Make Your Own Jewelry Displays for Craft Shows
Make your craft show booth look fantastic!
Every craft fair booth needs attractive displays. They draw people in and make your products look their best. However they can be pricey and if you have to spend money on a show it's better to spend the money on a good canopy to keep you safe and dry. So here are 3 easy projects for making your own great looking displays for cheap along with a number of quick re-purposed displays.
Cork Display Board
An easy and attractive way to hang necklaces or packaged jewelry is with a display board. For this project you will need the following:
Materials
- Cork bulletin board (I recommend one with a nice looking frame around it but I've included instructions for a board with no frame).
- Fabric of your choice at least 1 inch wider and longer than your board. I used black flannel that matches my display trays, I would recommend a solid color or a print that isn't too busy or too brightly colored so it won't distract from your jewelry.
- Optional Ribbon or fabric trim
- Push pins. I used bright silver colored ones but you could use any color or pushpin hooks. All one color is probably best.
- Display easel or other support
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks.
- Scissors.
- Iron
Variation 1: Bulletin board with a wide frame.
Step 1: Measure the length and width of the cork area of your board inside the frame.
Step 2: Cut your fabric 1 inch longer and wider than the area to be covered.
Step 3: Fold the edges of your fabric over 1/2 inch (the wrong sides of the fabric should be touching inside the fold) and iron flat.
Step 4: Carefully hot glue the fabric along the inside of the frame. You may want to use pins to keep unglued areas in place.
Step 5: Optional Hot glue ribbon or other trim along the edge of the fabric or create a pattern/grid on the board with it.
Step 6: Add your pushpins.
Step 7: Display on an easel or other support at your next craft show
Variation 2: Bulletin board with no frame
This is also good for boards with narrow metal frames.
Step 1: Measure the total length and width of the board.
Step 2: Cut your fabric 3 inches longer and wider than the frame to give you plenty of overlap.
Step 3: Fold the edges of your fabric evenly over the edge of the board and pin in place.
Step 4: Carefully hot glue the edges of the fabric along the back of the frame.
Step 5: Optional Hot glue ribbon or other trim along the edge of the board to create a frame or create a pattern/grid on the board with it.
Step 6: Add your pushpins.
Step 7: Display on an easel or other support at your next craft show
Display board in use.
Simple Frame Tray
Materials:
Cheap yardsale picture frames
Spray paint
Cardboard (use the backing for the frame if it still has it)
Flannel or other thick fabric
Tools:
Scissors
Newspaper, drop cloth, etc.
White glue
Hot glue gun
Instructions:
Step 1: Remove glass and cardboard backing from the frames.
Step 2: Taking the frames and your newspaper or drop cloth outside, spray paint them the color of your choice. This may take 2-3 coats of paint. Allow to dry thoroughly.
Step 3: Cut the fabric to fit the frame backing. Run white glue along the edges of the backing and glue to the back side of the fabric. Allow to dry.
Step 4: Apply hot glue around the inside edge of the back of the frame and insert the fabric covered backing. Once cool you have an attractive display try for your jewelry.
Tip: Use a small block of wood under the top of the frame to tilt it rather than laying flat. If you have several frames you can do display them at different tilt angles.
Frame Trays in Use
Jewelry Displays from Amazon
Diftwood Display - Example of a found object that can used as a display.
Fishbowl Displays
I made this display for my hair sticks but it could be adapted to display other items.
Materials:
Small glass fishbowls or votive bowls
Floral styrofoam (the dense kind you used in gradeschool not the soft kind that absorbs water)
Pebbles
Seashells
Tools:
Hot glue gun
Pencil
Step 1: Give the bowls a good wash, even brand new ones probably sat on a store shelf for a while gathering dust.
Step 2: Hot glue the piece of styrofoam into the bottom of the bowl. Allow the glue time to cool.
Step 3: Carefully fill around the foam with pebbles. I used some lovely moss green ones I found in the floral department. If you are collecting pebbles yourself try around a stream or river to get nice smooth ones and give them a good wash before using them.
Step 4: Decorate around the top with sea shells.
Step 5: Using the item you're displaying or a sharp pencil poke evenly spaced holes in the foam. I put some on the outside edge of the foam at an angle for more visual interest.
Variations:
- Get some of those plastic card holders for flower arrangements and stick those in the foam to display small prints or cards
- For a garden/woodland theme use pebbles and top with moss instead of shells
- Use glass marbles in colors that compliment for work for a more sparkley fanciful look
Displays from Found Objects
Some of the best displays are made from found objects or stuff you can find at a local thrift store or yard sale. Here are a few Ideas.
Sea Shells Displaying Bracelets
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeMore Great Jewelry Display Projects
Here are links to projects I've found searching for new ideas for my jewelry displays.
- Fancy Necklace Display
Learn how to make a fancy necklace display for showcasing your jewelry creations at craft fairs, vendor fairs, or at home. - Lovely, Cheap DIY Jewelry Display | Rena Klingenberg - Jewelry Business Blog
Make Kotomi Yamamura's easy, elegant DIY jewelry display for bracelets or necklaces. - Build/Make/Craft/Bake: DIY simple acrylic jewelry display stand
As a newbie to the craft fair scene, I couldn't afford to buy fancy displays for my table. So I headed over to my local plastics store and poked through their scrap pieces until I found the parts to make my own. - Make a display stand for necklaces!
I recently attended my first craft fair, and I needed a display stand for all the necklaces I had made. I wanted something that was easy to make, cos... - Hanging Earring Display
I love earrings, but I often forget to put them in because they're stored away in various jewelry boxes. Out of sight, out of mind.This instructable... - Jewelry/nic nac Holder for Home or Craft Fair
I made this holder for jewelry and cards to display at my table at a craft show coming up in two weeks. It would work as a display for just about anyt... - Bangle organizer
My daughter wanted a bangle organizer for all her bangles.... surfing the net i got plenty of ideas...but i thought� of this simple design as i have a...
Canopies
If you're participating in an outdoor festival you absolutely must have shelter of some kind. The weather is rarely reliable and you do not want to be scrambling to cover your stuff if it rains. Even if it doesn't rain you'll appreciate the shade on a hot day.
Canopies range in price from cheap $50 models up to $200-300. If you are only planning to do 2-3 outdoor shows in a summer then an inexpensive one is perfectly fine but if you're planning to do a show nearly every weekend you should really invest in a good quality canopy that is more reliable and can be taken down and put up quickly.
Reader Feedback
If one produces things out of precious metals such as silver and gold, however, it's best to keep such products under lock and key, in an attractive glass cabinet.
Great lot of ideas thanks
wow i thought it was candy or chotclaoe, but no, what an amazing idea to display your jewelry!! the colors look phenomenal and i love the vintage touch. i am in love with all the pink/purple/lila ones! oh no i am in love with all of them. fabulous idea, and i think i am going to use your idea to display my jewelry.
love these ideas, will need to share these with my friends.
Fabulous ideas and great tutorial, Sheryl! Thank you for sharing! :)
Positively brilliant! I am a regular seller at a local auction house and the cork board display would be great there. By the way, your jewelry is just as cute as can be! Love it!
AWESOME!!
Thanks for the ideas! I really like the corkboard display.
Great ideas for jewelry displays,
Thanks for the great ideas! I have to try some of these for this summer. :-)
There are so many possibilities for the fish bowl. Thanks for the ideas!
This is awesome! I really love the fishbowl. It's also useful for jewelry organization at home.
Nice lens! I have made some of my own jewelry displays and I like looking at other ideas.
@AcornOakForest: Do you still have any of those displays you would like to sell?
A nice display truly does make fine pieces look even better.
My husband and I made all my displays when I got started selling jewelry at craft shows. I'm out of the business now but still like to think about these things. I especially like the picture frame display you described at the beginning. Very nice lens!
While I use some store-bought jewelry displays, like the stackable trays, I've made some of my own too. A friend inspired me to find an old window shutter at a salvage store, which I use to hang earrings off of. I also utilize an old suitcase in my display - usually it displays greeting cards, but I have some jewelry artist friends who use old suitcases as well. They double as an easy way to haul stuff to your event!
I'll pass this idea onto my local charity, who do craft stalls. Thank you.
This is a great lens. Thank you.
So informative. We're actually looking into art fairs and love some of your ideas. Blessings.
Really like the fish bowl idea. Great lens!
Like the presentations you suggest. Great lens.
Great ideas, very informative!
Great lens!
This lens is awesome. I love it. I am going to tell my editors on my Thai News website to write something about this lens and probably feature it.
I will comment here again once we do.
Great Work
Wonderful, 5-star lens! Mom got the jewelry genes, so I'll be sure to share this with her. Great tips and displays!
Great ideas for display! ~ Presentations are very importations are so important. I have much to learn and thank you for this information.
I have been a fan of yours for years from eBay!
Susie
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