Comocrea Textile Design Show

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Mostra mercato della creatività

The Italian format behind fairs like ComoCrea: a market-style exhibition where craft retailers, publishers and makers sell supplies and finished pieces while running live demonstrations. It sits between a consumer hobby show and a trade-order fair, so exhibitors often sell at retail on the stand and take wholesale enquiries in parallel.

2

Fai da te (DIY)

The Italian umbrella term for do-it-yourself making. In a creativity fair context it covers home decor projects, furniture upcycling, small woodwork and repair crafts rather than hardware-store DIY.

3

Filato

Yarn in all its forms - balls, hanks, cakes - usually the single largest product family at an Italian creativity fair, sold by indie dyers, spinning mills and importers alongside pattern books.

4

Gomitolo / matassa

A ball (gomitolo) versus a skein or hank (matassa) of yarn. Hand-dyed producers sell in skeins that must be wound before use; many stands at ComoCrea offer winding on the spot.

5

Lavoro a maglia (knitting)

Hand knitting with two needles. Italian fairs pair yarn stalls with pattern designers, knitting groups and sit-and-knit tables where visitors test needles and try a swatch.

6

Uncinetto (crochet)

Crochet, worked with a single hook. A core category for amigurumi figures, lace trims, bags and home textiles, and one of the most common workshop topics at craft fairs.

7

Ricamo (embroidery)

Surface embroidery by hand or machine, including cross-stitch, ribbon work and modern free-motion machine embroidery. Stands typically combine hoops, threads, stabilisers and downloadable patterns.

8

Merletto (lace)

Lace, both needle lace and bobbin lace. The Como area has a documented lace-making tradition alongside its silk industry, and vintage lace trims are a recurring draw for costumers and bridal makers.

9

Seta (silk)

Silk. Como has been a European silk-weaving and printing district since the 19th century, so fabric stalls at Lake Como fairs commonly stock silk remnants, offcuts and printed panels alongside cotton and linen.

10

Patchwork e quilting

Piecing and quilting cotton fabric into bedcovers, bags and wall hangings. Buyers look for pre-cuts (charms, layer cakes, jelly rolls), long-arm quilting services, rulers and templates.

11

Decoupage

Decorating surfaces with glued paper cut-outs, then sealing with varnish. Supply stands sell rice paper, napkins, dedicated glues and blank wooden or metal bases.

12

Scrapbooking

Album and memory-keeping craft using patterned paper, die-cuts, stamps and embellishments; usually adjacent to card-making and journaling supplies on the fair floor.

13

Feltro e infeltritura (felt and felting)

Craft felt sold by the sheet, plus needle felting (infeltritura ad ago) and wet felting. Wool roving, barbed needles and foam mats are the standard stand inventory.

14

Pasta modellabile / Fimo

Polymer and air-dry modelling clays. Fimo is the trademark most Italian shoppers use generically; stands pair clay with silicone moulds, cutters and oven-curing guidance.

15

Fustelle e fustellatrici

Metal cutting dies and the die-cutting machines that press them. A high-repeat purchase category: buyers return each season for new die shapes for cards, albums and box making.

16

Bigiotteria

Costume jewellery making - beads, cabochons, settings, wire, resin and macrame cords. Often the entry category for visitors who then move into bead weaving or silversmithing.

17

Macramè

Knotting craft using cotton cord to build plant hangers, wall hangings and bags. A low-tool-cost entry craft that has driven cord and dowel sales at recent European hobby fairs.

18

Resina epossidica (resin art)

Two-part epoxy used for casting and coating jewellery, coasters and trays. Health-and-safety briefing on gloves, ventilation and curing is part of a responsible stand demo.

19

Laboratorio creativo (workshop)

A bookable hands-on session at the fair, usually 45-90 minutes, materials included. Places are limited and often sold on the day at the stand, so check the programme before travelling.

20

Kit pronto (craft kit)

A pre-packed project box with instructions and materials. Kits are the most common impulse purchase at consumer craft fairs and the easiest line for a new exhibitor to test.