Each year, manufacturers submit their new retail products to be considered for a Hot Product award in eight categories (bead and jewelry, cake and food decorating, fabric and needle crafts, floral crafts, general crafts, kids crafts, paint and art, and paper crafts). A panel of industry buyers, bloggers, editors, and craft celebrities then judge the submissions and select category finalists on three criteria: what makes the product unique, how the product will improve the crafter's experience, and the interest and excitement the product generates outside the crafting community.
At the Sneak Peek show, I wasn't able to get photos of all of the finalists. And I wasn't a judge, but as a seasoned crafter, here are my choices for Hot Product!
