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How to make a budget craft stall

Budget? What budget? Here's how to make your craft stall (see my last post) for less than a fiver*.


To make the display board


You will need:


Foam filled board, available from most craft shops. Although for some reason we just had some at home under the bed.


Vintage style fabric - I bought mine for 70p out of the offcuts bin at Nortex Mill on Chorley Old Road in Bolton


A tinfoil roll middle (the bit that looks like a giant loo roll)


A heavy recipe book stand, preferable iron. These are actually quite expensive, but if you can't borrow one you can justify it to yourself because it'll look lovely in your kitchen.


A roll of gaffer tape


Glue or double sided sticky tape


Feathers and paper butterflies to decorate - make your own or cheat by buying them from a craft shop, look in the "make your own cards section"


To make:


Cut the foam filled board into the desired shape. I rounded off the corners, but a big rectangle will be easiest.


Place it on top of your fabric (iron the fabric first if it is crumpled from being in a bargain bin) then pull the fabric round the egdes and fix in place using gaffer tape (it's easiest to get someone to help you with this bit)


Make a fan of feathers and fix behind the top corners with gaffer tape. Attach paper butterflies or other decorations to the front using glue or double sided sticky tape


To make it stand up (this is easiest done on the day), fix the tinfoile roll to the back of the recipe stand using gaffer tape so you have a basic frame. Stand the board on the lip of the recipe stand, leaning against the cardboard roll, and fix in place with (yet more) gaffer tape.


And voila! There is your display board! Fix your jewellery to it using dressmaking pins.


To make the polka dot box display


You will need:


Six shoe boxes


Two rolls of contrasting wrapping paper. I bought my polka dot paper for 98p a roll from Tesco. Supporting the big corporations I know, but it was cute and cheap.


Ribbon, approx 1 1/2 - 2 metres to allow for large bows


To make


Barely needs explaining. Wrap the boxes as if you were wrapping Christmas presents.


Tie a big bow round two of the boxes.


Arrange in a pyramid, and pin your jewellery to each box using dressmaking pins.


To make the bunting


You will need:


A selection of fabric from the bargain bin at your local mill shop


A piece of complementing ribbon approx 3 metres long


Glue


To make


I know, I know, the lovely bunting that you can buy from sites like Folksy is lovingly stitched and double sided, and to decorate your home that's by far the best choice. But for a craft stall that's likely to get rained on or have some horrible child put their dirty mitts on it I don't see why you shouldn't cheat. So...


Draw a triangle template on a piece of paper. Cut it out.


Fold each of your pieces of fabric so you have about eight layers


Draw around the template onto the top layer of fabric. Cut out using sharp scissors. Use pinking shears for a zig zag effect if you want to be fancy.


Leaving a space of about 1/2 metre at the start of the ribbon, glue the triangles in alternating colours along the ribbon (I used Bostick All Purpose). Leave another gap at the end.


Leave to dry and there you have it... lovely bunting!





* Approx, I'm not good at maths.



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Comments

ATELIER said…
Clever thrifty girl!
I love it and you right now. Very helpful. My board is the back bit of a large clip frame with some foam, (which we too randomly had lying about the house! LOL), covered in material which I attached with a staple gun. Think it may have been an old pillow case or something. Am starting to look forward to getting bits sorted now. Thank you!!!!

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