The Necklace Tree

by JoAnne Green
(Marion, AL)

I have grown a necklace tree. Not really, but I do have one.

In the Southern U.S. there is a tradition to keep the evil spirits away. You decorate a tree in your yard with blue glass and blue bottles.

These trees were originally just front yard trees that had blue glass hung from the branches. I'm not sure when, but the tradition grew into yard art. And then just art.

The Anderson-Barnes Antique Store, where my booth is located, sells wrought iron trees made to hold blue bottles upside down on its iron branches. They are something to behold.

When I saw the tabletop-size bottle tree they decorated with Christmas ornaments for sale, a light bulb went off.

Why not decorate a bottle tree with jewelry and use it as a display?

My Necklace Tree is about 2.5 feet tall. It is doing the job - customers who might casually look at a few pieces are looking at, trying on, and buying while admiring my tree.

Think outside the box - almost anything can be used for displaying jewelry. I sometimes use a coffee mug tree to display bracelets.

JoAnne Green
DL Creations of Alabama

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The Necklace Tree

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Innovative Display Trees
by: Rena

What neat ideas, JoAnne!

Where I live (also in the South), I've seen "bottle trees" done in various themes - such as an assortment of pretty wine bottles; all-green bottles for Christmas; baby-food jars; etc.

I can imagine they'd be stunning hung with jewelry.

Also - I like your tip for using a coffee mug tree to display jewelry. I got rid of one years ago because I didn’t have the countertop space for it where I was living then - but would have kept it to display jewelry if I'd thought of it!

Thanks so much for all of the great ideas and interesting stories you share, JoAnne!

Rena

Trees and Displays
by: Helene

It's the unusual that often draws the customer to your booth and trees are a wonderful way to break up the 'perfection' of standard displays.

My 'trees', I have 4 of them, are:

1 ~ a fingertip towel rack from my bathroom;
2 ~ a Christmas ornament silver coloured wire tree ~ I use it at Easter, too and, of course, for my necklaces and bracelets, and
3 ~ a 4-prong glass tree that stands about 8in tall and was intended for our very special glass ornaments from our favourite glassblower.
All 3 are of different heights, all have different 'branches' and all are unusual.

My 4th tree is a real bush: well, the branch of one. It is several twisted branches of a bush I think is called a witch hazel tree. But don't quote me on the name: what's important is that the branches are all twisted and gnarled. This is my favourite 'tree:' it looks like it's been through the wars of life and survived ~ it has character.

Just one more thing: each tree needs space to be seen. If the booth table is too cluttered it is hard to see anything. Each tree needs to have its own clear space to be appreciated. This can be done just by changing the height of the display. Put a tree on a riser, one tree on the table top and a 3rd tree at the other end of the table.

Well, that's what I think.
Helene ~ Glass0Beads.etsy.com