Crafting at Faire

[jcbanner]

I'm always looking for ideas for crafts that can be done at faire.  I do my our wood working demos, but I also try and setup and encourage others to do demos as well.  the Openhouse and cast signups for the STL renfaire is just over a month away, and I'm looking for possible ideas. 

When visiting faires, what trades have you seen demonstrated?  What have you enjoyed?  What have you hoped to see and haven't?

I also want to try putting together a booklet with ideas about how to give an effective demonstration.  Have you tried doing your own demos as either cast or a merchant?  What worked and what didn't?

thanks in advance for any replies.

[Lady L]

I like the paper making and paper marbling demos, which are done at the mill.
My son really enjoyed pottery throwing and glass blowing demos. I think blacksmithing is something most people are not that familiar with anymore, so it's quite educational. The way anything was made before the invention of electricity or gas powered motors adds to the historical aspect of faires. Maybe sheep shearing, weaving/carding wool, hand sewing, cobblers making shoes, etc.
So, that would be paper, pottery, glass, metal, fiber, leather.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

We have demonstrated brass rubbing at several faires.  We have always gotten a good crowd, never made any money doing it, but that's not the reason we do it.  We always give a history of the rubbings, how they were made, how they are tombstone covers, and the method to make a rubbing.

At some faires, where we've had the space, we've charged people to make their own rubbings, but it really takes a good 1 to 2 hours to make a decent rubbing, and that's too much time for people at a faire for 1 day.  But the demonstrations were always well-received.

[Magister]

Spinster and I have both demoed at faires.  Me as a blacksmith, and her spinning, carding, weaving, etc.  We had a booth at BARF (Tampa, Florida) where we let people come and try their hand at spinning on a wheel and with drop spindles for free.  We also set up a couple of triangle looms for people to play with.  She did the demo on the regular loom.

Obviously with the smithing there is no way for me to let people try their hand (liability), but the reaction of the kids, and sometimes even the adults when you make an iron rose, or dragons head is always fun.  I do miss that part of it.. sigh.

   Anyways... I personally think ANY demos at a faire are good.... there is too much imported garbage at most faires now.  Anytime someone with some skill at a craft takes the time to share that knowledge with others for profit or not they should be commended.

     - Mag

[UrsulaChandler]

I demonstrate candlemaking for the Renaissance Living History Center at LRF. I show beeswax and tallow. Its not hands on--melted beeswax is too hot for patrons to touch, much hotter than parafin.  I also render the tallow before season because of the smell.

The patrons get to see molding and dipping candles and get instructions to do it for themselves at home. I find that letting people smell and feel the candles is enough to make the experience real.

RLHC has also demonstrated cooking, spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dying, laundry, wood cutting, butter churning and wood coal making. We're all local volunteers and put a lot of love into our "living village."

[jcbanner]

I like the paper making and paper marbling demos, which are done at the mill.
My son really enjoyed pottery throwing and glass blowing demos. I think blacksmithing is something most people are not that familiar with anymore, so it's quite educational. The way anything was made before the invention of electricity or gas powered motors adds to the historical aspect of faires. Maybe sheep shearing, weaving/carding wool, hand sewing, cobblers making shoes, etc.
So, that would be paper, pottery, glass, metal, fiber, leather.

glad to hear that there is interest in paper making!  We have on cast someone that has been considering paper making and book binding.  he already knows how, just hasn't brought it to faire with him yet.

blacksmithing is covered, one of the merchants at faire: Thorvic Crafts.

we've done some with wool, dyeing, felting, and spinning via drop spindle (I never finished the spinning wheel.  still would like a weaver though.

[jcbanner]

We have demonstrated brass rubbing at several faires.  We have always gotten a good crowd, never made any money doing it, but that's not the reason we do it.  We always give a history of the rubbings, how they were made, how they are tombstone covers, and the method to make a rubbing.

there are some brass rubbing at my parents house that they made several years before I was born. I've always thought they were neat, but I didn't know there was much history involved aside from the obvious tomb cover used.

What sort of history of rubbing is there? i'm guessing that it started with more purpose then just being a hobby?

[jcbanner]

Spinster and I have both demoed at faires.  Me as a blacksmith, and her spinning, carding, weaving, etc.  We had a booth at BARF (Tampa, Florida) where we let people come and try their hand at spinning on a wheel and with drop spindles for free.  We also set up a couple of triangle looms for people to play with.  She did the demo on the regular loom.

Obviously with the smithing there is no way for me to let people try their hand (liability), but the reaction of the kids, and sometimes even the adults when you make an iron rose, or dragons head is always fun.  I do miss that part of it.. sigh.

   Anyways... I personally think ANY demos at a faire are good.... there is too much imported garbage at most faires now.  Anytime someone with some skill at a craft takes the time to share that knowledge with others for profit or not they should be commended.

     - Mag

I agree completely with you about demos at faire, thats why I've spent the past few seasons encouraging more demos.  Some where already there, others are new. Hopefully, all are more prominent then they were in the past.  as always though, I'll do what I can to see even more.

last year, we had someone doing much the same with drop spindles, she had a small number of then, and as she was doing demos, she would handone to anyone that looked interested adn teach thne how to use it.  as I told Lady L, I would love to see a weaver at faire, but its not something I know all too much about.
I've met a few people that I believe know card weaving, but they all left cast before we did many demos. I'm hoping I might be able to draw them back.

like you said about blacksmithing, it has a high level of liability involved, so that I leave to the merchant blacksmith at faire.

[jcbanner]

I demonstrate candlemaking for the Renaissance Living History Center at LRF. I show beeswax and tallow. Its not hands on--melted beeswax is too hot for patrons to touch, much hotter than parafin.  I also render the tallow before season because of the smell.

The patrons get to see molding and dipping candles and get instructions to do it for themselves at home. I find that letting people smell and feel the candles is enough to make the experience real.

RLHC has also demonstrated cooking, spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dying, laundry, wood cutting, butter churning and wood coal making. We're all local volunteers and put a lot of love into our "living village."

I thought beeswax has a lower melting temperature then paraffin?

last year we had a candlemaker, but I don't think she'll be back this year, at least not doing demos. anything you can tell me about candlemaking that I might be able to use as a selling point to sign someone else up who would be willing to learn?

When rendering the tallow, is it the same solids as if making soap thats collected, or are the solids the waiste from candle making?   And you said it smells while being rendered, how about while being remelted to make the candles?  And it a really bad smell that can be uncomfortable to work with, or just bad enough that it would be unpleasant at a public event?

the coal maker, would that be Ronda?  If so, then I think I've heard of the RLHC, I've talked with her a number of times here in St Louis not so much for a model of how to organize demos here, but for some ideas of ways to run some of them.

[Magister]

JC:

  If you would like to get some form of weaving going that would even allow for patron participation you may want to think about making a few Triangle Looms, and simple tripod stands to hold them.  You can make one for under twenty bucks using common stuff from Home Depot.

  They are easy to make (with minor woodworking know-how), and very easy to use.  They make beautiful shawls / scarfs / blankets, and can be used with cheap (Wal-mart, whatever) yarn if you don't want to waste the good stuff.  You set the distance of the pins (otherwise known as penny nails ) to work with thick or thin yarn. 

  I have some pictures of the ones I used to make and sell if you'd like to see what I'm talking about.  As for how to use them, if you're interested there are plenty of websites that discuss the technique, or Spinster or I would be happy to write something up for you. 

  ... one more thought.  You could "downsize" the triangle looms from the normal 4 feet across cross bar to a foot or two.  Then you can show people / kids how to do it, and watch as they make a small swatch to take with them.  Have half a dozen of the small looms around or something.  Hmmm...

Here are a couple of pictures.. one of the full size loom and stand, one of Spinster making a shawl on one, and one of the not quite finished shawl (needs cleaning up, and fringe added).

[UrsulaChandler]

I demonstrate candlemaking for the Renaissance Living History Center at LRF. I show beeswax and tallow. Its not hands on--melted beeswax is too hot for patrons to touch, much hotter than parafin.  I also render the tallow before season because of the smell.

The patrons get to see molding and dipping candles and get instructions to do it for themselves at home. I find that letting people smell and feel the candles is enough to make the experience real.

RLHC has also demonstrated cooking, spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dying, laundry, wood cutting, butter churning and wood coal making. We're all local volunteers and put a lot of love into our "living village."

I thought beeswax has a lower melting temperature then paraffin?

last year we had a candlemaker, but I don't think she'll be back this year, at least not doing demos. anything you can tell me about candlemaking that I might be able to use as a selling point to sign someone else up who would be willing to learn?

When rendering the tallow, is it the same solids as if making soap thats collected, or are the solids the waiste from candle making?   And you said it smells while being rendered, how about while being remelted to make the candles?  And it a really bad smell that can be uncomfortable to work with, or just bad enough that it would be unpleasant at a public event?

the coal maker, would that be Ronda?  If so, then I think I've heard of the RLHC, I've talked with her a number of times here in St Louis not so much for a model of how to organize demos here, but for some ideas of ways to run some of them.

Its the other way around. Beeswax has a higher melting temperature. Paraffin is so low that its used in salons for beauty treatments by dipping hands completely into a pot of melted wax. I know some demonstrators who let the patrons dip beeswax candles. We did it for a little while but I was never comfortable with the large mobs of small children getting close to the fire and the hot iron pot.  Now I just let them feel the warm candle after its dipped. Its a neater trick than it sounds. I play up how hot the wax is and hold out the candle as soon as it stops dripping. Beeswax is so dense that as soon as its solid its already thrown off enough heat to be safe to touch.

To attract a candle maker tell them its easy. Getting smooth straight tapers takes practice, but anyone can learn to make a candle in minutes.

I don't know anything about soap making. This is the first year I did tallow and I got all my initial research from Stefan's Florilegium.  http://www.florilegium.org/   I actually threw out the solids (proteins) and kept the liquid. The smell was strongest during rendering and not very strong at all when the tallow was melted to make the candles. I wouldn't do the rendering while open to the public. You just don't know how sensitive people will be.

Yes, that's our Rhonda.

[Malkavian]

at CRF there's a beer brewing demo some years done by a shop owner and some of the local homebrewers, I believe it always gets a good crowd although I can't ever manage to be there for it.  The only trouble with that is that it's difficult to do fully "period" (e.g., you'd need a roaring fire, lots of fuel and a cast iron kettle rather than a compact propane burner and a lightweight steel keg)

Personally I love watching blacksmithing and glassblowing (although I've seen Jerry Leaders demo glassblowing at CRF so many times that I can recite some of the dialogue along with him it's still interesting  )

[Rani Zemirah]

This season at our home Faire some friends and I have arranged to set up a Gypsy camp with a few period demos, including how to make a couple of toys for the kids. We'll be making handkerchief dolls, which are so easy it's almost funny, but even the little bitty kids can do it, and what parent will say no to something like that?

[jcbanner]

Open house is at the end ot this week, I guess I better finnish up my research and get busy making handouts about crafting at faire

Thanks for the imput everyone, you all gave me some really good Ideas!

[Tammy]

This season at our home Faire some friends and I have arranged to set up a Gypsy camp with a few period demos, including how to make a couple of toys for the kids. We'll be making handkerchief dolls, which are so easy it's almost funny, but even the little bitty kids can do it, and what parent will say no to something like that?

That sounds like something I'd LOVE to see!!! I've got a bit of gypsy in me blood...