Booth Display Ideas
Sunday September 2, 2007
There's a great discussion going on in the forum right now all about booth displays. How do crafters who have a mixture of
product types set up the most effective display? Remember that the most effective displays compliment your products while
allowing enough room to display plenty of items. Empty shelves do not sell crafts. So make sure that as you see items, you
fill in your display with more stock. Very elaborate booth displays are nice and you certainly do not want to simply use a
card table with a tablecloth. However, sometimes simplicity in booth design can help focus attention on the most important
part of your booth: your crafts.
Comments
Hi,
Regarding your article about displaying a variety of crafts in one space, here are several tricks I have used on a flat 10X4 table that was provided by the the craft show co-ordinator:
**beneath my cover cloth, I arranged different height risers. Then, on top of the cover cloth, after draping and tucking the cover material nicely around and over the risers, I placed shorter risers to the front of the taller ones and covered them with small pieces of matching material. I then put doilies over the smaller material and risers.
This sets each craft apart from another one, kind of drawing the eye from one riser to the next. I would guess this gave me another three feet or so of free additional space.
In between the risers, I put my taller crafts which stood on the table itself.
**For necklaces: I displayed them on an oval, and an oblong, silver serving tray with small white stones covering the bottom. Since I use my serving trays for entertaining purposes, I covered the bottom with plastic wrap to prevent scratching. The necklaces set against the stones and silver really looked elegant.
**For flat folded items, I used a medium height, wire, kitchen bread shelf. It was a fairly cheap one from Dollar General. I created a solid looking back for it by draping material that co-ordinated with the cover cloth. To make solid bottom shelves, I used cardboard wrapped with tissue paper.
**A friend had given me an adjustable two armed clothing tree rack (the kind that blouses are displayed on, two sloping arms with little knobs on top that help separate the garments). On this I was able to place hanging ornaments. I fashioned little hangers from floral wire to attach to the ribbon hanger of each ornament, and hung these around the little knobs.
**At angles facing each other, I placed the shelf at one corner of the table, and the tree rack at the other. At the center of the table on the floor, I put a sweet little rug that co-oridinated with with the other colors I was using.
Looking at the front of the table with the shelf and rack flanking it, a little welcoming alcove was created to draw each customer into the space I had created. Sort of cool!!
**Another idea I picked up while at this show was: one crafter used a wooden ladder leaning upright against the wall, displaying quilts, afghans and blankets one per rung.
At my next show, I am thinking of using a light weight wooden or plastic rose arbor arch at the back, or side, of the table to display my more expensive crafts. And keeping with the theme, garden lattice to display pieces also.
I think planning how to display your treasures with pizzaz at a show is as much fun as making them.
**I also pick up display ideas from the House and Garden magazines. A really lovely magazine is Martha Stewart’s “Blueprint”. This magazine has so many low budget decorating ideas that can be used for displaying crafts at shows,
it is absolutely sinful.
Gosh, can’t wait until my next show!!!
Blessings.
Polly