display – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

I’m still sorting through Hawaii photos and collecting my thoughts so I can share all the things we did with tips for those who are planning trips which I’ll share in several posts next week. Until then, I thought I’d give you an update on some of the projects we completed in the Foster Room before our trip. One I really like are these simple art display boards.

I needed something to fill the large empty wall, but also wanted it to be changeable with the seasons and each child’s interests without costing a lot so when I saw this idea on one of my favorite blogs I knew it was the perfect answer. It was such a simple project that I did it all while watching TV and didn’t take any photos of the steps, but here’s the quick run down:

Stain or paint pre-cut boards with favorite color.
Screw in eye bolts at each end of the board.
Loop gauged wire through the eye bolt and twist back on itself a few times.
Pull wire taunt across the board to the other eye bolt and cut to appropriate length.
Loop other end of wire through second eye bolt and twist it back on itself a few times.
Adjust wire and eye bolts as needed to make wire tight. (I used pliers to tilt the eye bolts outward a bit for some extra tension.)
Add small metal clips to the wire for hanging art.

It’s the perfect simple solution and it can double as a spot to display little artworks to be oohh’ed and ahhhh’ed over. For now I put up some simple dog and cat art I found online as placeholders. I think the total cost came in under $30 and I have a third left over board stained and ready to be used for another project.

Tomorrow I’ll show you what we set up below these boards for more display and storage space so check back for that!

I’m happiest when I’m creating something. Although I have two creative jobs – a full-time gig as an event planner and a side photography business – I still see crafting as my ‘hobby’. I call this hobby Thrift D’ Creations and share it with a Facebook page and an Etsy shop, where I sell my wares.

I have also showcased my work at local craft bazaars for the past several years, but the cost and time involved became overwhelming. So I decided to limit myself to two shows a year – one in the fall for Christmas and one in the spring for Easter and Patriotic holidays. Luckily, now that we’ve moved to a new city, I’ve found two such shows just 15 minutes from home. Both have reasonable booth fees and draw a sizeable audience, which is not always the case, so I’m thrilled to be involved.

Tomorrow is my spring show, the Gifts Galore Bazaar, which benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Held at a local high school, there is room for over 70 vendors, including everything from hand-made items to Tupperware.

Besides creating all the inventory for my booth, the biggest investment has been determining how I’d set up my booth. I decided to split a booth between my photography and crafting so it’s a business expense. I had originally planned to use free bi-fold shutter doors I’d gotten on Craigslist as a backdrop for my booth, but then I spotted a gal at a recent show with this display.

I asked her about it and she demonstrated it quickly. The simple design folds up for portability, but includes several shelves can hold LOTS of stuff! GENIOUS! And because the materials were basic the cost would be minimal as well. So I did what I always do. I showed the hubs. And that wonderful man made it happen, just in time for the show!He also rigged up some pipe stands that I can hang canvas drop cloths as backdrops from for the other two sides of my booth. I’ve been so busy making inventory for the show I haven’t had time to get a picture of either just yet. I plant to post a picture on my Facebook page after I get all set up tomorrow, so be sure to like my page so you see it! I’m excited to see how it all comes together on-site, but I’m sure it will look great and all the other vendors will be envious. And don’t worry, those shutters I mentioned earlier will find a new purpose come my Christmas show thanks to some Pinterest inspiration! 😉