One thing that I loved from my craft fair experience was my show displays. The first show I would say had a better display vibe but the second was more approachable for customers to shop. I will have all the items listed below that I used with links. First, let’s discuss the bare bones of the set up meaning the pop up, tables and chairs. Luckily my parents were willing to let us borrow fold up tables and camping chairs. Since we also don’t own a pop up we asked friends and were able to borrow one for both shows. The first pop up was my favorite; it was so easy to put up, just walk it out and unlock the legs to raise it. The second pop up was a challenge; it had a center push which is fine but as a vertically challenged girly we had to call for assistance. Guess I should have brought a step stool…
One item that is not necessary but is really nice to have is an adaptable hand truck. The second show was quite the walk but it was bearable with the fold up hand truck that allows you to stack items and simply push it to where you need to be. I purchased mine from Costco but it is also available at several retailers like Amazon. Next are tablecloths which make or break a professional display. Fitted black tablecloths look sleek and give you the ability to hide items like totes under the table without being an eye sore. Plus, these tablecloths did not budge in the wind at all. Side walls are a luxury to keep the sun out of your eyes, the wind at bay and even block out the rain when the weather is iffy. It’s one of those extras you keep with you as a safety net just in case the weather flips.
If you want to hang a sign or bags like I did on the canopy there are several options but my favorite was using these reusable zip ties, no scissors necessary! Use them over and over, no trash to track down or string to fight with, plus they are so versatile to keep around the house. Main displays I used were a rolling wire rack wardrobe and the wire cube storage system. The rolling wire rack wardrobe I think looks more appealing but the wire cube storage system is easier to travel with, store, and are adaptable. For both of these displays I used metal hooks. These peg board hooks for the first show were okay but had to be used in very specific areas. The grid hooks are my favorite as they don’t require specific maneuvering and attach basically anywhere on the cubes. Although the grid hooks are more expensive, the peg hooks require cutting down the peg board wood and figuring out how to keep it upright on the table.
Think out of the box when looking for displays, use wrapping paper to beautify cardboard boxes to create tiers/ risers. While shopping at Grocery Outlet I found a children’s bookcase that I knew would work great as a way to display blankets. All that I needed to do was remove the fabric that the books would usually go into. Instead of going rouge and cutting the fabric shelves, all you need to do is unscrew the side panels to remove the fabric. This also makes for a great storage solution during the off season.
Before jumping from store to store looking for display items first search your own house. I used our bathroom sink organizer as a raiser to display the tumbler cups. Fabric bins, acrylic shoe boxes, acrylic standing frames and various cupcake towers are all things we already owned. Simply place the items that are usually in those items off to the side in a duffle bag and then re-home them after the event. This saves not only money but also precious storage space.
Re-homed Items:
- Wire Wardrobe https://amzn.to/4sI2i8p
- Acrylic Shoe boxes with 2 Doors- Costco
- Wooden Raiser https://amzn.to/3ZeQxZD
- Clear Cupcake Tower https://amzn.to/45czxGY
- White Cupcake Tower https://amzn.to/4sQdNej
- Acrylic Sign Small https://amzn.to/49oRmoP
- Acrylic Sign Large https://amzn.to/3ZcuVx1
- Hand truck https://amzn.to/3NwkeTn
Borrow Items:
- Pop up
- Fold Up Tables
- Camping chair with side tables
Purchased Items:
- Side Walls https://amzn.to/4r4UjBl
- Reusable Zip Ties https://amzn.to/45ahDoq
- Fitted Black Tablecloths (set of 2) https://amzn.to/4qZGS5e
- Pegboard Hooks https://amzn.to/4sN6Mec
- Wire Cube Storage https://amzn.to/4pK9IFA
- Grid Hooks https://amzn.to/4qZn8ic
- Blanket Holder- https://amzn.to/4kE0hqx
*I do get a small commission from Amazon if you decide to purchase one of the items using the links above.
MaddieAutumn 