With a few good years of art shows, both indoor and outdoor, under my belt, I realize that since the beginning I’ve been on a never ending search for the ultimate art tent set up. Thinking back to my first outdoor art show, I can’t help but cringe at how unbelievably unprepared I was. In retrospect, I wish I had been able to find a resource to better prepare me (or that Pinterest had been in existence). But that information really comes with time, experience, and lots of conversation with fellow vendors who are kind enough to share their wisdom with a newb. Along the way, I have made some discoveries that make a selling weekend easier and I think I’ll begin to share them in the hopes that another artist’s selling weekend might be a little easier or flow smoother.

I still don’t feel like I have it all figured out and I spend a lot of time thinking about layouts and display and the best tent set-ups. I have found it to be particularly difficult trying to figure out the best displays for dolls in all conditions, considering that there are sometimes things like fierce wind and rain to consider during outdoor shows.

This past weekend was my first show of 2018–the Kentucky Crafted Market. An indoor show using a pipe and drape system to section off individual spaces, this set-up is pretty much a breeze. No inclement weather to deal with, no tent to set up and a large indoor unloading area is about as handy as it gets.

Once everything was set up and my dolls were displayed, I realized I needed a way to make checkout a little more efficient. I had planned to have a space on the tabletop as a checkout area with 15 x 20 tissue for small items but I still needed a place to store bags and large tissue paper for padding bags and wrapping larger items. I try to avoid table top clutter and didn’t have space or an extra flat surface for the tissue.

Then I remembered two brackets I brought with me ‘just in case’. These brackets are originally intended to mount onto a deck or porch rail and are used to support small tiki torches. But, through my wonderful art friends on Facebook I learned that many artists use these brackets, attached to folding tables, to support poles which can hold pennant banners or signage or lighting or anything you can dream up.

I had also packed an extra dowel rod ‘just in case’. And so…

Problem solved! My large tissue paper is easily accessible, the bags I need most often are close at hand, easily hidden from view and I have no table clutter. Had I had S-hooks and a longer dowel, I could have stored a couple of different sizes of bags.

Like most things, this is a great starting point in thinking about how to use these brackets and dowels in ways other than their intended uses. My mind is spinning with another possibility using that system.

Feel free to use this idea during your next event! I hope it helps in some way!