Country style sells at a fair because it looks like it already has a history behind it. These rustic country crafts to make and sell turn mason jars, old tins, vintage buttons, doilies and flea market odds and ends into small handmade objects people pick up, turn over and carry to the till. I keep jars, lots and lots of jars, so I am exactly the right person to tell you that a jar is worth more than you think once it is aged, filled and tied off properly. Every item here is a small portable thing: a lantern, a tin caddy, a garden marker, a little sign for a shelf, with what it costs you and what it should sell for. Perfect for a country fair booth, a barn sale, a farmers market table or a corner of an antique mall. Looking for bigger pieces that go on a wall? Those live with the DIY farmhouse decor to sell.
Rustic Country Crafts to Sell
Country crafts sell because they look like they already have a history. A flan tin clock costs about $8 to $12 and sells for about $35 to $55, and the more worn the tin, the better it sells. Vintage silverware necklaces cost about $3 to $6 and sell for about $28 to $45. Mason jars, old tins, vintage buttons and flea market finds are most of the supply list.
1. Preppy Distressed Mason Jar Vase
Chalk paint on a mason jar, sanded back at the edges so it looks like it has been on a shelf for forty years. Jars are free if you eat pasta sauce, the paint is a few dollars, and distressing is the rare technique where being sloppy is the correct method.
- Supplies: mason jar, chalk paint, sandpaper, painter’s tape for stripes, sealer
- Approx cost: about $2 to $4 each
- Sells for: about $14 to $22, or $35 to $45 for a set of three at different heights.
Get the full tutorial at View From the Fridge.
2. DecoArt Chalk Paint Mini Mason Jar Planters
Dollar store mini jars, painted in chalky finish and sanded at the ridges. Small is the point: they fit a windowsill, they post better than a full-size jar, and a shopper who was not going to buy a vase will buy three tiny planters.
- Supplies: mini mason jars, chalk finish paint, sandpaper, small plants or succulents
- Approx cost: about $3 to $5 each, planted
- Sells for: about $12 to $18 each, or $30 to $40 for a set of three.
Get the full tutorial at Shelly Hickox.
3. Teacup Succulent Planters
Every thrift store has a shelf of orphaned teacups with no saucer, going for a dollar because nobody wants half a set. Put a succulent in one and it is suddenly a gift. The cup does the styling for you, so buy the prettiest patterns and let the plant be simple.
- Supplies: thrifted teacup, cactus soil, small gravel for drainage, succulent cutting
- Approx cost: about $3 to $5 each
- Sells for: about $16 to $26. Mismatched sets of three sell well as a housewarming gift.
Get the full tutorial at Tattooed Martha.
4. Natural Branch Coasters
Slices cut from a fallen branch, sanded smooth and sealed, with the tree’s own rings as the pattern. The material is genuinely free if you have a yard or know someone pruning, and the only real work is sanding and letting the wood dry properly first so they do not crack on you.
- Supplies: fallen branch, saw, sandpaper, food-safe sealer or polyurethane, felt feet
- Approx cost: about $1 to $3 for a set of four
- Sells for: about $22 to $35 a set of four. Bark left on is the version people reach for.
Get the full tutorial at Garden Therapy.
5. DIY Refrigerator Magnets From Vintage Brooches and Pins
misspells brooches) A costume brooch with a broken clasp is worth almost nothing in a junk box and quite a lot on a fridge. Snip the pin back off, glue a strong magnet on, and a single estate sale lot turns into a whole tray of product. This is vintage reuse at its most profitable.
- Supplies: vintage brooches or pins, wire cutters, strong rare earth magnets, epoxy
- Approx cost: about $1 to $3 each depending on what you pay for the lot
- Sells for: about $10 to $18 each. The showy rhinestone ones go first.
Get the full tutorial at Meegan Makes.
6. DIY Chicken Wire Basket
Chicken wire bent into a basket, with a wood or fabric base, and it is the piece that makes a country table look like a country table. A roll of wire is not expensive and makes several baskets. Wear gloves, because cut wire ends are unforgiving.
- Supplies: chicken wire, wire cutters, gloves, wood base, staples or strong glue, ribbon
- Approx cost: about $4 to $7 each
- Sells for: about $25 to $40. Larger ones with a handle hit the top of that.
Get the full tutorial at Ca Dee Dee.
7. Tin Can Organizer
Tin cans, cleaned and painted and grouped into a desk or craft room caddy, and the cans were free. One tip from a person who adores her Dremel, both the corded one and the cordless one: run a sanding bit around the cut rim before you paint. A smooth edge is the difference between a craft and a product.
- Supplies: clean tin cans, sandpaper or a rotary tool, primer, craft paint, base board, glue
- Approx cost: about $3 to $5 for a three-can organizer
- Sells for: about $20 to $32. Painted to a color request, more.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
8. Horseshoe and Wood Candle Holder
source is horseshoes on a chunk of wood) Old horseshoes welded or bolted to a slab of wood, holding a candle. It is heavy, it is rustic, and it is exactly what people are looking for when they walk a country craft fair. Used horseshoes are cheap or free from a farrier, which is worth a phone call.
- Supplies: used horseshoes, wood slab, bolts or heavy epoxy, wire brush, clear sealer, candle
- Approx cost: about $5 to $10 each
- Sells for: about $30 to $50. Weight and heft are what justify the price here.
Get the full tutorial at Simply Country Life.
9. Flan Tin Clock
A vintage flan or jelly tin, fitted with a clock movement, and the fluted edge does all the design work for you. Clock kits are a few dollars online, tins are a couple at any junk shop, and the finished piece looks like something from an antique market stall.
- Supplies: vintage flan or tart tin, clock movement kit, drill bit for metal, numbers or paint
- Approx cost: about $8 to $12 each
- Sells for: about $35 to $55. The more worn the tin, the better it sells.
Get the full tutorial at Zefi's Blog.
10. Vintage Silverware Necklaces
Orphaned silver-plate forks and spoons, cut, shaped and hung on a chain. Flea market flatware goes for a dollar or two a piece and the patterns are the selling point, so buy the ornate handles and leave the plain ones. The bending is the skill, and it comes fast.
- Supplies: vintage silver-plate flatware, jeweler’s saw or rotary cutting tool, files, chain
- Approx cost: about $3 to $6 each
- Sells for: about $28 to $45. Monogrammed or dated pieces sell highest.
Get the full tutorial at My Salvaged Treasures.
11. Vintage China Jewelry Stand
Mismatched china plates and a teacup, stacked and glued into a tiered stand. Nobody wants a partial china set, which is why these cost you almost nothing and sell for a proper price. Use a food-safe epoxy and let it cure fully, because this piece has to hold weight.
- Supplies: thrifted china plates and a cup, epoxy, candlestick or knob for the spacer
- Approx cost: about $4 to $8 each
- Sells for: about $28 to $45. Floral and gold-rimmed china carries the most.
Get the full tutorial at Blackbirds and Bumblebees.
Table of Contents
- Rustic Country Crafts to Sell
- 1. Preppy Distressed Mason Jar Vase
- 2. DecoArt Chalk Paint Mini Mason Jar Planters
- 3. Teacup Succulent Planters
- 4. Natural Branch Coasters
- 5. DIY Refrigerator Magnets From Vintage Brooches and Pins
- 6. DIY Chicken Wire Basket
- 7. Tin Can Organizer
- 8. Horseshoe and Wood Candle Holder
- 9. Flan Tin Clock
- 10. Vintage Silverware Necklaces
- 11. Vintage China Jewelry Stand
- Country Crafts from Jars, Tins and Vintage Finds
- 12. Mason Jar Fairy Lights
- 13. DIY Jute String Lanterns
- 14. Fairy Jar Lanterns
- 15. DIY Hat Stand
- 16. Vintage Garden Sign
- 17. Vintage Bandana Bowl Covers
- 18. Pretty Metal Roses
- 19. Vintage Teacup Candles
- 20. Wood Slice Owl Decor
- 21. Burlap And Vintage Button Jewelry Holder
- 22. Recipe Card Holders
- 23. DIY Farmhouse Music Sheet Coasters
- 24. Easy Log Candleholder
- 25. Trouser Hanger Turned Belt Organizer
- 26. Repurposed Photo Holder
- 27. Glittered Mason Jars
- 28. DIY Painted Bottles
- 29. Twine Pumpkins Made From Toilet Paper Rolls
- 30. Easy DIY Tin Can Snowman
- 31. DIY Book Flower Vase
- 32. Upcycled Light Bulb Mini Planter
- 33. Clay Plant Markers
- FAQ
- Where to Next
Country Crafts from Jars, Tins and Vintage Finds
12. Mason Jar Fairy Lights
Pressed flowers on the inside of the glass and a coil of battery fairy lights, and the jar glows like something from a wedding. These batch beautifully: press your flowers weeks ahead, then assemble twenty in an evening when you need stock in a hurry.
- Supplies: mason jar, pressed flowers, decoupage glue, battery fairy light string
- Approx cost: about $4 to $7 each
- Sells for: about $20 to $30. Wedding and baby shower orders come in sets of ten and up.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
13. DIY Jute String Lanterns
Jute wrapped around a balloon with glue, left to dry, then the balloon pops and you have a hollow rustic lantern. It is the most satisfying reveal in this whole list. Jute is a few dollars a roll and makes several, so the cost per lantern is very small.
- Supplies: jute or twine, balloon, craft glue or a glue and water mix, battery light
- Approx cost: about $2 to $4 each
- Sells for: about $18 to $28. Hang a cluster at three sizes and they sell as a group.
Get the full tutorial at Love Create Celebrate.
14. Fairy Jar Lanterns
Jars, lots and lots of jars, is a fair description of my kitchen, and this is the best use I have found for the spares. Glow paint inside the glass, a wire handle on top, and they light a porch or a table without a cord. Charge them in daylight before a market so they are actually glowing when a shopper picks one up.
- Supplies: glass jar, glow in the dark paint, wire for the handle, pliers
- Approx cost: about $3 to $5 each
- Sells for: about $16 to $24, and better in a set of three.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
15. DIY Hat Stand
A turned wooden post and a round base, which gives a shopper somewhere to put the hat they never find a home for. It is a display piece that is also useful, and thrifted lamp bases and finials make the raw material almost free if you know what to look for at a junk shop.
- Supplies: wooden post or thrifted lamp base, round wood base, screws, stain or paint
- Approx cost: about $6 to $12 each
- Sells for: about $30 to $48. Stained dark and distressed is the version that sells.
Get the full tutorial at Sadie Seasongoods.
16. Vintage Garden Sign
A weathered board, hand-lettered and hung on a fence or a potting shed. Country crafts to make and sell live or die on how authentically old they look, and this one is mostly about restraint: thin paint, an imperfect line, and sandpaper over the edges when it dries.
- Supplies: reclaimed wood board, outdoor paint, stencil or a steady hand, sandpaper, wire
- Approx cost: about $4 to $8 each
- Sells for: about $25 to $40. Custom wording pushes it higher and takes no extra material.
Get the full tutorial at Elegant Nest.
17. Vintage Bandana Bowl Covers
Elastic-edged covers sewn from vintage bandanas, and the pitch writes itself: they replace a lifetime of plastic wrap. Bandanas are a dollar or two and each one makes a cover, so a graduated set of three costs you very little and sells as one tidy product.
- Supplies: vintage bandanas, elastic, thread, sewing machine
- Approx cost: about $3 to $6 for a set of three
- Sells for: about $22 to $34 a set of three, tied with twine.
Get the full tutorial at Sadie Seasongoods.
18. Pretty Metal Roses
Metal cut into a spiral and rolled into a rose, then finished matte black or antiqued gold. They sell to exactly the shopper who walks past everything pastel, which is a segment most country tables under-serve. Gloves are not optional with cut metal edges.
- Supplies: soda can aluminum or thin craft metal, heavy scissors or snips, gloves, wire stems, spray paint
- Approx cost: about $1 to $3 a stem
- Sells for: about $12 to $18 a stem, or $35 to $50 for a bunch that never needs water.
Get the full tutorial at The Happier Homemaker.
19. Vintage Teacup Candles
are looking for) A thrifted teacup, filled with soy wax and a wick. The cup is the packaging, the presentation and half the price, which is a rare thing in candle making. Buy the chipped-saucer cups nobody else wants, because the candle covers the inside anyway.
- Supplies: thrifted teacup, soy wax flakes, wick, fragrance oil, thermometer
- Approx cost: about $4 to $7 each
- Sells for: about $22 to $34. They move hardest at fall and holiday markets.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
20. Wood Slice Owl Decor
Wood slices stacked into an owl, big slice for the body and small ones for the eyes. A tree service’s discard pile will stock you for a season, so the material cost is basically the glue. The personality is all in where you put the eyes, which is worth a few minutes of playing before you commit.
- Supplies: wood slices in three sizes, bark scraps, wood glue, sealer for outdoor versions
- Approx cost: about $1 to $3 each
- Sells for: about $16 to $26. Nursery and cabin shoppers both buy these.
Get the full tutorial at House of Hawthornes.
21. Burlap And Vintage Button Jewelry Holder
Burlap stretched in a frame with vintage buttons as the hooks, so earrings and necklaces hang against a soft rustic background. Burlap is a couple of dollars a yard, the buttons come from a jar at an estate sale, and the frame can be thrifted.
- Supplies: thrifted frame, burlap, vintage buttons, hot glue, small hooks, staple gun
- Approx cost: about $5 to $9 each
- Sells for: about $28 to $42. It doubles as wall decor, which is how to sell it.
Get the full tutorial at Skip to My Lou.
22. Recipe Card Holders
An old kitchen gadget, a beater or a pair of tongs, repurposed to hold a recipe card upright. Antique malls are full of vintage kitchen tools nobody uses, and this is the kind of clever reuse that stops a shopper mid-aisle because they recognize what it used to be.
- Supplies: vintage kitchen gadget, wooden base if needed, clothespin, epoxy, wire brush
- Approx cost: about $3 to $6 each
- Sells for: about $18 to $28. Sell it with a couple of blank recipe cards in the clip.
Get the full tutorial at Sadie Seasongoods.
23. DIY Farmhouse Music Sheet Coasters
Old sheet music decoupaged onto tile coasters, sealed so they actually work under a glass. Damaged hymnals and songbooks cost almost nothing at a junk shop and one book makes dozens of coasters. Seal thoroughly, then seal again, because a coaster that stains is a coaster that gets returned.
- Supplies: plain tiles, old sheet music, decoupage glue, waterproof sealer, felt feet
- Approx cost: about $3 to $6 for a set of four
- Sells for: about $20 to $32 a set of four.
Get the full tutorial at Raggedy Bits.
24. Easy Log Candleholder
A log with holes bored for tealights. That is the whole project, and it is one of the best returns on this page: firewood is a few dollars, the drill does the work, and the finished piece sells as a centerpiece. Use a spade bit sized to your tealight cups and drill at a steady speed.
- Supplies: log or firewood section, drill with a spade bit, sandpaper, tealights
- Approx cost: about $2 to $5 each
- Sells for: about $25 to $40 for a three-light log. Longer ones with five lights sell higher.
Get the full tutorial at Love Grows Wild.
25. Trouser Hanger Turned Belt Organizer
A wooden trouser hanger with hooks added, so belts and scarves hang in a closet instead of living in a heap. Thrift stores practically give hangers away, and this is a solve-a-problem product, which sells to a completely different shopper than decor does.
- Supplies: wooden trouser hanger, cup hooks, drill, stain or paint
- Approx cost: about $3 to $6 each
- Sells for: about $18 to $26. Stained dark, it looks like a closet-store product.
Get the full tutorial at Sadie Seasongoods.
26. Repurposed Photo Holder
A salvaged metal or wooden piece turned into a stand that grips a photo or a card. It is small, it costs a couple of dollars from a junk box, and it is the sort of thing a shopper buys two of without much thought. Wire brush the rust down but leave the patina, because the patina is what they are paying for.
- Supplies: salvaged metal or wood piece, spring clip or wire, epoxy, wire brush, clear sealer
- Approx cost: about $2 to $5 each
- Sells for: about $12 to $20, or $30 to $40 for a set of three.
Get the full tutorial at Organized Clutter.
27. Glittered Mason Jars
Glitter on a mason jar, inside or out, and it becomes a candle holder, a vase or party decor depending on what you put in it. That flexibility is why they sell: one product, three reasons to buy. Glitter on the inside is the version that does not shed on a customer’s table.
- Supplies: mason jar, decoupage glue, fine glitter, sealer, tea light or flowers
- Approx cost: about $2 to $4 each
- Sells for: about $12 to $20, and wedding orders come in tens.
Get the full tutorial at Rain on a Tin Roof.
28. DIY Painted Bottles
Wine and soda bottles, painted opaque and grouped in threes. The bottle is free, the paint is a few dollars, and the finished trio looks like a styled shelf in a catalog. Prime the glass or the paint peels at the neck, which is the one place a buyer will touch it.
- Supplies: glass bottles, spray primer, matte spray or chalk paint, twine for the necks
- Approx cost: about $2 to $4 each
- Sells for: about $12 to $20 each, or $35 to $48 for a set of three.
Get the full tutorial at Homey Oh My.
29. Twine Pumpkins Made From Toilet Paper Rolls
The stem is a real cinnamon stick, which means the pumpkin smells like fall as well as looking like it. The body is a recycled cardboard tube wrapped in dollar store twine, so this is about as cheap as rustic decor gets, and they group beautifully on a market table in three sizes.
- Supplies: twine, cardboard tissue tube, scissors, tape, cinnamon sticks
- Approx cost: under $1 each
- Sells for: about $8 to $14 each, or $28 to $35 for a set of three. Fall markets clear these.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
30. Easy DIY Tin Can Snowman
Three empty cans in graduated sizes, painted white and stacked, with a ribbon scarf and a button face. Actual trash into actual product, which is the country page’s favorite trick. The cans are free, the trim comes out of your craft drawer, and it goes on sale the week after Halloween.
- Supplies: tin cans in three sizes, white acrylic paint, buttons, ribbon, mini bells, skewers, glitter foam
- Approx cost: about $3 to $6 each
- Sells for: about $20 to $32. Holiday market pricing supports the top of that.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
31. DIY Book Flower Vase
An old book, cut and folded into a vase shape, holding dried or paper flowers. Clearance shelves and thrift stores are full of books nobody will read again, so the raw material costs about a dollar. No special tools, just tape, a blade and patience with the folding.
- Supplies: old book, double sided tape, craft blade, ruler, pencil, dried or faux flowers
- Approx cost: about $2 to $4 each
- Sells for: about $18 to $28 with flowers in it. Vintage-looking spines sell fastest.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
32. Upcycled Light Bulb Mini Planter
A burnt-out bulb, separated from its base, painted and set in a little stick stand. The bulb was headed for the bin, the stand is scrap sticks and hot glue, and the finished planter is the sort of small odd object that sells because nobody else on the row has one.
- Supplies: old light bulb, craft paint, POSCA pens for the design, wooden sticks, hot glue, small plant
- Approx cost: about $2 to $4 each
- Sells for: about $14 to $22. Planted with a live succulent, at the top of that.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
33. Clay Plant Markers
Stamped air dry clay tags that tell you which pot is oregano and which is the thyme you forgot you planted. I must always have an herb garden, and I can tell you the labels are the difference between a herb garden and a mystery. One block of clay makes a whole set, which is very good math for a fair table.
- Supplies: air dry clay, letter stamps, rolling pin, cutting tool, acrylic paint, sealer
- Approx cost: about 50 cents to $1 per marker
- Sells for: about $16 to $24 for a set of six. Custom herb names cost you nothing extra.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
FAQ
What country crafts sell best at a fair?
Small portable objects with visible age. A horseshoe and wood candle holder costs about $5 to $10 and sells for about $30 to $50, where weight and heft are what justify the price. Natural branch coasters cost about $1 to $3 for a set of four and sell for about $22 to $35, with the bark left on.
Do mason jar crafts still sell?
They do, and they are the steadiest earners on this page. Mason jar fairy lights cost about $4 to $7 and sell for about $20 to $30, with wedding and baby shower orders coming in sets. A preppy distressed mason jar vase costs about $2 to $4 and sells for about $14 to $22, or $35 to $45 for a trio.
Where do you find the vintage pieces these use?
Flea markets, junk lots and the back of your own cupboards. Refrigerator magnets made from vintage brooches cost about $1 to $3 each depending on what you paid for the lot, and sell for about $10 to $18 each, with the showy rhinestone ones going first. Buy the lot, not the single piece.
What prices hold up at a country market?
Higher than most sellers expect, as long as the piece reads as one of a kind. A vintage china jewelry stand costs about $4 to $8 and sells for about $28 to $45, with floral and gold-rimmed china carrying the most. A DIY hat stand costs about $6 to $12 and sells for about $30 to $48 stained dark and distressed.
Do rustic crafts sell better in sets?
Often, because a trio fills a shelf the way one piece cannot. Jute string lanterns cost about $2 to $4 each and sell for about $18 to $28, and a cluster hung at three sizes sells fastest. Clay plant markers cost about 50 cents to $1 and sell for about $16 to $24 for six.
Where to Next
