Shop Displays & Shop Display Ideas…

        When I was developing the layout for my jewelry booth last spring, I decided that I wanted to make my own retail displays. I had been looking around on the internet for shop fittings, retail store displays and had found that everything was either too expensive, or just looked like everyone else’s displays. I was looking for a form that I could display a necklace on, and also something that could stack together and fit nicely in a small space. (The reason I needed everything so compact is because I was traveling in a small saturn that has insufficient trunk space.) Materials: Fun Foam (large sheet) Rubber Cement Scissors Small sheet of posterboard, or an old cereal box Pen Cost: Approximately $.75 per display I came up with a design that was cheap, easy to make and compact. I used this material call Fun Foam that s sold at many large craft store, which runs about $1-$2 per sheet. * First, I measured an oval shape out, I made a template out of a cereal box that I opened up to lay flat. I actually traced a oval shaped ceramic baking dish, but any large oval shape will work. * Then I made a 3″ slit in the cardboard on one of the ends (The slit should be cut from the edge, towards the middle of the oval.) Also make a mark on the edge of the template about 3″ away from the slit. * I traced this shape onto the Fun Foam (two ovals will fit on one large piece of fun foam). Then I put my pen in the 3″ slit and traced that onto the foam. Also I made a pen mark where the second mark was made. * I cut out the oval shapes with my scissors, and then I made a cut where the 3″ line was drawn. Then I drew on the foam a pie slice shape from where the 3″ line was to the second mark on the edge of the piece. * I put rubber cement onto this triangle shape on the foam and then folded over the other side to stick to it. I used paper clips and clothes pins to hold it until the glue was dry. * The Metal Piece is made from 19 inches of 16 ga copper wire. Mark the wire at 3″, 8″, 11″, 16″, 19″ with a sharpie. * Holding the wire vertically, bend a 90 degree angle away at the 8″ mark and the 11″ mark. (This will be the top of the display where the earrings hang.) * Then, holding the wire like a U-shape, bend the left wire back, away from you (a little more than 90 degrees) then the same to the right hand wire. * Poke two holes 3 inches apart in the foam part, and thread the wire piece through, adjust by hand bending until it fits correctly. Pros: durable, lightweight, easy to make, cheap supplies, easy to clean, compact Cons: light weight (can be a problem if jewelry is light weight and it is windy), can show dust, can get crushed if packed carelessly. Can become sort of squished if jewelry is really heavy. Posted by Posted by http://bethmillner.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/how-do-i-make-a-jewelry-display/