Easy does it! Quick display ideas

To badly mangle Shakespeare, display is the thing. Almost every retailer I talk to gets excited about a new merchandising idea or laments not having the budget to do some of the more creative ideas a la Barney's, Macy's and Bloomie's windows. Fret no more. We found a few "good things" in showrooms in Atlanta that are quite doable, even on the most modest budget. These displays lend themselves not only to a fun and frugal visual, but perhaps even the foundation for a themed event or product offering.

Bottoms Up Tabletop and art glass vendor, Momo Panache, abandoned the high falootin' whisper-quiet environment found in many tabletop settings and opted instead to "decorate" a chandelier with dangling martini and wine glasses. It's colorful, inventive and fun. All you need is some wire to securely tie and vibrant product. A definite eye-catcher, this idea could be the center of a great wine-tasting event, New Year's Eve bash or store anniversary party. Pick a theme: bridal flutes and flowers for a registering party; margarita glasses for Cinco de Mayo or a Parrothead shindig, or go wacky and use colorful paper or plastic cups mixed with some acrylic for a picnic/barbecue theme.

Hit Me! If you have a hot glue gun, a tablecloth and a pack of cards, you're well on your way to creating the foundation for a casino night display like the one we found at Pacific Enterprise. Poker chips, cards and fuzzy dice add flavor and complement this tablescape, which features a Girls' Night Out theme. You also could tweak this idea for a bridal shower theme with Old Maid cards, or take your cue from any number of novelty card packs.

Get into the Groove What can't you accomplish with paint? We frequently tout the use of paint, so much so that Sherwin Williams should be buying a four-color ad every issue, but I can't tell you how many retailers and showroom designers have told me what a difference a simple coat of paint makes. Sterling Industries gave its space a retro look with paint, but went beyond simply a one-coat wonder and striped it up a bit with burnt orange, sepia and matte blue hues. It added more groove-appeal with black outlines of hip chicks topped off with picture frame heads for an abstract look. Painters' tape, paint and an overhead projector are the tools for this project. If psychedelic funk isn't your style, change the fashion plates on the wall to coincide with your niche. The framed heads could hold a new product of the week or even pictures of employees or customers of the month.

Great displays don't have to break your wallet and a little extra effort can go a long way to boosting sales. Showrooms are full of ideas, but you can find other treasures in unlikely places like party stores or Web sites devoted to party themes, consumer magazines and more.

Pacific Enterprise took something as ordinary as a deck of cards and turned it into a "fringe" for its display.

Sterling Industries gave a nod to the '60s with this wall treatment, above and right.

Momo Panache, below, embraced creativity with this chandelier dripping with product.