As part of our DIY Displays series Mary Ryan shows us how she made some quick and cheap earring displays out of greeting cards.

Displaying jewelry at a show is always a challenge. There is never one really great solution that works for all situations. And depending on the type of show, time of year, and number of people attending, I always want to give my display a sort of custom look.

My next show was to be a home party, during the holiday season, in a high rise condo in Chicago. Since I was low on funds and crunched for time, the hunt was on for a way to display my jewelry with the biggest bang for the buck. My solution came to me as I passed the dollar discount bin at the craft store. Piles and piles of packages of blank holiday gift cards! Playing on the holiday theme, here’s what I came up with…

I used sets of blank greeting cards in two different sizes, matching coasters, and blank scrapbook paper cut-outs. I chose three different styles with similar color schemes. Using a tiny hole punch, I made holes in the cards for the earring wires and displayed the cards like festive little table tents. I used the larger sets of greeting cards for longer earrings and even some necklaces. The two different sizes allowed me to have different levels on my table, making the display more interesting.

Of course, some pieces were to heavy or too long for the cards to hold. I used the matching coasters and scalloped paper cut-outs to display those pieces directly on the table.

The whole display cost me around $10! And because the earrings were already pre-hung on the cards before the party, it was easy to transport and took only minutes to set up. Maximum flash, for minimum cash!

Mary Ryan is an Artist, Jewelry Designer, and Interior Design Consultant.  Please visit her on line shops at http://littlebrownbird.etsy.com, http://thelittlebrownbird.com and http://urbanmetal.etsy.com

Got a display you’d like to write a How-To for? Send it to blog@indiecraftshows.com!