I will continue to update this and expand this list as I discover other possibilities. I doubt this page will ever be complete, so check back or use the RSS feed to know when I've updated the lists! I hope this page will provide you with more possibilities on how to set up your booth and display your jewelry artistically and professionally in any circumstance.

First we tried the now dreaded string tags! While it seems they stay out of the way, these things will tangle, so unless you love the challenge or want to seel items in miscellaneous lots, I'd probably suggest using something else.

For now, the "sharkskin dumbells" are our tag of choice. Sharkskin means it's difficult to tear, and realistically has to be cut off, so they aren't easily removed or traded. On a traditional earring card, you can write the price on one circle, put that on the front of the card, then merely fold it over and hide the other side on the back. These will go around your necklace, bracelet, or pin easily. The back circle can also contain a marking, as long as it's short---initials, the year the design was created (or I'd recommend a code for that myself so it's never obvious to a customer that something was designed long ago). If you price things by color, it's also very easy to grab some hi-liters and mark the $5 items blue, $10 items yellow, $20 items red, and so one.

If you use cardstock, you can of course write directly on the card. If you then wish to change the price, you can simply put a sticker tag over that and write the new price down.

INFORMATION While I have not added these yet, I have always wanted to develop a small hangtag that would describe the pieces, the gemstones, its name, perhaps our logo and contact information, and maybe a "handcrafted" notation. One of the wonderful things about making artisan jewelry is being able to tell the client a little of the designs "story." Besides the components, you might mention the inspiration for the piece or an interesting story about how those beads are made. If you know the lampworker tell a bit about ordering the beads. If you found these on a distant trip, or they were imported that can be added. If you made the clasps yourself, or wire wrapped the pendant, mention that. If you used a kiln or a tumbler, that is interesting. Perhaps the owner needs to know something about how to care or clean this piece. All these add value to your design, by make the piece of jewelry "alive."

These capsules will grow over time as I gather feedback and suggestions from others and of course, expand all the things I try in my own booth. I do try to add small plastic "stoppers" on the back of french wires so they don't slip off the display, whether it's a traditional earring card or another option.For a beginning, here are some options.

If you have outdoor settings, and need to be sure things don't easily blow away, then you might want to consider ways to add stability to your displays. For traditional turntable type earring displays, you can attach the base of the turntable bottom to anything with substantial weight. If you need to vary the height of your displays, you might consider using a box. Inside it, you can weight it down with things you aren't currently using, but always have to have at your booth, such as your tools if you need to add an extender or convert pierced to clip earrings, or extra bags and gift boxes. You can also put weight on top of the earring display. Table trivets can sit on top of a display, or the display can be be wired or tied to a trivet sitting under it. You can also add a mirror, like you usually would see under a candle, inside the display for added stability. Even large rough pieces of quartz or geodes can look lovely inside the display as customers turn it around.

BUSINESS CARDS: Cardstock works very well for earring displays. Unless you are using post earrings, I usually find it's easier to make a pinhole for the french wire first (a needle works pretty good for this, or even the end of a paper clip). These are nice because you can continue your logo design onto the cardstock and you essentially send that information with your client with each pair of earrings they purchase. You can use a slightly longer piece of cardstock, and fold it over, allowing you to hang it from any wire. You can also use a hole punch and then hang it from a peg on pegboard or similar item.

EARRING CASE: Do you like that retro look, or do you want a display that is very very easy to pack and set up? Personally I think these are great for home shows when you want to set up and tear down quickly and neatly. Take a small suitcase (the hard side "old fashioned" kind), open it and set it on it's side so it stand up. Cut cross stitch material in a "ribbon-width" to measure across each side in however many rows you want, depending on how far apart you want them to be. Using glue or rivets, attach one side of each piece. Now, you want to be sure the material is stretched taught (if not, when you add earrings, it will sag) across the side of the suitcase and glue or rivet the opposite side. Add your earrings and you can close the suitcase, latch it and you are ready to travel. You can also decide to open it like you would to fill it with clothes and put your material across the top of the case length-wise. You can hang earrings across that, or use one row of material for your necklaces. Then you can fill the bottom with earrings they can look through at $10 each, 3 for $25 etc. (If you have those really nice older cases, it even has a thin cover you pull across and close so the earrings stay on the bottom; otherwise, you may want to add your own).

MESH WASTEBASKET Turn this upside down and you can hang pierced earrings thru the mesh. You can add a small sign giving the price range of the pieces on the display, or your Mastercard/Visa sign, etc. You can also sit this atop a lazy Susan and it will rotate quite easily.

PICTURE FRAMES Well there's actually lots of options, but let's start with these: stretch screen, mesh, cross-stitch material, plastic canvas across the frame instead of a photo. Again, you can hang earrings thru the mesh or material. These can easily be sat on small plate display stands, or can hang from one side of your booth. And you can hang one under the other if you like. Another option is to put the mesh or canvas across the frame only in rows. That way your earrings will dangle freely without the distraction of the mesh or canvas behind them, looking more natural. Rows of ribbon also work well for this option.

You can also make your own frame to whatever size and dimensions you like. If you do lots of shows, you might want to hinge these together for a fold and carry display (believe me, hanging earrings on revolving earring displays over and over can get a wee bit old). Build your middle piece so it is roughly twice the size of the 2 sides. Hinge these so the 2 smaller sides will fold over so all your earrings are inside, then latch and carry! The great thing is you can control the height, and it's quick and easy to set up on a table, partially unfolded and it will stand on its own. If you have one large enough, remember you can hang bracelets and small, lightweight necklaces inside too. Either hang them on cardstock and fold over small dowels or wire, or put cuphooks spaced evenly across one of the sides (or even UNDER the frame). Just be sure you have enough clearance to shut and latch your display--big chunky pieces won't work well for this.

RIBBON: Pretty ribbon can be strung lengthwise OR across to create a simple, very inexpensive display. These could hang down from a frame across your table and give height and color to your booth or table.

SHUTTERS/WOODEN BLINDS: These are nice because often, they already are hinged into 2 pieces so they will close easily to pack and carry, plus, when you partially open them, they will stand on your tables very easily, adding great height to your display and putting earrings at eye level!. You can use business cards or other display cards and fold them so they will slide between the slats.

SIMPLE HANDMADE DISPLAY: Take something to use as a base, that is wide enough to be steady. Something as simple as a block of wood, cut to size to fit in your display; if you have a large inventory of earrings or put all of them on 1 end, make 2 that are smaller, you don't want them to become top heavy. Drill holes part way into the wood you are using for a base. (or you might want to mix plaster of paris and use this for your base, if so, be prepared to work while it is still soft). Build your frame and then insert it into the partially drilled block or your plaster of paris. Your frame should have 2 sides, with 2 to 4 rows across to dangle your earrings from. You can do all this with pieces of wood, or use small pvc pipe for the outside. Drill holes thru one side of the pvc pipe at the same distance apart on both pieces of pvc, then insert dowel rods and put this entire frame in your base. If you will not set this against a fairly neutral backdrop, you might want to suspend lightweight material from the top row so your earrings are more visible.

SMALL DOWEL RODS: Again, you can put these across anything that you want to use as a frame OR you can actually hang these freely from wire. By putting a small notch on both ends of the rod (be sure it's on the same "side", you can run the wire through that area and it will stay, without the dowel sliding around. This lets you get a long display that you might like running across part of your display, saving valuable table top space. Try to be sure the dowel is large enough that the earring wires will stay in place, or you may have them falling. You could make small notches along the top if you like this display idea.

Another way of using dowel rods is to actually set 2 very close together, maybe 1/4 inch apart. Then you can slide your folded cardstock with your jewelry through the slot you created. Cover the edges of the dowels and keep them in place with a dowel cap. The advantage to this is that it is easy to hang from your booth, you can put several in rows and save precious table space.

CHRISTMAS Well this may grow into it's own hubpage, but we'll have to see. For now, I wanted to suggest you find some of those small "elf" ladders that you generally see leaning against someone's wall or tree at Christmas. Using each rung to hold 1 or 2 earring cards, you have a great display for your holiday pieces.