Packaging Earrings for Display

My friend and I recently rented a craft table at a local event. We're both new to this, and for me it was a great excercise in digging out all the various things I've made which have ended up in boxes.

Things were all tucked away, but so tucked away that I'd lost track of what I actually had made.  There were boxes of boxes of boxes of various and miscellaneous. Hmmm..  There still are some, if I'm being honest, but I am happy to say there are less of them.


I don't love the time it takes me to photograph my work - and I make lots of different things - so I confess I hadn't kept up with any kind of easy access digital library - which exists only in my fantasies.  For things like earrings, for instance, I had small boxes - very practical for gifting or posting, but for displaying on a craft table - too difficult to show what was on offer in minimal space. 

So, I came up with a card-stock-in-cello-bag packaging version which is resealable - keeping the items secure and clean but easy to access.  The resealable bag was particularly helpful for necklaces and bracelets - where I had a similar concept - if people wanted to check the fit or try things on.

For the earring versions, I cut a piece of card stock for the size I needed for it to fit in the bag.  I'm using my smaller 4" x 6" greeting card cello bags, folded in half, so I needed the largest back piece to be about 3" x 4".  Inset of that I have a coordinating colour patterned sheet to suit the item.  In the case of the earrings, I found this could be a little too busy, so I've inset a smaller standard white piece so that the earrings stand out. 

I found a large but pointy needle worked to pierce holes to put the earrings through, and they are secured behind with the earring stoppers.  There are more crafty professional paper punches for this kind of thing so I may have to look out for them, but the needle worked just fine.  I learned along the way not to do this step in advance as it's nice to position them differently depending on the length of the earrings, and I am not the type of person who can live with extra holes that aren't being used.  

Because items were in a cello-bag, it was easy to add pricing stickers, and to have them in containers or spread about the table.  For photography, (out of the reflective shiny bags), the background papering adds a nice touch, I think.  I have in the past stuck to a plain white background for neutrality against my love of all bright colours, but I am experimenting with the packaging paper backgrounds for my new Christmas earrings.  

It turned out to be very effective on a few fronts, and a great way to play with craft worlds colliding.  Beads ... meet Paper Crafts.  Woop.  The possibilities ...    I've started posting the new Christmas earrings on my Etsy Shop but I have lots more to make.