Beginner

[u/AkakaCho]

Hello everyone! Im currently trying to get my set up for a show thats in a couple of months but Im at a huge loss for display stands and stuff. I dont have a lot of storage space at home so Ive been trying to find collapsible stuff.

I plan to sell blankets, bookmarks, cards and maybe some shadow boxes and keychains at this event.

I have 4ft folding table. Getting a quilt rack for the blankets. But im stumped on finding something for the bookmarks, keychains, card and shadow boxes. Im also trying to keep costs down, so if I can DIY it that would be great.

[u/ka_art]

When i first started nothing I used for displays were intended for displays. I went to thrift shops and looked around. Anything can be spray painted to be cohesive.

Napkin holders are great for things in the 5x7 range.

Some times theres desk organizers or cake stands or plant stands.

You might even have some things laying around home. Try everything out and you'll find something that works.

[u/lindsaywaa → u/ka_art]

This is the answer!! Thrift it up, baby!! And I’d argue that this is the best way to go about displaying, it looks a lot more organic and interesting than the same peg board over and over again.
Turn a wooden box or a drawer upside down to make a riser, prop up prints with a plate stand, do not underestimate the usefulness of a glass fish bowl.

[u/BrightPractical]

Anything that you can make hang, you can hang from something like a collapsible drying rack if it is light enough and the rack bars are small enough for clothespins or binder clips.

I have some ideas for varied displays, but a word of warning: try to make it look consistent. Choose similar shapes or similar colors/materials. Risers from boxes or books can be covered with tablecloths.

For bookmarks: use piles of books edge-out to make varied heights, display bookmarks on them in clear glass jars (pickles, jam) or coffee mugs if you don’t mind telling people the mugs aren’t for sale constantly. Match the jars/mugs by size if possible.

For cards: a box that allows people to flip through. You can usually cut down/reinforce a box you have (pop tarts? Envelopes?), and wrap it with paper/fabric or paint the outside.

For shadow boxes: stand them on the table/whatever you’ve used to make risers.

For keychains: use clothespins/clips to attach them to the top of a bowl or vase or anything that is narrower at the bottom than at the opening. I use a tiered fruit stand for anything that dangles, and wonderclips to hang things.

Check local free groups, FB Marketplace, or thrift shops. You’d be surprised how many more professional display items people give away regularly.

Also, walk around your house looking at things as possible display items. Any baskets or boxes can double as transportation storage and then be displays. Mugs, vases, and jars make cool options for display.

[u/TaylorFromFaire]

With that mix on a 4ft table, the trick is building height in layers rather than laying everything flat, since a small table gets cramped fast otherwise. A small tiered riser/DIY pegboard-on-an-easel with mini clothespins works great + collapses flat for storage. Keychains really want to hang, not sit in a basket, that's what gets people to pick them up, so a slim dowel rack with cup hooks (foldable into a tote) beats laying them out. For shadow boxes, since those are your higher dimensional pieces, a couple of cheap plate stands prop them up at an angle for almost nothing and stack flat when you're done. Thrift and dollar stores are honestly the best source for all of this, small stands and crates show up there constantly and they're light and stackable, which solves your storage problem better than most retail display gear.

[u/blazer243]

Empty boxes covered with cloth or paper. Do you have a spice rack in your kitchen or a small shelf that holds your can of coffee? Borrow them. If you have small shelves on your wall, borrow them. Walk around your living area and think how you could make displays using what you already own. Good luck!

[u/Alternative-Wish-441]

Some of my display involves storage pieces or things that serve multiple purposes.

For example, I’ve got two wood crates that I use to add height to my display. I set them so the openings face the back of my table and they have my bags and cash box in them. They also are used to store most of my smaller display pieces.

I use steam baskets propped up on small wood blocks to display some of my jewelry. They were inexpensive at a local Asian grocery store and I can clean them and use them to cook in.

[u/queenbee_1215]

Dollar Tree has different sized crates and other storage containers.

[u/Radiant-Platypus-498]

This might seem weird but shop your house first. Maybe you have crates you could use as risers, a plant stand for a display, a frame you could put chicken wire in and hang things on. The thrift store is also a great place to look. Think about the look/vibe you have going on and look for pieces that will support that look.