Fulton's first annual Christmas Bazaar will be an opportunity for locals to knock out all their Christmas shopping in one fell swoop, organizer Carla Michelle hopes.
"One (vendor) will be bringing in doll houses, one will have Barbie clothes," she said. "And of course there's Avon, Scentsy, Tupperware, all those."
The bazaar, taking place this Saturday at 54 Country, will feature over 40 vendors, lunch options and a special guest.
"We're going to have Mrs. Claus there helping children decorate cookies," Michelle said.
She suggests people who are going to the parade in town make a day of it and stop by the Bazaar before or afterwards. While she didn't intend to schedule the event on the same day as the parade, she thinks it should work out well for people who are in the Christmas spirit thanks to the parade.
For one of the vendors, Melanie Henry of Henry Handbags, this is among her first craft shows.
"I've been sewing for a long time but it hasn't been something I've done on a regular basis," Henry said.
In August, Henry's daughter wanted a new backpack for school. She liked Vera Bradley's bold prints and bright colors, but nothing on the company's website really appealed - and the prices were sky-high.
So, instead, Henry and her daughter picked out some fabric. Henry found a pattern and made the backpack.
"She was happy, which is pretty good for a teenager," Henry said with a laugh.
Her daughter's friends liked the backpack and asked if Henry would make more. Ultimately, though, backpacks turned out to be too complicated to produce regularly.
"But it challenged me and the response I got from friends and family had me saying I could really do this Let's see what's easier on smaller scale," Henry said.
She found some patterns and started making purses. Soon, she had a shop on Etsy (etsy.me/2fFFlNK) and a Facebook page. Plume, a gift shop in Columbia, stocks her wares.
"I love purses, I love colorful fabric," she said.
The colorful patterned fabric is a signature element of her bags. She tries to find good sales on fabrics she loves.
"For my larger items, I've been looking at upholstery fabric since it's durable and we're hard on purses," Henry said.
She's also developed some of her own patterns, like a wallet with a zipper across the top and a second zippered pocket running diagonally across it.
At the Bazaar, she'll be bringing all the stock she currently has, along with fabric samples to show people who might want to design a custom piece with her. She said that custom orders placed at the craft fair will be finished in time for Christmas.
"Homemade crafts make the perfect gifts," Henry said.
Visit the Fulton Christmas Bazaar between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday at 54 Country at 400 Gaylord Dr., Fulton. Vendor registrtion is $30 and registration continues until Friday. Email Michelle at [email protected].