Saturday, May 22, I participated in Crafts in the Park to benefit Ipswich River Park.
I put a lot of time, money and energy getting my booth ready. After reading a couple of books on craft fairs, I researched booth design, tent weights and other related issues on line. I purchased my tent from Amazon and practiced putting it up by myself in my driveway. While working on my display layout a gust of wind moved my tent reminding me I needed to stake and weigh my tent down.
I got back online and learned that I needed at least 40 pounds on each leg of my tent. I read about various ways to do this and decided the most economical and effective approach was to make PVC pipe weights. I made the mistake of using pipe my husband had in the garage. The diameter was too small. I used too much water and wasted most of my afternoon. The end result was weights that were only five pounds. I went back to the store and got the 4 inch pipe recommended. This time I made my weights in only two hours and less effort. I decided not to use end caps because they were close to eight dollars apiece and did not sit flat on the ground. Instead I taped up the bottom and poured a cup or two of Quikcrete into each pipe and added a little water. You don’t need much to get the concrete to set. Then I filled each pipe to the top with Quikcrete. Don’t use sand as it is lighter than Quikcrete. I added more water, tamped it down by tapping the pipe on the ground. I then added a eye screw with two bolts on it into the top. After the Quikcrete dried I removed the tape. This resulted in 32 pound weights.
A couple of days later I set up the tent again but this time I attached the weights to the tent using rope. I chose not to spend money on expensive tie downs 
but recalling my scouting days I knew that I could lash and hitch the rope securely to the tent. After watching YouTube videos I was able to lash my weights to each leg of my tent and to tie it securely to the upper corner using a trucker’s hitch. I didn’t understand why it was necessary to hitch it to the upper corner until I did it. It stabilizes the weight so it doesn’t tip over.
On fair day I noticed other crafters reading directions on how to erect their tent. One of the fair organizers told me he didn’t think I needed the weights but I replied I needed the practice and put the weights on any way. The woman next to me told me how the week before a sudden gust of wind blew her tent and damaged it beyond repair. I was pleased that I was so well prepared.
Several other crafters commented on and admired my honeycomb cardboard display table. The closet organizer for my bedroom came packed with the honeycomb. I immediately saw its potential and rescued it from the trash. I designed the display table and then stained it. I was surprised by how good it looked. 
Throughout the day I spoke to customers about my book and the negative impact of bullying on my life and other victims. A crafter behind me told me about his experiences at school. A woman looked over my book and then told me she was more interested in bullying at work. I replied it wasn’t much different from the bullying I experienced at school and church. It is all about power and dominance and has very little to do with the victim. We talked about the need for the victim to learn to defend themselves much in the same way women take self-defense classes to protect themselves from would be attackers. Sometimes if a potential victim asserts themselves early in the relationship they can prevent the bullying from escalating. Often, however, the individual does not have enough personal power to stop it. To assist potential victims those in charge at school, church or work must exert their institutional power to establish a bully free environment.
My next show will be in Attleboro, MA at the Expo for the Senses on Saturday, June 26.