Twinkle & Sparkle: Craft Fair #2 in KSA

This is one of my long overdue posts but… life. So anyway, here it is. 

Last year, one of my “bucket list” goals for Saudi Arabia was to join a winter market here, just to thread the waters of handmade products and see if there’s really a market for it. Luckily, my very first winter market with Eurovillage turned into a success (you can read about that here!).

So when I got invited to join another Christmas market happening just a month after my first pop-up, I honestly thought,

“What are the odds of having two successful pop-ups in a row?”

Plus… this one was happening just in someone’s house. I was like, hmmmmm…

But Amanda, the organizer, was confident. She mentioned she used to be an event organizer back home. She also said she wasn’t sure how busy the foot traffic would be, but the way she carried herself and spoke about the event? I believed her. So I said yes.

And I’m so glad I did.

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A Christmas Market Inside a Home 

First of all, Amanda’s house was beautiful. It felt so special that she opened her home to all of us vendors and guests. She divided the house into different sections to accommodate the sellers. There were three “rooms,” and the flow reminded me of IKEA, from the entrance to the living room, kitchen, dining area, and entertainment space (where we were set up). There was a natural path that allowed guests to see every seller without feeling crowded.

The event was called Twinkle and Sparkle Holiday Craft Market, and it also included a toy drive for orphans in the area. I loved that it wasn’t just about selling, there was heart behind it too.

We were allowed to drop off our items before the event day so unloading wouldn’t eat into setup time. This time, my “staff” consisted only of my husband because our friends were already in Manila for the holidays.

Setup was quick. We only had one table this time (unlike my first pop-up where I got 2). I wasn’t able to display everything, but honestly, I didn’t mind at all. It felt lighter and less overwhelming. I just bring stuff out when we sold something to replenish what got sold.

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And Then… The Waiting

But the waiting didn’t last long.

There were always people coming in throughout the afternoon. Sometimes it was one or two guests browsing, sometimes big groups arriving together. Since guests were intentional about going to a Christmas market in someone's house, I think most of them had one goal, to buy something.

And sales?

Hehe. They were good.

Considering that the table fee was cheaper and the event time was shorter, I actually earned more than my first pop-up. Not something I expected at all.

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Memorable Moments 

There was also a booth dedicated to cat adoption and rescue - which, of course, made me happy.

Amanda also organized door prizes. Vendors donated items, and she placed them in four different gift bags. Then she hid chips around the house, and whoever found them won a prize bag.

And guess what? A Filipino friend who came with her family found the last chip and won the final door prize! I was so happy for her and her daughter!

Now for my favorite customer moment…

A little girl was looking at one of my handmade albums, the most expensive one I sell, priced at 100 SAR (around Php 1,500). When she told her dad she wanted it, I was mentally preparing to hear him say no.

Instead, he said,

“If you’re getting one, you should get one for your sister too.”

She walked to the other side of the table and picked another pink album for her younger sister (maybe around five years old). I was so taken aback. They chose two of my favorite pink shaker albums, and I like that she knew exactly what she wanted.

I suddenly felt like 100 SAR might be too much, so when they asked how much, I immediately said, “80 each.” Hehe. Sometimes I am not the best businesswoman, but I was just so touched.

I also loved seeing local Arab women in abayas and covered faces browsing Christmas cards. There was even one who bought a card! It made me smile seeing different cultures appreciating handmade holiday pieces.

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My Little Haul 

And yes… I shopped too.

I got:

• A Saudi Arabia coloring book from Sophie Doodle Art

• Cat earrings (of course!) from Cura9.8

• Gingerbread cookie kit from One More Bite

Balance in the universe restored. 

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Two for Two 

So I guess this makes it two for two for pop-ups here in KSA.

Another one for the books. Another bucket-list moment checked. Another reminder that sometimes, you just have to say yes and see where it leads.

And honestly? I can’t wait for the next one. 

Eurovillage Compound Winter Market 2025 - My First Craft Fair in Saudi Arabia

Last year, a friend here in Saudi invited me to Eurovillage’s Winter Market because she remembered that I love crafting. It was so sweet because we only talked about crafting once during a coffee meet-up with the ladies in Dammam/Khobar but she remembered!

 

We walked around the Winter Market and she introduced me to everyone she knew… which was basically everyone. She would tell them, “This is Ana, she’s from Al Ahsa, and it’s her first time at a Winter Market in Saudi!” And it was true — my first bazaar visit here. It was refreshing to see so much Christmas décor in one place.

Watch a short reel of the EV 2024 Winter Market I made here.

That day, my friend introduced me to the event organizers and told me to message them for future markets. I actually tried joining a Ramadan market but it was a daily, month-long event and Al Khobar was just too far, so it wasn’t feasible.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I suddenly remembered that Winter Market season was coming up. I messaged the organizer, and luckily they said they were finalizing details and would add me to the vendors group.

And just like that… my bucket-list moment started to come true.

Good thing I’ve accumulated a lot of handmade crafts since arriving here in Saudi. Crafting kept me company, so I ended up with plenty of ready-made items. All I needed to do was sort them and prepare. Ton made card stands for the booth, and soon enough, we were set. I told myself I was just “threading the waters” to see if there’s a handmade market scene here and the outcome did not disappoint! I’m even joining another one on December 6.

Did we sell out? No, and to be honest, I really didn’t expect to. I brought too many things. I have so many cards, albums, mini albums, and journals! I even left some inside a luggage because I got overwhelmed during setup. Haha!

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Budget-Friendly Booth Setup

Since I didn’t want to spend much, I DIY-ed my signages using leftover sintra boards from the Distress Oxide stand Ton made me earlier this year.

Ton also made card stands from the same material. We bought the boards from Jarir — only 6 SAR each! Affordable and perfect! 

Other things I bought:

• Plastic packaging (50 pcs) - SAR 15.30

• A tassel garland to decorate the table (I thought it was ready to hang, but it needed assembly. I should’ve just made my own!) - SAR 6.8 x 2

• Disposable table cover (didn’t use it because the venue provided tablecloths) - SAR 11.90

• Light pink disposable table runner - SAR 5.95

• Display boxes - no cost because these were actually Lucky’s canned cat food boxes that I painted white

We transported everything using luggages and wore pink because my branding is pink. Even our friends wore pink to match! I called them my “staff” and told them next time they’ll get aprons with my logo. hehe. They stayed the whole day, helped me sell, and even manned the booth when Ton and I checked other stalls.

Proud to say I didn’t buy anything from other vendors! I wanted to support them, but I wanted maximum cash in for the day! hehe!

I also remembered that cute Instagram reel where crafters manifested high sales, ended up with lower earnings, and one said she was -3 because she bought nachos. I didn’t want to be the nacho girl. I’ve been trying to find that reel again but still no luck.

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Memorable Sales & Stories

My first sale was a little girl who came by while we were still setting up. Her nanny asked if I had anything worth 10 SAR, so I pointed them to the mini notebooks. She picked one and that alone already made my day.

Nayibe, a co-vendor I met during last year’s Winter Market, also passed by and bought handmade Christmas cards. She said she wanted to be one of my first sales for good luck. So sweet!

Another girl picked a card for her mom and one for her dad. I liked that she knew what she wanted while I helped her choose.

A father-daughter pair bought one of my travel journals, and the next day I remembered it had snarky stickers inside… and the daughter was like 7. Haha. Sorry parents!

A husband-and-wife pair stopped by and the wife loved a cat-themed card. She told her husband she could frame it and display it at home. I love that idea!

The Happy Sandscapes ladies and kids also came by and they got a lot! They even messaged days before, reassuring me that they’d stop by. It really eased my pre-market jitters. If you’re in Saudi, follow them on Facebook for events happening around!

A friend’s family also dropped by to support.

Another co-vendor bought 10+ mini notebooks. We ended up talking about cutting machines and crafts. She was so happy when I gave her free gnomes! Apparently she sells plush gnomes!

Speaking of gnomes, I’ve joined Craft with Sarah’s Gnome Craft Countdown for years, so I have random gnome pairs. Ton doesn’t like them and suggested we make them freebies. So I made a cute “Free Gnomes!” sign for every SAR 100 worth of purchase.

Turns out…

PEOPLE LOVED THE GNOMES.

Almost everyone went to them first. My friends and I would look at Ton every time someone grabbed one. A co-vendor even walked by repeatedly and loudly said, “THESE ARE SO PRETTY!” for Ton to hear. Haha!

Joining a pop-up market has been on my Saudi bucket list long before last year’s winter market. Since I’m always crafting to entertain myself here, it just felt right to finally put myself out there and try it. 

And the funniest thing? When I went to the restroom, a co-vendor went to our table and asked Ton if everything was handmade by me. He said yes, and she went, “It’s beautiful! Why is she selling so cheap?!” 

Maybe it’s not the best business mindset, but honestly, I feel like I’ve already ROI-ed on everything. These crafts kept me sane during my transition to Saudi, especially in 2023. They entertained me through the years, helped me learn so many techniques, allowed me to win challenges and contests (just the Cricut prizes this year alone already made up for so much!!), plus all the materials I got through design teams and Bee Happy.

And it made me remember a lady I met during last year’s winter market. She was complaining about how expensive everything was because “vendors want to earn their table fees with one item.” She said they should make things cheaper so they sell more. At that time I thought I was just a cheapass… turns out it wasn't just me who found most of the products expensive.

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A Really Good Day 

All in all, this was a wonderful day, a huge checkmark on my Saudi bucket list and a memorable first craft fair experience here. And definitely not the last!

After the fair, my “staff” (haha!) and I went to Finding Sushi for dinner, another new place we got to try out. Great food, even better service, and mostly Pinoy staff. A perfect end to a perfect first market day.