i love being me.  i have a great business acumen, i think i’m a pretty stylish and fun gal, and i’m thrilled that being a mom seems to come pretty naturally.  but oh how i wish i was a craftier person!  i get giddy when i see what other folks create and yet – i seemed to have missed the boat when those skills were passed out.  thank goodness for gals like Mallory aka MissMalaprop.  not only does she report on wonderful indie designers – but she has amazing creative skills to create DIY yumminess.  and did i mention she’s friend of the earth!  that makes me happy.  so without further ado – here’s MissMalaprop reporting on ideas for sustainable & eco-friendly displays.

 

I also love the idea of using vintage suitcasesfor displaying jewelry, small accessories, or even cards and stationery. Most vintage suitcases have some sort of fabric lining that’s great for hanging earrings on or attaching hooks and pins for hanging other jewelry pieces. If you’re going to be doing traveling shows or local events to help promote your business, suitcases do double duty as both display at the event and storage to and from. Both Etsy and eBay, as well as your local thrift stores and flea markets, can be great sources for affordable vintage suitcases. (note from Kate:  how cute are these for a kids store or area?)

Clothing racks are another fixture where the recycled possibilities are endless. I’ve seen great displays done with fallen tree branches strung up from the ceiling with sturdy chain. At home, my landlord used recycled metal piping for our closets, and it’s a subtle touch that I love. Most areas have hardware salvage stores where you can find unique fixtures taken from demolished older homes.

These salvage stores can also be a great location to find vintage chandeliers and lighting fixtures. The store I used to work for, Trashy Diva, used vintage chandeliers to bring a great retro ambiance to the shop, which specialized in clothing based on styles from the 1930s-1950s. I also found another ingenious tutorial on Instructables for building an  eye-catching lighting fixture using tumbleweeds or fallen branches and LED Christmas lights. Brilliant!

There really is no limit to what you can do with a little imagination. Vintage and recycled materials bring charm and can often be found for cheaper than new fixtures and displays. Keep an open mind while you browse your local thrift stores and flea markets, and you never know what you might find to transform your store!

thank you MissMalaprop for your great ideas!  i’d love to hear your ideas for recycled or DIY displays.