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Arts and crafts show booth setup

Larry Parker

Larry Parker

Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
92
Likes
36
Location
Grottoes, VA
This past year I started doing crafts shows and found some were not the venue I needed to be showing. This year I’m going to concentrate on more true art shows as one I did in December was very good for me.

Would those of you who show at arts and craft shows be willing to post some photos of your booth setup. I would like to have a booth that is classy giving woodturning more recognition and at the same time letting me continue on this new venture.

Thanks in advance! :)
 
Not to influence your decisions at all, but any show in December will likely do better than nearly any other month of the year if you have some items priced at gift pricing.
 
Here's my setup from a recent indoor show. The mesh panels are standard retail displays I got from amazon. I made some shelves with simple cleats held on the racks with wing bolts. Table cloths and the backing for the panels are just twin-size sheets held on the panel backs with small binder clips. The pedestal stands are 3 or 4" ABS pipe topped with simple rounds turned from MDF (there's a groove on the underside of the top that fits over the pipe).

I started simple (just a table with black or blue dollar-store plastic tablecloths) and have added/updated things as I go. I'll probably upgrade a few other things this spring, as I'm planning to do a few outdoor shows this summer.

IMG_5428.jpeg IMG_5429.jpeg
 
Richard Coers said:
Not to influence your decisions at all, but any show in December will likely do better than nearly any other month of the year if you have some items priced at gift pricing.
Click to expand...

Thanks Richard,

I realize Christmas is different market than other times of year. I did one show in December that was more of “picker” type venue and didn’t do much. The weekend before I did one at a vineyard and did very well. I think depending on the type of show it is people come in with a different mindset, the “picker” mindset is totally different than the “art” mindset.

I appreciate your response and if you have any further pointers or photos on this I’d appreciate that also.
 
Dave Landers said:
Here's my setup from a recent indoor show. The mesh panels are standard retail displays I got from amazon. I made some shelves with simple cleats held on the racks with wing bolts. Table cloths and the backing for the panels are just twin-size sheets held on the panel backs with small binder clips. The pedestal stands are 3 or 4" ABS pipe topped with simple rounds turned from MDF (there's a groove on the underside of the top that fits over the pipe).

I started simple (just a table with black or blue dollar-store plastic tablecloths) and have added/updated things as I go. I'll probably upgrade a few other things this spring, as I'm planning to do a few outdoor shows this summer.

View attachment 31469 View attachment 31470
Click to expand...

Thank you! You have a nice variety of pieces which is what I try to do. Beautiful work! Also, thanks for the info on the mesh panels, they make a nice display.
 
Dave Landers said:
Here's my setup from a recent indoor show. The mesh panels are standard retail displays I got from amazon. I made some shelves with simple cleats held on the racks with wing bolts. Table cloths and the backing for the panels are just twin-size sheets held on the panel backs with small binder clips. The pedestal stands are 3 or 4" ABS pipe topped with simple rounds turned from MDF (there's a groove on the underside of the top that fits over the pipe).

I started simple (just a table with black or blue dollar-store plastic tablecloths) and have added/updated things as I go. I'll probably upgrade a few other things this spring, as I'm planning to do a few outdoor shows this summer.

View attachment 31469 View attachment 31470
Click to expand...

Dave,How do your grid wall panels stand up? or are they attached to the back of the table somehow?
 
Not trying to hijack Larry's post but as other show their displays I think it would be helpful for Larry and others (and yes, including me) to know more about your displays. I'd would love to know that if you use display stands, shelving, racks of some kind where you get them. I plan to try a couple art/craft shows this summer and am looking for ideas other than just setting stuff on the table. Would love to have things at different display heights. and things that can pack flat or don't need a full size van to haul to the show. Or, if you found plans online to make them.

Thanks
 
@Ricc Havens I got the grid wall from amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NKRPEG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Comes with legs, I also got some joining clips to hold the panels together. I attach the legs with bolts and wing nuts.

The shelves are simple plywood with a vertical rear support. I cut a kerf in the back of the vertical part that engages with the grid. A couple of basic toggles and some carriage bolts and wing nuts hold up the shelves. Shelves also have saw kerfs across the top to keep platters from slipping off.
 
Dave Landers said:
@Ricc Havens I got the grid wall from amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NKRPEG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Comes with legs, I also got some joining clips to hold the panels together. I attach the legs with bolts and wing nuts.

The shelves are simple plywood with a vertical rear support. I cut a kerf in the back of the vertical part that engages with the grid. A couple of basic toggles and some carriage bolts and wing nuts hold up the shelves. Shelves also have saw kerfs across the top to keep platters from slipping off.
Click to expand...


Thanks Larry. I'll check them out
 
The best shows I ever did were the Christmas shows, and shows that were a vacation destination type event. The only time people spend as much money on presents as they do at Christmas time is when they are on vacation. I sold mostly utilitarian bowls, and I probably sell slightly more $ worth of personal sized bowls as I do family sized bowls, so way more pieces in the personal size... You just never know what will sell from one show to the next, and from one year to the next as well....

robo hippy
 
My wife is a potter (sorry, not wooden bowls...). We built a system of crates and shelves for both transporting and displaying her wares. The shelves are a torsion box construction with 1/4" plywood skins and 3/4 solid wood frame, to be stiff enough to support the heavy pottery, but very light and easy to transport. Each shelf has a 45° end, so they can make the corner. The wares are packed into cloth bags fitted to the crates, so when setting up, you pull the bag with the wares out of the crate, and use the crate to set up the shelves, and then unpack the wares from the bag onto the shelves for display. We have spacers equivalent in thickness to the shelves so that spread the crates out to maximize display space (depending on booth size). The arrangement is very adaptable... The crates interlock with one another when stacked (like milk crates), so you can transport three or four of them at once, full of pottery, with hand-truck...
PotteryDisplay.jpg

PotteryDisplay2.jpg

She's cut back to doing only two shows each year in our own town (one in October and one in December), but we did quite a few fall indoor shows throughout our state in years past. She also periodically does an open-studio event (art tours...). We learned that the demographics of the area that the show is in matters (richer towns vs. poorer towns), the history of the show matters (the nod going to shows that have been running for decades), the extent of jury review to get in to the show matters (avoid like the plague any shows that allow resellers -- people selling imported junk that they didn't make themselves).
 
7B7826D1-5720-4FD2-B4E3-B0231A3178C3.jpeg We have just started doing this and the displays are a work In progress. The A frame is cedar fence topper from a neighbor who replaced his fence. We used the barn wood side and it is very light weight.

Also working on a bookcase that will fold making storage and transport easier. This I plan to paint White.C0435A46-439D-4685-AD8B-6D9AD0B37BA1.jpeg
 
Dave Landers said:
@Ricc Havens I got the grid wall from amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NKRPEG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Comes with legs, I also got some joining clips to hold the panels together. I attach the legs with bolts and wing nuts.

The shelves are simple plywood with a vertical rear support. I cut a kerf in the back of the vertical part that engages with the grid. A couple of basic toggles and some carriage bolts and wing nuts hold up the shelves. Shelves also have saw kerfs across the top to keep platters from slipping off.
Click to expand...

So the grids are setting behind the tables on the floor? I like the look of those!
 
These are images from my booth, a high-end fine craft fair. The walls and lighting are from ProPanel. Stupidly expensive, but incredibly light-weight,and can be assembled by one person. The cabinets were built by my husband. The wall unit is composed of four drop in-in cabinets, made of 1/8" plywood, that drop down on a 2x4 base. The top is MDF that secures all four cabinets. Each stand-alone pedestal is also MDF. The pedestal in front of the stand- alone panel is lighted from above and from below, with a frosted glass cover. Above that pedestal at the top of the ladder display is a 32" flat screen that has a 12 minute loop video showing how I create the pieces in the booth.

Some makers believe that the "work should speak for itself", but if the display in which you are showing your work, is not as good as the work you are presenting to sell, then it detracts from the quality and value you are conveying. If you make quality work, it deserves a quality display.
 

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Donna Banfield said:
These are images from my booth, a high-end fine craft fair. The walls and lighting are from ProPanel. Stupidly expensive, but incredibly light-weight,and can be assembled by one person. The cabinets were built by my husband. The wall unit is composed of four drop in-in cabinets, made of 1/8" plywood, that drop down on a 2x4 base. The top is MDF that secures all four cabinets. Each stand-alone pedestal is also MDF. The pedestal in front of the stand- alone panel is lighted from above and from below, with a frosted glass cover. Above that pedestal at the top of the ladder display is a 32" flat screen that has a 12 minute loop video showing how I create the pieces in the booth.

Some makers believe that the "work should speak for itself", but if the display in which you are showing your work, is not as good as the work you are presenting to sell, then it detracts from the quality and value you are conveying. If you make quality work, it deserves a quality display.
Click to expand...


Great looking display!
 
Gerald Lawrence said:
View attachment 31492 We have just started doing this and the displays are a work In progress. The A frame is cedar fence topper from a neighbor who replaced his fence. We used the barn wood side and it is very light weight.

Also working on a bookcase that will fold making storage and transport easier. This I plan to paint White.View attachment 31493
Click to expand...


Gerald, great looking display! Do you or does anyone else have plans for the "ladder" shelves? Due to my disability income I can't afford to splurge like Donna shows in her set up (maybe someday but just not at this time.) So I need to go the more affordable route.
 
Ricc Havens said:
Gerald, great looking display! Do you or does anyone else have plans for the "ladder" shelves? Due to my disability income I can't afford to splurge like Donna shows in her set up (maybe someday but just not at this time.) So I need to go the more affordable route.
Click to expand...

The guy on Wortheffort YouTube channel has a good video on show setup:

View: https://youtu.be/lwhYa1MSCRo
 
Ricc Havens said:
Gerald, great looking display! Do you or does anyone else have plans for the "ladder" shelves? Due to my disability income I can't afford to splurge like Donna shows in her set up (maybe someday but just not at this time.) So I need to go the more affordable route.
Click to expand...

This video is a little overkill as he used dowels to join the frame . You can use screws to assemble the frames but this gives you the idea.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8kd6PTI5xg


I can take specific measurements if you need them but the shelves are 11 inches deep and I think close to 6 feet long. Note that I changed the shelf braces to be inside the legs to cut the space taken by the folded frames in half. There is a chain at the bottom of the frames to stop over travel , maybe overkill but safety is a thought here. The assembled height is about 5 feet pr a little above and remember most of the ladies (the ones who spend the most) are shorter than most guys. Originally I was going to make the shelf support spacing adjustable but it is not a critical factor.
 
Ricc Havens said:
[QUOTE=" Note that I changed the shelf braces to be inside the legs to cut the space taken by the folded frames in half. .
Click to expand...

Gerald, it looks like that's what the guy did wiht his oak shelf peg supports. Are you doing something different that I can't picture in my mind as he did the shelf pegs on teh inside so his fold flat?[/QUOTE]

Not really different Just that instead of 3/4 material ours is 1 1/2 screws thru the side work well and just like the video folds flat. If starting from scratch I can see space savings in using 3/4 .
 
101_1292.JPG This is my take on an indoor setup, the 2 shelf units break down to a stack of pieces. The upright sides are assembled first with upper and lower horizontal stringers, then the self supports are inserted at the desired spacing and up to 4 shelves can be installed.
 
I used to do juried outdoor shows in Florida several years ago. I only did shows where awards were given by a committee of judges...won many awards, which easily covered booth costs. The most important thing that I learned was having a booth display that resembled a nice art gallery. Donna's is like that. I couldn't afford the Propanels setup, so I made my own using materials from the big box home improvement stores. I made pedestals from concrete form tubes (non-waxed, allows paint to stay put), selecting tubes that would nest within each other...saves space. I cut scrap plywood discs that just fit inside the tubes (numbering tube to disc for easy setup), and attached large tiles from Habitat stores top and bottom...white tiles/black tubes...eye catching. Sorry, pics are long gone, but willing to help with design/fab ideas...send me a PM.
 
Some of the concrete form tube companies are making an undersized and oversized tube so they can ship more product out on a truck. In other words they have (3) sizes of tubes that will fit inside of each other. This feature works well for a display as you can stack them inside of each other to save space when transporting.
 
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