How to Display Your Handmade Jewelry at a Craft Show

I'm convinced that display and setting play a big role in the selling of handmade jewelry. I'm going to give you a few tips as well as recommend an additional resource for you to find some other fantastic display ideas.

When I initially started selling at craft shows, I didn't spend alot of time on display. I presumed that if people liked my jewelry they would buy it. Oh, how wrong I was! When my jewelry wasn't selling as well as I thought it should, I spent some time on my display. To my delight, sales exploded! Don't ever underestimate the power of a good display.

Here are some guidelines and tips that helped me sell my own handmade jewelry:

1. Never lay your handmade jewelry flat on a table. This is a big no-no! If you don't want to go to the expense to build levels or purchase premade platforms, you can use different size boxes covered with an elegant fabric to elevate your jewelry. I like to have several different levels to provide more interest and give more space.

2. Make good use of color. I tend to favor subtle colors particularly if you sell more elegant jewelry. I've tried various color combinations and, believe it or not, black and white works the best for me. If you sell jewelry in natural tones, you might consider a combination of earthtones and cream. I've also seen nice displays centered around hunter greens and burgundies. The point is to highlight your jewelry, not detract from it. Don't go overboard with loud, vibrant colors.

3. Make sure each item is clearly marked with a price tag. There are some customers who won't bother to ask you for a price even if they're interested in the jewelry. Make it easy for them to purchase by having all prices clearly marked.

4. Don't crowd your pieces too close together. Handmade jewelry looks more precious and special when it's spaced a respectable distance from other pieces. You don't want to look like an overcrowded department store.

5. Consider using appropriate settings. For example if you sell natural jewelry you might spread some beautiful leaves, pinecones or natural material around your pieces. I have displayed pastel colored glass beads and sea glass jewelry interspersed between seashells using glass mirrors as a base. By the way, small glass squares make nice display pieces for sterling silver jewelry. You can lay the jewelry right on top of the mirror to get a very elegant look.

6. Always have at least one mirror for your customer to use to see how your handmade jewelry looks against their skin. I usually have two or three mirrors. Not having an available mirror can result in lost sales.

7. Be sure to take a photograph of your booth. This will help you to get a more objective picture of how your booth appears and how it evolves over time. It's also nice to add to your jewelry portfolio or can be added as an image to your website.

8. A few strategically placed signs can do wonders for your sales. I found that adding a sign with illustrations on how I made my jewelry increased sales by 10%. You can also talk about the materials used and any special messages or meaning your jewelry is meant to convey. Customers love this type of information!


For more ideas on how to make more money at craft shows, try the resource below. It comes with a great bonus book on how to sell your crafts in catalogs. This is pretty hard to find information. Here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/yfe7gf


Let me know if there are any topoics in particular you'd like to read about! I really appreciate all of you. :-)

Kristie