Display ideas

As we were getting ready for our art sale, Kerry and I spent some time working on displaying our jewelry. It is always a challenge for us, as we have a functional studio, where we not only make jewelry, store jewelry, but also display it in a fashion that is appealing to visitors. Our old stand-by is a converted drawing table. When we renovated the studio three years ago, we had my mom's old drawing table. We covered it with batting and then a solid material. We then used upholstery tacks and satin ribbon to make loops. We hang our necklaces and bracelets from the loops. Last year we removed the base of the table and mounted the table top on the wall, it now is a handy display place, as well as an attractive piece of wall decor. Looking for some new display techniques, we came up with some creative ideas that gave our pieces a fresh look. Our next idea was to use mini clothespins and clips to hang carded earrings from yarn strung on our bakers rack.

We used the clip idea several times around the studio. Here is another shot where we used the clips to hang earrings from a wire frame.

Some of our ideas would even work with your jewelry at home. Here we used an old photo display stand to hold earring cards, but you could hang bracelets and necklaces from the rings, or hang french hook earrings over the wires.

This earring display is a favorite of mine because our friend Lisa gave us this...

She found a wooden frame, distressed it and then inserted a piece of metal radiator sheeting. the cut-outs in the metal are perfect for hanging earrings. You could also hang small s-hooks from the holes and use those to hang your necklaces and earrings.

Our last jewelry display was a gift from Kerry's dad. He made several wooden display stand for us, using a wooden base with dowels, and beautifuly stained, this stand is perfect for displaying our pendants.

It is always a challenge for us. We want to display items in an attractive way, but also have to maintain the functionality of our studio. What unique jewelry display ideas do you have?

Studio Tour....continued

We have visitors and friends come to the studio on a pretty regular basis, so we need to display our jewelry and other art items in a pleasing way. We have tried lots of different ways to provide an appealing presentation. So far, our latest is my favorite. On the wall we mounted a jewelry display board. This is actually a re-purposed item.This is the top of an old drafting table. We disassembled the table, wrapped the top in batting and then a burgundy fabric. With a coordinating ribbon, and upholstery tacks, we make loops from which we could hang our necklaces and earrings. It has been a useful fixture in the studio. Just this summer, we mounted the display on the wall, rather than using the table stand. Below we have an old cedar chest and some bookshelves to hold our candles, a lamp from our friend Linda, and our clearance items. Above, we hung our F and H collages.
Another of our display pieces is the bakers rack. We found the bakers rack at a local flea market. We spray painted the metal portions black and changed the knobs. We use the bottom portion to hold our art and craft library. The drawers hold pouches and small fabric items we've made. The upper portions hold various jewelry displays, including my favorite wood ones that Kerry's dad made for us.
Our other challenge is to be able to sort and contain all our our art materials, supplies and tools. That will be the topic of another blog....stay tuned.