From vintage suitcases, old school bed frame cut offs to unused bakery trays– many of us have these bits and bobs laying around our sheds unused and wasting away.
At first glance, they may not seem useful, and though they may not be of use for what they were originally meant for – vintage and outdated items can add that much needed character and beauty to your product display.
Rustic antique items have at times lived longer than we have. They tell a story, and embrace a history that shouldn’t be left at the bottom of your cupboard. So why not utilise them to create your stalls personality?!
The team at AUZi have taken a look at how tying rustic/vintage or simply unused household items into your stall work well in staging your products.
Vintage Suitcases
The rustic look that comes with a vintage suitcase looks great showcasing colourful items. Believe it or not, they make for the most beautiful props to present decorated cakes, or overflowing with baked goods. But don’t let their antique value keep you from restoring an item to coincide with your theme, the rustic look doesn’t suit all products. Plus, giving your suitcase a little DIY makeover allows you to give them that personal touch.
We know that some of you creative minds have done this, to then stack them as your cashier counter – the possibilities really are endless. These resourceful marketeers have gone as far as modifying the inside of their cases to accommodate their corresponding products. A handmade cushion and fittings make for a stunning oversize jewellery case to house your precious trinkets, as does securing strands to boast those homemade earrings your customers love.
You know those retro wooden boxes that Great Grandpa has hoarded for all these years? The ones in the back shed full of nails, bolts or even houses little Danny’s pet mouse? Yes, those! They’re handy little things they are. Many of these outdated items are usually covered in brand and product names from fifty odd years ago. In the modern day our purchases come in impractical plastic packaging, thus we’re lucky that our parents and their parents kept these small doses of history. They definitely add character to your stall, and look much better than an abundance of plastic baskets.
Many of the arty kind have lots of little trinkets and handmade bits and bobs that are all so uniquely eye-catching when showcased individually. Though when it comes to putting them on display in your market stall, sometimes placing them all in a container for your customer to sift through can look a little… tacky, to so the least.
Get creative, you don’t need to spend a fortune on special boxes for it to look good. Most of the time the solution is in your shed, or in this case, kitchen… Check out how this presentation guru has showcased their Knic-knacs in a simple muffin tin. Many businesses that have products that are hard to display, showcase photographs of the product instead. It is slightly unsustainable to bake and showcase every cake design you are able to make to order, as it is just as difficult to lay out every piece of jewellery you have available.
The common solution to this matter has been to have photo albums available for your customers to browse. Though come on let’s be a little more inventive. For instance, wooden ladders that may no longer be safe to scale can definitely salvage for an open photo display book. They can even serve as great holders for your pot plants as well!
Displaying Colours
Is it just me or is the old flip through books that house all of your colours available a little boring and outdated? How aesthetic do these old painted furniture cut offs look? I know they would catch my eye and reel me in to a stall. Also, these sort of options mean that passers-by can see what you have on offer without having to approach the stall first. A little effort goes a long way.
You do realise, photo frames don’t HAVE to be used for photos right? Whether it be a 100 year old frame you scored from your great aunts spring clean, or a $5 frame from K-mart – photo frames can be mended, renewed or simply painted to frame jewellery, ornaments candles or anything really..
Some market events can be long days that may be far away from stock stored in your car. Meaning you may have to lug large containers full to your stall itself. Let’s be honest, massive containers crammed with stock don’t exactly look that appealing. The smallest effort to hide these sort of problem’s does a world of good for your stalls presentation. See how this market stall holder took a simple white sheet and quote written in black to work as a backdrop, tidying up the stall as a whole.
For all you wine lovers out there, do you ever think that your wasted wine corks could surely be useful for something? I mean we’ve seen wine bottles as flower vases, candle holders and even lamps, but what about the corks? This funky opportunist collected and joined hundreds of wine corks to form a ‘Drink’ sign for their stall! Now that’s ingenious!
