Friend, today I’m sharing a DIY folding display piece that my husband, Guy in the Garage, built for me for the market a few weeks ago. Isn’t he sweet?
This worked perfect for displaying all the fabric garlands that I had for sale, but it could really hold so many different things!
He built three panels, and each one is three feet wide and six feet tall. The plan was for it to span almost the height/width of one side of the canopy we used, so it would be a makeshift wall. Here’s the layout after the initial cuts:
Next Mr. GITG stained it with Minwax stain in Espresso, a nice rich brown. He also used this stain for the crates that I used in my display.
For the angled corners, he attached the pieces with L-brackets.
He attached the straight edges with these braces:
The panels are connected with door hinges, and they fold together easily for storage or transportation.
He cut and stapled chicken wire onto each panel so it would be easy to clip items on, like my fabric garland. But you could make a smaller version for displaying jewelry, photos, Christmas cards, kids’ artwork, etc.
(Update: I’ve received so many amazing emails and comments from people who’ve built this folding display for their own needs. I love hearing all the ideas!)
Here is the DIY folding display in its (huge) glory:
I think it came out better than either of us expected, since my hubs is still learning his way around big saws and power tools. 🙂
Here’s one of the garlands I made – it was super easy by cutting strips of coordinating fabric and ribbon and tying them onto jute rope. This is a patriotic one since it’s summertime, and I have some leftover… so they might end up on display in my home for the 4th of July!
This is how it looked on vintage market day:
You can read all about my first vintage market experience Here. The display was really pretty with all the colorful garland gently blowing in the breeze.
I love this DIY folding display and how easy it is to move around and take to markets. And it certainly makes an impression because of its size! 🙂 But it would be super simple to build a smaller version for personal use too. What do you think of it? Mr. GITG and I would love to know!
– Jen –
Related Market Posts:
* Doing your first vintage market or craft fair? Vendor Tips and Resources *
* Thrifted Art to Stylish DIY Memo Boards *
Click here for more portable display ideas for vintage markets and craft fairs.
Charlene Hansen says
I love this! So many things you could use this for in different sizes! Am filing this away!
Just Justin says
WOW!!! What a statement piece!!! The garlands are so nice too! 🙂
Marie, The Interior Frugalista says
What a great idea! Love the portability but also that it would be nice and light to haul and set up. It looks great under your tent!
Anika says
This is such an awesome idea!! It can have a million different uses!! Your garlands are looking so nice too!
Kris says
Love this! What’s the thickness and width of the wood you used?
Jen says
Thank you, Kris! The wood is 1 inch thick and 2.5 inches wide.
emma says
Im thinking of doing this to display a school project, thanks !!
Katie says
How did you secure the chicken wire and cover up the sharp edges?
Jen says
Hi Katie, we used a heavy duty staple gun to secure the chicken wire, and folded the sharp edges over with pliers.
Kathy says
This looks great! Thanks for sharing! I am getting ready for my first craft fair and I would love to make something like this. Could you comment on the stability of the whole thing? Do you need to keep it in a zig zag shape when standing or can you expand it all the way without risking it tipping over easily?
Thanks for the info!
Jen says
Kathy,
Thank you! It’s quite sturdy given the height, but it does need to be in either a little bit of a zig zag or L-shape. In the photo above from the market I did, my canopy is 10 ft wide and this folding display is 9 ft wide – and you can see that it’s almost completely stretched out but just a little zig zag. It was also quite windy that day, but the wind goes right through the chicken wire. If you’re planning on hanging heavier items on it, then you might have more issues with its stability. Hope that helps!
Donald says
Jen,
Did he use standard store purchased 1 inch wood for this project?
If so, it would be about 3/4 of an inch thick.
Am I correct in assuming he used standard 1 inch store purchased wood?
Ty!
Jen says
Hi Donald,
Sorry for the late response! The display is packed away until the next market, but I do believe you’re correct on the wood thickness. Good luck building yours 🙂
whitney says
i love this idea & can’t wait to try it? Did you have to secure it so it wouldn’t fall outside?
christine Anderson says
How much did all this cost?
Jen says
Hi Christine,
It’s been a while since my husband made this, but he thinks he spent less than $65 on all the materials. And there was a lot of chicken wire leftover too. Hope that helps!
Jen
Julie Sparkman says
Thanks for sharing this great idea!
Blessings, Julie
Cathii LaPierre says
This is AWESOME! Hubby did a great job. I’m doing my first art fair in December and have been looking for an inexpensive way to display my art. I’m going to try this. Thank you!
Debbie says
Clever! And even I can make this.
Megan says
Do you think the chicken wire in this display would be strong enough to hang wreaths from?
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Megan, it should as long as they’re not too heavy. 🙂 I believe there are different thicknesses of chicken wire, so you can use a stronger one than we did.
Nicki germany says
This is perfect for a display to use for a wedding. what kind of wood do you all use!
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Yes that’s a great idea! Unfortunately my husband doesn’t remember what type of lumber he used. 🙁 Probably a mid-range option.
Kathy Womac says
Is this strong enough to hold wreaths and wooden signs? Thanks KATHY
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Kathy, I think it might hold wreaths if they were lightweight, but you might want a more sturdy portable wall (maybe even with narrow shelves) for signs. Hope that helps. 🙂
Connie Starr says
Thank you for sharing this great display stand. My husband and I made one for my first craft show. It worked perfectly for displaying baby bodysuits. And, I could handle it myself if I needed to do so.
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
I’m so glad you liked this project – it’s awesome to hear how you used it for your business! Thanks for sharing!!
Megan says
Love this!! Thank you so much for sharing. How is it standing up on it’s own? Did you need to add anything to the legs for stability?
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thank you Megan! Mine stands up just fine, but I don’t put much weight on it. Keeping the panels at a wider zig-zag will make it more stable too. You could also place the hinges all on the same side and then form the display into a triangle, depending on what you’re planning to use it for.