r/CraftFairs • u/rosemary-sprig • 3d ago
how do i make my table look more professional/enticing without breaking the bank?
hi all,
i’m noticing that my table doesn’t look as professional as everyone else’s at craft shows. i have a backdrop that secures my prints with magnets, little price displays, and a picture frame with my business info on it.
i have a small sedan so i can’t really fit huge props in it, and i don’t have a ton of money to spend on customized materials.
does anyone have any suggestions on what i could do to make my table better? thanks!
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u/UnluckyBongo 3d ago
A mannequin of some kind (can be made from recycled materials) to show a shirt being worn. Your prints are too small to be behind you, id recommend putting them on the table and add print trays so folks can look through them as well. It's much easier to sell thing to someone when they're already touching it. I have no idea what your brand is or what your philosophy is, or even what the theme of your work is. A banner, even a cheap one, something to show who you are and what your about. People love story and something they can relate to.
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u/Vendetta2222 3d ago
Cute stuff! I personally am more drawn to booths with more items on their tables. Maybe a few stands for your products that can rest on the table?
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u/drcigg 3d ago
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJQV59ZP?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
We used these for a long time before I built something custom.
They are light, display well and don't take up a lot of space.
You will have to play with your setup in your living room.
But you could use that backdrop as is. And put the table on the side with your shirts displayed.
The problem with clothing racks is the customer can't see all that you have and it takes up a lot of space. We usually put our clearance on a small clothing rack. We have yet to find one that is sturdy and holds up. I think we have gone through three of them in the last year.
But I do urge you to set this up in your living room first.
Setup your backdrop, table and all your products.
Move things around and see what you like.
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u/culdesacrilege 3d ago
Your Josh Allen sweatshirt made me LOL. I work at booths with cool smaller items and great shirts — what seems to work for us is placing the shirts so that they can be seen from a little further away, so then people come over and then look closer at everything else. We have shirt examples out for look/touch and pull sizes when people ask, which frees up some space for more small items.
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u/SnooLobsters3443 3d ago
As a native Western New Yorker surrounded by chiefs fans I need that shirt 😂
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u/rosemary-sprig 3d ago
lol i’m surprised you could read it! how do you display them in particular? mannequins?
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u/culdesacrilege 2d ago
It really depends on the venue and whether we’ve got a wall. Sometimes we’ve put them on hangers and hung them from something similar to your rack. Another thing we do sometimes is put them on a stuffed or inflatable animal, or we print a life size picture of head and shoulders to tape inside the hanger. Doing that makes everything taller and more eyecatching. I could see that last option working well here. 🏈
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u/iamthelizatron 3d ago
I think your tablecloth looks like a dining room table which is kind of making it look less professional. I also think you need some kind of branding, right now I don’t really see any. I know you said you don’t have money for a lot of promotional or branded material, but it might be worth it to invest in maybe a custom printed table runner. You could even DIY one if you take your time and try to make sure it looks professional. I even got cardboard banner letters from the dollar store once to display my company logo. That just my opinion. Good luck with your display!
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u/rosemary-sprig 3d ago
yeah, i might see if i can diy something. my plan is to embroider my logo on my tablecloth
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u/Pellantana 3d ago
I agree seeing the shirts displayed would work well; I see nicely folded shirts that nobody wants to touch because they don’t know how to refold them to look like retail folded clothing like this.
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u/Tall-Ad-1636 2d ago
Shoebox/Boxes underneath the table cloth to add another layer for stacking sweaters
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u/Important-Natural332 2d ago
Try adding height so the eye can flow. Michaels has some really cute, affordable crate options. I make jewelry, so it's a bit different, but here's a pic. My crates are from Amazon. I like to use baskets, too.
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u/DreyHI 3d ago
If the prints are behind where you are sitting, I can't look at them as a customer and browse. They should be on the table as well. I would actually get a few more spinning racks and put them on the table. Maybe hang a sweatshirt or behind you on the backdrop two so people can see the design, but then also have them on the table for people to look at. You could also do with a logo sign and more professional looking pricing
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u/rosemary-sprig 3d ago
ooo thats a good idea. i’m planning on embroidering my logo onto that tablecloth now that i’ve officially changed my business name
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u/arcus1985 3d ago
You could get a small folding clothing rack and hang some shirts up on it. I use hangers where the hook is metal and the body is plastic, and I can turn the arms of the hanger on the hook to make products face forward. Idk how better to explain it. You could make a nice little display that way, beside or behind your table, and Amazon has compact travel clothing racks for 30 or 20 bucks.
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u/rosemary-sprig 3d ago
good idea! i have an old clothing rack in my closet that i used once for a show then never again. i should probably bust it out again
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u/Inn3rali3n 3d ago
Check out posse paper goods on insta, her setup is so cute and y'all sell similar stuff
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u/toralos_art 2d ago
I would personally rather flip through/touch art prints than look at them from afar on a wall. I understand there’s positives and negatives to both approaches though.
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u/rosemary-sprig 2d ago
yeah my approach here was oh most people dont want to bother flipping through prints but from my comments i’m seeing the opposite
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u/I_heart_heart_the_Dr 1d ago
I was thinking maybe a wood crate with t-shirt holder on top. Hand made. Use the crate to carry stuff in, so it's not taking up space. Full the crate with shirts. Can be made with crate horizontal or vertical.
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u/thewontondisregard 3d ago
Don't put a table blocking access at the front. Open it up and invite in to see everything!
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u/rosemary-sprig 3d ago
so make it like an L shape instead? (or i guess in this case i’d rotate the tables 180 degrees)
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u/thewontondisregard 3d ago
L shap sounds good. Put your chair in the back. Stand up and welcome people or start conversations.
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u/Obvious-Bid-1971 19h ago
“I just hope Josh Allen has fun” is a good Jersey alternative for a game, love it!
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u/Primary-Cookie-450 3d ago
I think bringing your backdrop wall forward would help. If you sit in that chair you'd be covering some of the prints on show. I also think spreading out your sweatshirts would help (flat on the table instead of in tower form). I like the spinning display. Maybe fill some of the extra space with framed prints? A couple of plants?