Craft Display Changes

A Crafter and her Display

Over the years, my display has changed and changed again.  I made mistakes and discovered the sort of things one has to take into account when selling at craft fairs or on the street or in every kind of weather.  I tried to make a playful, attractive display at first, with these really fun jewelry carousels made from dowels and old candelabra and candle holders.  My fanciest beads were displayed in a mosaic frame. At my first street fair I was selling lampwork glass bead necklaces and my daughter had started a business of selling button hairbands.  We had a flimsy cheap tent that threatened to blow away with the slightest breeze, and it wasn't exactly waterproof as well.  There were some thrilling moments as we hung onto the tent and tried to talk to customers at the same time.

Grandma holding down the fort in the background.  Daughter off looking for food.  This was a family enterprise.

In the next few months, I made more carousels and put the button hairbands into glass fish bowls.  It just so happened that it  rained at every outdoor fair I went to for an entire year.  The cheap tent bought the farm by the second Spring Crafts in Chelsea when I loaned it to Lauren of Paperelle, not long after this picture was taken. I had bought a heavier one, but even this one couldn't withstand the gusts of 21st Street, so  I took it down before it broke as well.  Now people tend to not even bring tents to Crafts in Chelsea.

Nothing like untangling 25 sterling silver necklaces from a fallen carousel.

Then I decided I wanted to apply to slightly higher end craft fairs, which meant one needed a good picture of one's display.  My reaction was to make my display even fancier, with shelves covered in beadboard panels, and this was the picture I used for my applications.  Obviously this was only for an indoor show.

I love the wacky candelabra, but they belong in a store display.

But I was still doing some street fairs, and using my carousels, so I screwed the carousels to a wooden plank, decorated in mosaics, and clamped it to the table.  That took care of the falling over in wind.  But I didn't like having to set up the frames to display my longer, fancier necklaces, and thought I might try a single board with easel style framing behind it, which also clamped to the table.  After one show I decided this was too heavy and just didn't show my work to advantage.  It was better to show jewelry in smaller sections rather than on one huge board.  I was also inspired at this time to make some sea monsters with their own lamp work eyes and pocket mouths.

This board will probably find a future as a mirror.  Really nice mosaic border of sea glass and broken china.

In 2012 I brought my crafts out to Hyannis, out on Cape Cod.  I did very well out there but oh the days were hot and long.  And I really missed having my etsy team around.  I simplified the beadboard panels to attach to a raised six foot table, and bought some cheap book shelves from Target to display my prints.  The shelves are pretty flimsy, and less than two feet wide.  I put weights on the bottom shelf to keep them upright.  I finally got a banner to hang behind me, and found a cute vintage aqua and cream table cloth for my display.

I have these great rocks with furrows cut into them to hold my prints.

The next year I went in for making a lot of monsters!  And bunting, which I hung from fiberglass safety poles from Home Depot.

Anyone remember the bunting post I made last year?  Here's how they look on the street!

A day later, this was the display up in Beacon with the Hudson Valley Etsy Team.  The crowd was light due to the heat wave we were going through but I still made money with the jewelry.  I'd pretty much had enough with trying to stand my frame displays up, so I let them lie flat on the tables and they did fine.  Customers didn't seem to mind.  No more risers, either.  All of these displays were made with the thought in mind that I would have a car and would be driving to the fair site.  Weight was not an issue.

I like the sea shell tablecloths I made, but the shells are very large and bold.

My basement is crowded with displays I've made and had to abandon.  But now I'm looking at doing some fairs where I will not be driving, I'll be taking public transportation.  Time to really lighten up!  I want everything, product and display and selling paraphernalia, to fit into a backpack, rolling cart, or luggage.  It would be fun to fly to other cities and try out the craft fairs there, and having a light and flexible display would be great.

I hope this post will give my fellow crafters some ideas for their own displays, and give fair warning to others about what not to do!  I'll make another post about my new light display in the future.

Jody

a Studio by the Sea

DIY Bunting Tutorial

Simple Fabric Bunting

 I love the way bunting looks as decoration for a room or a display, and decided I would make some with my old Laura Ashley fabric.  I had gone to England in my twenties and bought fabric from their stores and from Liberty of London, and they've been sitting mostly in boxes since then.  It doesn't look like that particular style is coming back so this seems like a good use to put them to!

I decided on triangular flags 5" by 7.5" and cut out a pattern on graphing paper.

My supplies consisted of a yard total of different fabrics in aqua, white and lavender, a half yard of fusible web, and two packages of extra wide double fold bias tape with thread to match.

I cut 8" wide strips of fabric and folded them in half length wise or 16" wide strips of fabric and folded them over to make them 8"x45" strips.  Then I cut 8" wide lengths of fusible web, slipped them between the layers of fabric (printed side facing out) and ironed them all together.

Then I placed the pattern on the ironed fabric, marked the corners with pencil and using a metal straight edge, cut out the triangles with a fabric rotary cutter.  Then I'd just rotate the pattern and cut another triangle from the other side, so there was no wasted fabric!

When I'd finished cutting out the flags I laid them out on the table to check on the color order and the length of the bias tape, which was 3 yards.

I pinned the triangles inside the folds of the bias tape with two pins per flag - one pin isn't quite enough for me, at least.

Then I used a zigzag stitch to sew the triangles in place.  I made loops on the ends by just folding the bias tape back and zigzagging over the edges.

Done in a day and a half!

Can you guess my favorite colors?  I don't change much over the years!

Jody

www.astudiobythesea.etsy.com

Craft Fair Displays Part Four

More Ideas from Crafts at Lyndhurst and Others

Crafty Baby

Jill Chuckas of Crafty Baby has long experience as a small business woman and craft fair seller.  I enjoyed her use of old baby furniture in her display, and the loads of color and comfort in her wares.  There even a cot on the right showing off her blankets - the sort of cots daycare centers provide for their toddlers to take naps - along with a toy chest, old cradle, and room screens. 

The great modern fabrics she uses make me wish I still had little ones to buy for.

Cloisonne by Kristin Holeman

I've been a frequent attendee at the Lyndhurst Crafts Fair and this was the first time I'd seen Kristin's work, and I was blown away by her craft.  Kristin had come up all the way from Florida with this lovely and cohesive shop.

Kristin's husband has a love of ship salvage, and her industrial looking display is actually old rusted wrenches - you place the wrench on a giant bolt and poke an bar in the holes to turn it.  The rusty color goes with her orange color scheme and makes a great contrast with the finish and detail of her jewelry.  The rings here are actually her daughter's work.  A talented family.

I couldn't take pictures of her amazing work without reflections, and her shop was super busy!


That's it for the Lyndhurst displays.  Here is my own display, set up in Cape Cod during the summer.  It consists of two folding bookcases from Target, a raised folding plastic 6' table with white bead board panels screwed into the front.  I display some of my prints with stones that have a slot cut into them (stones ordered on Etsy.)  Though I get a lot of compliments on how my display looked, I think it's a complicated set up and am looking to simplify my shop for fairs.

a Studio by the Sea

Last but not least, a beautiful holiday display by Rosi Zingales last year in New York.

Hanky Blanky

I hope everyone gets some new ideas on improving their displays!  Please let me know if you see something interesting and commendable, so we can share.

Jody

a Studio by the Sea

Craft Fair Displays Part III

Displays from the Lyndhurst Craft Fair

The Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst, Tarrytown, New York, is a well organized and well publicized high end craft fair put on by Artrider.  They have one in the spring as well, which is one of best selling fairs in the country, with entry fees to match.  I've been going to these fairs off and on, for over twenty years, and they really are top of the line and well worth attending as a buyer or spectator.  

I've only chosen a few displays from the hundreds there because I'm focusing on the unusual and the practical with regard to our readers and members.  There were many professional and elegant displays by full time craftspeople and artists that most of us could neither afford nor build ourselves.  The following displays show what some artists with a wonderful imagination can do with a modest budget and simple carpentry skills.

 Jessica Weiss Jewelry Studio

Jessica's clean modern jewelry is set off by her gleaming silver booth.  Sheets of metal give her booth the clean lines of industrial chic, echoed by etched grey plexiglass shelves and boards.  I forgot to ask where her metal sheets come from, but I know I picked up one for my lampworking table from the local Home Depot, and any drill with the proper bit can drill through the soft aluminum.  They're thin, light, and easy to clean, which make them great for the traveling craftsperson.  Bravo!

 The clever use of a perforated panel for her beautiful earrings, with even a mirror attached!   Jessica Weiss Jewelry Studio

Seeka

Stavit and Nachshon are Israeli artists working in Brooklyn combining painting, resin, and crystals on laser cut stainless steel to make their one of kind judaica and jewelry.  I was entranced by their beautiful and delicately detailed work, but their display is very interesting as well.  Matching frames display their work but they are held in place by sturdy metal piping attached to the tables.  As our weather gets windier and more unpredictable, this looks like a splendid answer to that problem.

The white and pink was unusual and fun!  Seeka

Hoist Away Bags

Laura Cleminson of Hoist Away Bags, comes from Maine and makes some of the nicest recycled sail bags I've seen, adding more color and lively design than other makers.  A sailor herself, she knows how the sails were used, and how the bags will be used - they look really tough and well made.  She's also taken her sailing experience into her display, all of which easily fits into her car.  Everything is hung from ropes and wooden boards.

I completely love her tote bag display, which idea came from the cabin of a big boat she was sailing on.  The totes are right at the level for customers to look at, and with one hand you can pull the left knot up and out of the slot, freeing the bag for trying on or closer inspection.

And here is a rope and dowel ladder for her beautiful bookbags.  Her display is everything a craftsperson could want: windproof, rainproof, light, easy to transport, easy to set up, charming and clever.  Hoist Away Bags


I find the ingenuity of others inspiring, and I hope others can discover ways to improve their displays through these posts.

Jody Lee

a Studio by the Sea

Craft Fair Displays Part Two

More Displays from the Garrison Craft Fair

  
This stunning display belongs to GaryYatteau, who constructs sailboat models of wood, copper, and antique brass.  I so admire the skill of this clever and talented artist, who not only makes one of a kind yacht sculptures, but also built these neat pilings, shelves and a nautical box to show them off.  His customers must feel like they’ve entered a seaside village in Newport or Nantucket.

 Artist April DeMarco avoids the stuffy formality of woolly Propanels and had the excellent idea of showing her original artwork attached to wooden planks that she then ties to her tent.  It matches the outdoorsy, rustic feel of her equine paintings and looks great!

 Virginia Piazza Hand Thrown Porcelain has such a pure, sophisticated simplicity to her work and her display.  Two tables with complementary tablecloth colors, a simple wooden hutch, a few clear plexiglass stands, and a vase of flowers makes up her river’s edge display.  See how the aqua sets off her white and yellow glazes. 

Beautiful and irresistible!

Be sure to keep checking the HVNY Blog for our latest posts.  Later this month is I will attend the Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY.  This is a major high end fair and I will be sure to share with you what these craftspeople do to make their work stand out for the crowds.

Jody Lee from astudiobythesea.etsy.com

Craft Fair Displays Part One

How you display your wares is an important part of your craft business.  Whether you have only a table or a whole tent to showcase your craft, you can do so much to show your style and create an inviting ambiance that says, “Come in and look!”

Here are a few displays from the Hudson Valley Etsy Team and others who were in the Garrison Craft Fair in August.  You couldn’t find a lovelier spot for a fair, on the Hudson opposite the stony edifices of West Point, with the river only a few feet away from the tents.

Come in and buy me!

Here is a very effective display by Jess of Knot by Gran’ma.  Her two tables are covered in black, and her boxes and baskets are painted black.  This gives great cohesion and brings out the bright colors of her unique hand-crocheted monsters and soft sculptures.  

Take me home, please.

A black basket and child’s chair adds to the charm!

Many of us are constrained to keep our displays as light and simple as possible.   Sarah-Maria of Meerwiibli has two racks for her dresses, two tables for her accessories, a mannequin and even a dressing room for her customers of light and easily assembled materials.  Her tablecloths, banners, and even her hangers match the colors of her clothing designs, making a fun and enticing display.

I loved the clean modern style of L&M Studio!  It was like stepping into a chic shop in NYC.  Her shelves are made from Ikea furniture and wire cables attached to her tent frame hold up her wonderful birdhouses, lamps, and planters.  Gorgeous work in a great setting!

More displays from the Garrison Craft Fair coming soon!

Jody Lee
a Studio by the Sea