As this is the season of Craft Fairs and Craft Shows I thought this blog should be about displaying your turned items.

The very first thing to consider is something to cover the table top. This does not have to be an actual dining table cover but can be as simple as a paper table cover available at party supply stores. A basic color like white will make your turned articles stand out. Avoid a print with multiple colors as it becomes too busy and would interfere with easy viewing of the items on display. By having a solid color it will not distract the viewer from seeing your turned object. A table skirt is an accessory that allows the table to look more finished and also provides you with a place to put / hide your boxes that you used to bring the your objects to the fair / show.

A nice addition to your display is name cards for your articles. This is so the potential customer can ask about a particular item. I use a simple computer program that is sized for business cards like the Avery 5877 or 8371. By printing the tags with information to fill only the bottom half of a business card then you can fold the card in half lengthwise when you put the cards on the table. The card standing up in a basic tent shape is easier for the viewing by your potential customer. If you have all of the cards used to identify your turned objects sized the same then your display will look more professional. For my typical identifying card I use a soft yellow card made using card stock printed with black ink. This will contrast with the white table cover yet was easily readable. Try to avoid using white cards on a white table cover.

The font used on the cards should be easy to read so I use something similar to ‘Times New Roman’ or ‘Arial’. I avoid using any script style font as it is harder to read at a distance. The items that I make typically contain multiple types of wood so I use a font size slightly smaller than that used for the item description to identify the types of woods contained in the turning. As I also use different types of sea urchin shells for ornaments I use the common name for the various shells like Alphonso, English Channel, Fragile Pink, and Sputnik so the customer will know what they are looking at.

Displaying ornaments is something that requires a little thought. If the ornament is viewable from any side then there is no problem. A miniature bird house might have the opening sideways from the customer if the hanger is positioned incorrectly. If you designed your ornament to hang on a Christmas tree branch you will need to display your ornament at the show in a similar angle to the customer. I solved this issue by making a display stand and having golf tees for the ‘branch’ that the ornament will hang on. This will put the ornament at the same angle as a typical customer might hang it on a tree after they purchase it from you. If you are selling ornaments, be sure to have single and multiple ornament stands available for purchase by your customers. Some people want to display their turned ornament year round so they will want a stand to do this. Remember this is another item to sell!

If you are trying to display pens then remember that the customer is giving your display a fast once over and might miss the pens if they are laying flat on the table. A slight tilt towards the customer will allow them to see your pens better. I have found that the slight angle also reflects light back towards the customer making the metal bands and clips appear brighter.   A simple stand similar to the type used to hold a small picture frame will lift the pen up off of the table and make the pen look more elegant. A tray of pens can have something as simple as a piece of wood under the back edge raising the back and tipping the display slightly towards the customer.

Remember to make a sign for the front of your table. I took my standard business card and enlarged it to fit a standard 8-1/2 X 11 sheet of card stock. This is attached to the front of my table skirt. A receipt book is something to have on-hand. I preprint my information on Avery labels and stick this label on the pages in the receipt book before I go to the show / fair. As a final note make sure you have business cards available for the potential customers to take with them.