For some brick and mortar retailers, creating beautiful store window displays comes naturally to them. For others, creating a window display can feel daunting and challenging! If the latter is you, I want to share some helpful ideas for creating eye-catching store window displays.

I co-own The Salvaged Boutique in Lakewood, Ohio with my sister. We’re a home decor and gift boutique with a creative studio where we refurbish furniture and work on other upcycling projects to sell in our store.

At one time during our shopkeeping journey, we offered creative workshops in our studio and we wanted to highlight this in a window display.

Over the years, as a retail business coach and as a brick and mortar store owner with an ideal window area, I’ve learned that a great window display is eye-catching. Everything in the window needs to be large enough to be seen and the message/theme needs to be clear in order to attract both shoppers on foot and in vehicles. So think big, bold, and oversized.

Here are some helpful tips to help you plan for your next window display:

7 HELPFUL TIPS FOR WINDOW DISPLAYS

#1: SET A GAME PLAN

Designing a window display should involve some planning. At the time, we knew highlighting our workshops would be ideal for the bright and spring-like vision we had for the window. So, we sat down with a good old pen and paper and laid out a plan for the window.

#2: USE SIGNAGE

In retail, it’s always best to be very clear about what you are selling – signage is a way to do this.  We used cardstock paper and a glue gun to create paper fans. We printed the letters on white paper, cut them out and glued them to the paper fans to create a “WORKSHOPS” sign that was simple, pretty, and big enough to read without overpowering the window.  I punched a hole at the top, used twine and a staple gun to hang the letters.

If hanging a sign isn’t an option, another great way to display a sign in a DIY window display is by using an easel.  We used an easel to display a canvas sign with vinyl lettering to advertise our hand-lettering classes.

#3: UPCYCLE ITEMS

We used cardstock to create our paper flowers, too. Many window display areas don’t have backdrops or somewhere to hang items so you have to get creative. We attached the large paper flowers to an old set of tall window shutters we had in our basement storage – it’s a freestanding display that can be used throughout the year.  Get creative and save some money by reusing items you have in storage.

#4: STACK/REPEAT

To highlight our furniture painting workshops, we chose to use an old desk we had in our basement to display for a “before and after” effect. In order to highlight the products we sell in our store related to furniture painting, we stacked a few unfinished crates and used the area inside each crate for a little merchandising.  

#5: OPTIMIZE BOTH DEPTH AND HEIGHT

Use depth and height in the window to your advantage.  It gives your window display dimension. We placed some items at the back, middle, and front, like our handmade wall hanging made from yarn, hemp twine, and wood beads.  Then we used a simple hook at the top of the window to hang it. We also had varying heights, from the tall paper flower display to the half-painted cabinet door sitting on the floor.

We also love tiered craft carts!  They’re great for displaying and keeping things organized. Use them in your office area, storage rooms, or for merchandise items in your store. We used our white cart to display the pretty yarn used to make the wall hangings.

#6: MAKE IT OVERSIZED!

Our friend and felt flower artist, Maureen of All Spelled Out, makes the most beautiful flower wreaths.  

In a home, these 12” gold hoop wreaths display beautifully. But for our large window, we knew we would need an oversized version. So we ordered 24” Wood Embroidery Hoops and a stack of felt sheets.

Maureen was generous enough to create these wreaths by spray painting the embroidery hoops in gold and making oversized versions of her felt flowers for our display. Gorgeous, right?

#7: INVOLVE THE TEAM

As brick-and-mortar store owners, we juggle many balls. Creating eye-catching window displays like this can be a big effort and take time, so be sure to ask for help. Ask family members, friends, employees, a business partner, subcontractors, or anyone who would be happy to help you.  You might be surprised at who’s willing to help!

Do you own a storefront? What tips do you have for creating eye-catching window displays? Comment below!

If you struggle with merchandising and displays, listen to Episode 107 of the Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast, “Store Layout and Merchandising Tips”

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