We run a Holiday Boutique and Craft Fair in Dec. on a Sat. which includes both Hanukkah and Christmas. Our Boutique is for the children and they go into a classroom (set-up with the items and decorated for the season) with an adult volunteer shopper to assist them with their purchases. This way they are able to surprise family members with gifts. We sign up with a company (Prestiege) on consignment and choose from different packages. (That's done in the summer) We mark up the prices of items by about .25 - .75 cents depending on what it is. Anything we don't sell, we return to the company and are reimbursed. (Selection of items are for mom, dad, sister, brother, grandma/pa,aunt, etc and generic things). Teachers and parent volunteers wrap the gifts and label them for the children. We also have a craft fair in our gym for local vendors who wish to rent a space ($40.) and sell their items. The children are signed in & out, so the parents can shop the craft fair and the children are chapperoned doing their own shopping in the boutique. We start sending letters out to vendors and adverstising in the local papers for vendors in the summer and fall. It is a great event! I can provide you with more info if needed. Good luck!
We run a Holiday Boutique and Craft Fair in Dec. on a Sat. which includes both Hanukkah and Christmas. Our Boutique is for the children and they go into a classroom (set-up with the items and decorated for the season) with an adult volunteer shopper to assist them with their purchases. This way they are able to surprise family members with gifts. We sign up with a company (Prestiege) on consignment and choose from different packages. (That's done in the summer) We mark up the prices of items by about .25 - .75 cents depending on what it is. Anything we don't sell, we return to the company and are reimbursed. (Selection of items are for mom, dad, sister, brother, grandma/pa,aunt, etc and generic things). Teachers and parent volunteers wrap the gifts and label them for the children. We also have a craft fair in our gym for local vendors who wish to rent a space ($40.) and sell their items. The children are signed in & out, so the parents can shop the craft fair and the children are chapperoned doing their own shopping in the boutique. We start sending letters out to vendors and adverstising in the local papers for vendors in the summer and fall. It is a great event! I can provide you with more info if needed. Good luck!
I'm also new to planning the Santa's Shop at our school. We started shopping over the summer so we could get really great buys. We bought alot of stuff from Kole Imports online they are a Dollar store wholesaler. We have also bought from clearance racks and store closeouts and found tons of wholesale item on ebay. Last year the whole workshop was just horrible and the parents complained (which I can't blame them) and some have said they will not be sending any money with their child to shop again, so we have a huge hurtle this year! I took pictures of the items we bought and sent home a flyer so they parents can know what to expect. We never sell anything over a dollar at the workshop.
Just wondering, for those that are in charge of planning and running your school's Holiday Gift Shop/Santa Shop, when do you find is the best time to begin planning/preparing for this. I am new to this and know that we are not necessarily going to have a great one this year, but I would like to start working on the one for next year. My committee and myself would like to try and get away from the services that supply the gifts (which we are probably going to end up with, since that has been "strongly suggested" for this year), and try to do a more craft-oriented shop. Most of the parents that I have spoken with would prefer the crafty things also. This way, we can keep the expenses down for the students and also have some nicer items for them to buy. Would like to hear what you all do as far as planning (when do you begin) and recruiting crafters, etc. Thanks!
