted, ground and brewed coffee (Brenton's specialty). We used glassware as opposed to plastic cups because we felt it added more sophistication to the event. Again, it is the little touches that make all the difference.


He also made two types of dips for the bruschetta;  roasted red pepper and artichoke with olive. Tasty!


His chocolate dipped macaroons-these went fast! 

While I expected a home show to be a bit more relaxed, giving me time to talk with my customers, that really wasn't the case! Within half an hour, I was ringing up sales non-stop. I did my best to talk with customers as I was writing up their sales slips and packaging their purchases. I do know that everyone was having fun! My husband commented "those ladies were having a ball trying on your jewelry and complementing one another". I love that there was a "girls day out" vibe going on! It really was a fun afternoon and I feel honored to have been in such wonderful company!

It was a very successful first home show. I got to interact with my customers in a comfortable environment, had a lot of fun and had a great day sales-wise. I have already made plans to make it an annual event!

22 comments:

  1. Beautiful, all of it. I am not surprised you did well, beautiful jewelry displayed in a beautiful manner.

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  2. I think that the most impressive thing is that you have such a willing and able helper in that sweet husband of yours! Your retail area looks great. The sweets and treats were many. But your jewelry is the show stopper. I love that you thought about all of these things, from the invites to the set up to the comfort of the guests to the fireplace! I am hoping to do a home show in January or February and you have given me a great template to start from! Enjoy the day. Erin

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  3. That is such great team work! Congratulations on a wonderful event. I'm so glad all your hard work paid off!

    Michelle McCarthy

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  4. Great post with some helpful hints. I did my third home show on December 2. I love your set up and the food your husband prepared looks very good. I need to get better at the set up because mine was a little cramped but it looks like you had a fun time.

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  5. You home is beautiful and your display is gorgeous! You thought of everything, including those amazing invites! How lucky to have a willing helper to make all that food! My husband disappears on the day of a home show, but luckily one of my daughters helps me ring up sales so I can talk to the customers. I haven't had a home show for about two years and really need to do one.

    Can I ask where you purchased the linen busts? I definately need to get some new ones and I love the earthy color of these.

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  6. Your photos are gorgeous! I love that you didn't overload the tables with too much jewelry. It's so much easier to see and appreciate that way. Everything looks serene and beautiful like an upscale boutique.

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  7. Beautiful! I love that you didn't overload the tables with too much jewelry. It's so much easier to appreciate that way. Your house looks like an upscale boutique! I'm not surprised customers had such a good time.

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  8. Wow! Everything looks and sounds amazing. Would have loved to be there, your incredible photos really make me want to!

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  9. What a beautiful environment (and memorable afternoon) you created for your guests! Thanks for sharing the event with us. (I can practically smell the coffee and taste those luscious macaroons!)

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  10. Hi! I felt like I was flipping through the pages of a beautiful magazine looking at all your amazing photos, jewelry, and refreshments! My goal is to one day have a home show and for it to be as elegant as yours. :) I do like the idea of having a 'helper' ring up sales and package them, that way you do not get taken away from the rest of the party. Congrats!

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  11. Everything looks just perfect, right down to the fire! :-) And kudos to your hubby, as someone else said, mine disappears too. But he takes the kids with him, so that's a good thing. I just did my annual Christmas open house and didn't take any pictures! :-( I love to see how others set up displays in their homes. Thanks for sharing.

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  12. Beautiful set-up, I did my first home show last month and although it far exceeded my expectations, I'd like to to be a pretty as yours was. Thanks for sharing. Glad it was a success.

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  13. What a great home you have for doing this! If I held one, I'm afraid it would not begin to compare in sophistication! So glad to hear it went well for you! .... and for you also, Tammie! I've only recently thought of this as an avenue for handmade jewelry. Thanks for sharing such great ideas!

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  14. Kathleen, what a wonderful post. It really was like being there...except I didn't get to sample that freshly brewed coffee and eat one of those decadent-looking macaroons before they disappeared! You really truly put your heart and soul in to this event - from the over-the-top invitations to the ambiance and food. When I first glanced at the living room shot, I thought that WAS a real fireplace! I had no idea you could set Netflix to a fireplace screen! That is so cool. And I agree with the others - the pictures are amazing!

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  15. You ROCK! And everything was gorgeous! I thought you said your hubby was a techie. I think he is wonderful and you guys make a GREAT pair! Congrats!

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  16. Kathleen, oh, how beautiful! Your design and creativity are top of the line. Your room looked so inviting, the food is magazine-worthy, and your jewelry designs are one of a kind exquisite pieces.
    I hope you had an amazing experience with it all.
    'continued success in all your endeavors in the year ahead.
    Happy Holidays!

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  17. What a beautiful home and what an amazing husband you have! Every little extra touch was well noted in your photos! So glad is was successful for you!

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  18. Everything is so impressive--from your photos to your invitations to your sweet husband and his refreshments to your jewelry and displays. I'm happy to hear that it went well.

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  19. Home shows can be so much fun! I also found out that you spend most of your time sitting and ringing up sales, which is great for the bottom line, but leaves little time to mingle with the guests. I'm glad your husband was there to give you the excellent feedback of how much fun the attendees had!

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  20. Wow! Everything looks incredible like it was a showing at an exclusive art gallery.

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  21. Beautiful!!!! And where did you find that Awesome,sweet husband of yours?!
    Great job on everything :)
    ~Erika

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