How to Decorate for a Rummage Sale
A rummage sale is often used to raise money for a charitable organization or cause. The distinction of holding the oldest rummage sale in the United States belongs to an Illinois church, which uses the merchandise being sold as the main source of decoration. Neat, eye-catching displays of desirable items and simple decorations that create a festive mood should lead to a successful sale. Use a few simple elements to give the selling area color and personality, and the merchandise will do the rest.
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Things You'll Need
- Tablecloths
- Flowering or foliage plants
- Handcrafted items
- Hats with flowers (optional)
- Boutonnieres (optional)
Instructions
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Decorate the selling tables with tablecloths in colors that go with the rummage sale's theme or mood. For example, bright red, green, yellow, orange and blue for a rummage sale that benefits children, pink for a breast cancer charity, or lace for a classic white elephant sale.
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Display flowers or plants throughout the sale area to add a festive look. Offering them for sale and having plenty of them on hand can add to the sale's revenue.
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Display handcrafted items prominently at the fronts of the selling tables and on eye-level shelves; you can also hang them on walls if it's an indoor sale. These items set a quality rummage sale apart, attract attention and brighten up the decorating scheme. For example, if there are many handmade dolls, put a few on a stand in the center of each table, rather than leaving them all in one area. This encourages browsing and gives each table a decorative focal point.
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Give volunteers hats to wear that fit the theme or color scheme. This helps customers identify who's there to help and adds to the decorating motif. For example, provide hats with sunflowers or roses for women, and boutonnieres or lapel pin flowers for men or people who don't wear hats.
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Tips & Warnings
Solid color or subtle patterns tend to work best for displaying merchandise. Black or blue velvet sets off jewelry and small metal items.
Display breakables in the center of the tables, not near the edges, to reduce the risk of mishaps.
Put prices on everything that's for sale to encourage buying.
Using large tablecloths that extend to the floor on the customer's side of the table provides a hidden storage area underneath the table for bags, boxes and extra merchandise while adding a smooth display of color to the front.
Keep potentially hazardous items, such as small items that can be choking hazards, bottles of perfume, knives, scissors and other sharp items, near volunteers and out of the reach of children.
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
