10 Product Display Table Ideas That Win Craft Show Customers

10 product display table ideas and examples show you how to design a booth that stands out and attracts more customers at your next craft show.

Tabletop displays are an excellent option for your pop up booth. Tables are sturdy, suitable for displaying small or large products, and they can be used in combination with all kinds of product display stands.

Vendor tables can look fantastic if you use a few simple merchandising strategies to design your display. 

Get started with these 10 ideas you can use to create your own tabletop display.

1. Make it Portable

Make your vendor table truly portable with display cases and crates.

Cases like the jewelry display case pictured on the top left in the photo above simplify your booth setup.

If you can't find a pre-made case that suits your display, make your own.

Start with a box with a hinged lid. Line the inside of the box with fabric, and add u-pins (or other clips) to hold your jewelry in place.

You can store your product in the case, so it's always ready to go. On the day of the show, you'll only need to open the case, place it on your table, and check to make sure the product inside is tidy.

When it's time to pack up at the end of the show, you can secure items to keep everything tidy. Close the box, and it's ready for travel and storage. 

Wood crates also do double duty on your product display table. Use them as risers to create height, and at the end of the show, you can use them for packing, transporting, and storing your craft show supplies.

2. Add Risers

Speaking of wood crates and risers...

You'll need to vary the height of items on your tabletop display. Adding height can draw customers' attention to key products and helps you to make good use of all of your space.

Wood crates make fantastic risers if you need larger raised areas.

You can see how well they work to create a tiered table display in the handmade soap booth pictured above. The height at the back of the tables allows the full depth of each table to be used for display.

If you want smaller risers, get some clear acrylic blocks They are a smart way to add a little height where you need it in your display.

Acrylic blocks are also excellent product photography styling tools, making them a smart, multi-purpose tool to have on-hand.

3. Use Visual Merchandising Techniques

Don't randomly drop your products and display stands just anywhere on your table! 

Effective tabletop retail displays don't happen by accident. They are strategically designed using visual merchandising techniques that large retailers have developed to boost sales.

Luckily, visual merchandising techniques are usually simple and inexpensive to implement once you know the basic techniques. So small business owners can use these techniques too.

Here's where you can learn 6 simple visual merchandising tips for craft shows!

The pottery booth pictured above is an excellent example of the asymmetrical pyramid merchandising technique.

Wood crates are arranged to form a pyramid shape with the top of the pyramid at the back corner of the display. The pyramid is used frequently in visual merchandising to draw shopper's interest and feature a key product.

You can easily use risers to incorporate this effective visual merchandising technique in your own product display table design.

Products arranged in the shape of an asymmetrical pyramid where one side of the pyramid is longer. An important item is featured at the top of the pyramid. The longer slope draws customers into the shop.

4. Make it Modular

The tabletop display pictured above features tables on each side of the 10x10 booth space.

The setup appears to use one long table on each side of the booth. However, when you view this booth at different shows, you'll see the vendor experiments with different configurations.

Several smaller portable tables provide the flexibility to arrange a display in a variety of ways. Table coverings can be used to unite the look and make several tables appear as a cohesive display.

Here's where you can see the same booth configured in different ways:

Craft Booth Design With Portable Tables: 12 more photos featuring pop up displays that use portable tables.

Lots of Jewelry Display Ideas and Photos: Several more photos of handmade jewelry booths.

5. Design Your Display for Small Spaces

At most craft shows, your booth space will be 10x10 feet. Creating a display that works well within these dimensions will be your first priority.

If you plan to sell at some smaller markets and local shows, you may be given a smaller display space. In this case, you'll typically be working with an area that's wide enough for a front counter setup, with a display table or two across the front. Your space may not be deep enough for any type of U-shaped booth designs. 

The display tables pictured above are set up in a standard 10 x 10 booth space, but they could easily fit within a smaller area. Using two smaller tables instead of one long table gives the jewelry artist flexibility to arrange the display in several different ways to suit the space.

This display, like others we've already looked at, makes use of stacked risers and tall display stands to create height. Items are elevated to eye level, and you can see products on the table on the left are arranged to create a pyramid shape.

6. Make the Most of Your Space

Before you buy portable tables for your craft show booth, think carefully about the sizes you'll need.

We've already seen how smaller tables give you more flexibility to set up your display in a variety of spaces and configurations.

Smaller tables also allow you to make the most of the space you have to work with.

The idea that smaller tables will give you more usable display space may seem counterintuitive. However, many tables are too deep for a standard 10x10 craft booth and waste a lot of space.

A lot of tables are 30 inches deep. If you use tables this deep in a U-shaped booth setup, you'll be left with only 5 feet for customers to browse. A space that small will feel uninviting to many shoppers.

Also, you won't be able to use the full depth of 30 inch tables for display. Items at the back can get hidden and will be hard to reach. You'll lose a lot of precious booth space without gaining any usable display space.

On the other hand, if you use 24 inch deep tables, you'll have 6 feet of browsing space in a 10x10 U-shaped display layout. This extra open space will make your booth feel more open and inviting to shoppers. Plus, with the help of risers, you'll be able to use the full depth of the tables to display your products.

The trestle tables used in the display pictured above are small enough to work well within the space. The tables are attractive, so a table covering isn't necessary.

The legs allow the tabletop to be raised above standard table height. Most tables are about 30 inches high, but display tables should ideally be approximately 36 inches high. The trestle table in this jewelry designer to easily raise the tabletop to a more ideal height.

7. Make Space for Storage

When you use tables in your display booth, you'll have plenty of storage space under the tables. Cover your tables with a floor-length table covering, and any supplies you need for the show will be safely tucked away out of sight.

8. Or Create a Clean, Minimalist Look

This vendor chose not to use a table covering in this display. The look is clean and modern, and there's no need to worry about a table covering that may get wrinkled or look messy.

If you do choose to forgo a table covering, you'll need to use attractive tables like the white trestle tables pictured above.

Be aware that without a table covering, you'll lose a lot of storage space. You'll need to think about where you'll store supplies neatly and out of sight.

9. Add Lighting

Your product display table needs good lighting to show your items at their best.

The display pictured above has several small spotlights clipped to picture frames that highlight special pendant necklaces. Lights are also secured to the grid wall that forms the foundation of the display.

In other photos on this page, you'll see overhead lighting in several booths. You need several smaller lights (not just one large light) to brighten your entire space and highlight important items.

10. Attract Customers From a Distance

Design a display that can attract customers from a distance.

If you sell larger items, display an eye-catching piece high enough that it can be seen as shoppers approach your booth. If you sell smaller items, like jewelry, a large poster featuring one of your most striking products and hung high enough to be seen from a distance will show customers what they'll find if they explore your booth and help draw them into your space.