Jan 21, 2010

Hope for spring in the deep mid-winter

In the middle of the dark, deep mid-winter? Skies are gray. The ground is white. Color is nowhere to be found. Sort of pretty in its own way — for a while. But wait, your shop is a haven and escape where color abounds! Bring a touch of spring to the scene, and the masses will follow.

Need a few display props to spark the spirit? Becky and I have found a lot of cute, fun, colorful and inexpensive things to use to banish the winter blahs. Both JoAnn and Hobby Lobby have restocked the holiday aisles with spring decorations — well, okay “kitsch” — but this year it’s pretty cute “kitsch!”  

Frogs, fairies, gnomes and flowers are the thing this season — spring, woodland themes that will melt the blues away. Look how Mr. Froggie stands out. It’s hard not to give him a smile. The metal flower sculptures at 50 percent off, were only $7.50 — A bargain investment to brighten things up. (Remember, you can always sell this sort of prop later!) Add some garden gloves and small tools to flowers like this in a display with rolled fat quarters (spring fabrics, of course!) in terra cotta pots. JoAnn has those cute floral galoshes. Fill these with flowers — real or fabric.

Hobby Lobby also had a vast variety of similar large metal flowers on long rods. How about a window display with nothing but a row of these flowers planted in large terra cotta pots? Buy five of them, paint four all white and leave the fifth brightly painted. Line them up, and at the end of the line next to the colorful flower hang a large arrow pointing to your front door. In a sea of gray and white this window display would be an invitation to enter that could be seen across the square.

This cute metal heart is available wholesale from The Round Top Collection out of Round Top, Texas. They have all kinds of very, nicely done metal art sculptures for holidays and other special events. Think display and inventory! This heart was $18 retail.

Need a couple of spring patterns quick? American Quilt Retailer has two “blooming” FREE-to-use patterns. Look for “FlowerBoxes,” an oldie but goodie from Issue 20, and “Periwinks” (right) from Issue 67. Don’t have these older issues? They are both available to subscribers, along with 58 other pattern masters, on our FREE-to-use pattern set CD.

Remember, Spring is only 57 days away! Hey — here’s a good traffic-building idea! Start now, find a big basket each day between now and March 20 (the first day of spring), add an item to the basket — something small and simple like a fat quarter, pack of needles, etc. Every time someone comes in the shop between now and March 21st enter their name in a drawing for the “goodie” basket. Host a “Welcome Spring” event on the big day and draw for a winner!

Susan

PS — Our “Periwinks” shop sample is for sale. Made in batiks, it’s machine appliqued, quilted and finished! 

Interested? E-mail Becky Couch (becky@americanquiltretailer.com)