I really only sell at the Farmer’s Market and the at the Art
Gallery’s annual sale, a local boutique and by commission. I needed
some creative displays that are in line with my ethics - reduce
consumption, avoid toxic chemicals, re-use and recycle. I built a
large display with two average sized bulletin boards and another with
smaller bulletin boards. I never throw anything away. LOL
I’m attaching pictures of how I set things up a couple of years ago.
The ladder is still the same, but the bulletin board display no
longer has the lace, nor does it have the mirrors on it, though I’m
thinking that I might put the mirrors back on, they were useful.
They were pretty banged up so I sanded the frame and painted it,
then hot-glued hemp all around the frame. I put handmade paper over
the cork area (glue it down very carefully and very evenly). I
decopaged the paper on, but after it dried it got too hard. I wanted
people to have a pleasant experience and I didn’t the hard lumpy
surface would be a pleasant texture. I have to get new paper and just
carefully glue it on - glue really shows through the paper. I think a
two sided tape might work better.
I put the frames together with piano hinges (at first I had pieces
of a leather belt stapled to the frames to hold them together, but I
moved and carried them around so much that they literally fell apart
(it came apart when I was setting up one day at the market! Grrr). I
use clear thumbtacks to hang my jewelry on the large set and some cup
hooks on the smaller one, which I use to focus on two different
pieces.
I have another display that I made from an old ladder. I cut the
ladder into three parts (only used two). Next I sanded and painted
them both (the rung side will be the front) and then glued a bunch of
old crotcheted lace over the fronts. I made some wire hangers that I
can to hang necklaces, and hooked them into the lace in what I
thought would be a good arrangement. The earrings - shepherds hook
and post earrings hang quite nicely directly on the lace.
Then I took a couple of cardboard boxes (square with the largest
side cut out for the bottom and for packing up, I store the display
cloths inside the boxes. I covered the boxes in the same paper and
hot glued hemp around the bottom for a border to tie them into the
“theme”. They add different height to put displays on, and to use by
themselves.
I also created an earring display, only works for the fish hook
style of post. I spray painted it and then glued it, bottom down, hot
glued it to a lazy susan wheel that I decided I didn’t need in my
spice cabinet. Spray painted that as well. Then I cut a piece of cork
to cover the top. I wish now that I had thought to keep the top open
and I’d then be able to store it better and I could put stuff inside
it to add texture. I had cut designs into the sides of the cork sheet
and then I folded them down so that they created a border around the
top of the basket. I also added a bit of hem on the border to tie it
in to the rest of the items.
I made a bracelet display using three dowels and a piece of plastic
base from an old trophy. There are plastic ones for sale almost
everyone - they look like uneven parallel bars. After the bars were
all glued together I wrapped them in hemp. I glued river rocks around
the base and then hemp along the sides.I glued river rocks to the
ends of each dowel (4 ends).
The display pieces I’m making for the Art Gallery sale are paper
mache busts (heads ;-} ). I scavenged some chicken wire to make the
basic shape, then I made paper mache with the paper from our
recycling box. Next I’ll make a paper mache pulp/clay so I can sculpt
the surface into a smooth shape, I have some ugly and sharp angles
right now. I think the final touch will be gluing rice bag fabric
covers, or…I guess I don’t know yet what the final layer will
be…I want them to be symple, no noticeable patterns on the
covering because I want the jewelry to be the focus.
The picture frame idea also works if you just put a piece of screen
where the picture should be. I did that and then created a stand to
hold the frame up. I hang the earrings in the screen holes. I have
used this for regular post style earrings and for the shepherds hook
earrings too. I stood the frame up in a regular frame holder that my
grandpa made for me 20 years ago…
I also have a couple of large round (12") mirrors that I lay on the
table and then I place sparkly or special items on.
People really respond to my displays. They change almost every time,
which is really fun for me.
I hope that helps you get some ideas. You can use different
materials and make it fancier (higher end). What I chose was
inexpensive, I only paid out $20 for both projects because I had
everything but the hinges and lace
