Upcycle!

Some of us love clean lines and are minimalists. If you are a Marie Kondo fan, this blog may not be for you. I’m not saying I don’t like her—as a matter of fact, I do like the way she folds clothes for dresser drawers…but that’s as far as my love affair with minimalism ever goes. What I am saying is that I don’t shop in Marie Kondo types of stores. They feel cold and never stimulate my imagination.

               What kind of shops do I love? The kind with lots of visual stimuli, cute little displays in every nook and cranny, lots of vintage stuff. One thing you may not know about me is that I used to be a bead artist. I made a hundred glass beads every morning, and I traveled around the country selling my handmade beads…and my booth was always full of people. They often wanted to buy my booth, lol, in addition to my beads. Rather than just laying the beads on the table, I couched them in a variety of upcycled displays that prompted this response at least a half dozen times a day: “I’m sorry, it’s part of the booth. It’s not for sale.”

               If vintage has never been your thing, visit my good friends at Pinterest. Find collections of displays to pique your imagination. Watch out! There’s enough to overwhelm you, so keep your emotions in check. Pin displays that look doable in your space and revisit those pins from time to time. This is your source for inspiration. You still haven’t shopped anywhere or spent a dime. All you’ve done is turn the boredom of a waiting room into a scavenger hunt, looking for aha! moments.

               Next become a junk aficionado. Visit antique malls and flea markets. Don’t buy anything right away, just walk around and enjoy the scenery. Look at items and think, “I have one of those!” Learn to spot those booths where the owner loves his/her things a little too much and prices them too high. After a couple weeks, look for bargains. Old trays, buckets, suitcases, baskets and crockery are foundational pieces for building interest in your displays.  I love the big pieces, like doors and windows. An old frame is a good way to post merchandise pricing. When you see something that needs just a little lovin’, that’s your jam. It will be cost-effective and easily repurposed for your displays.

               Your first stop in taking home your great finds: the kitchen sink. Cleanliness is next to godliness! Keep white vinegar, rubbing alcohol and dish soap on hand. You may want some plastic gloves. Dedicate a corner in the back of your store or in a garage for these building blocks, because you won’t use everything you have at once. As you build your collection, you’ll find your imagination brimming with ideas.

               Now you’re ready to repurpose your finds. Think outside the box and use items in unexpected ways.  You want to show them off to their best advantage, so add a touch of paint, a few flowers or a pop of color in fabric underneath the item. You don’t have to invest a lot of time and money here. You aren’t selling your displays, just luring the eye to your merchandise.

               The beauty of upcycled displays is the ¢¢ and not the $$ involved in selling your wares. Use whatever shelving or counter space you already have, building seasonal displays on the dime. Literally. Reuse the same foundational pieces in a different way for each season. And repeat after me: “I’m sorry, but it’s part of the store. It’s not for sale.”