Concealing White Tent Walls

[Jerry Cave]

Question for those of you using EZ Up, Caravan etc.

What are you using to conceal those bright white tent walls? I'm looking at draperies, sheers etc. Not finding the perfect something yet to mellow those things out.


thanks


jerry

[Pamela B.]

I didn't completely hide my walls, but I reduced them to background status. I picked up several yards of faux silk material (polyester; it feels like silk but doesn't wrinkle) in purple, turquoise blue and deep royal blue (wanted a green but they didn't have it). I cut 8' long pieces, hemmed the bottom and sewed a channel at the top. My curtain rod is a piece of copper tubing 10' long. I hang the curtains thus: blue, purple, turquoise, purple, turquoise, purple and blue. The middle purple one has a slit in the back so that I can run a plastic zip tie around the copper curtain rod and hang it from the top of the tent wall. You can use zip ties between the curtains, too. A little more than halfway down each one I tied a loose knot and stuck some peacock feathers in the knot. Voila! Instant color, and a perfect way to cover much of the white tent walls. Also acts as a great customer magnet, and really helps to tie my entire display together. When I can, I roll up the walls of the tent and if there's too much breeze, I run a piece of monofilament line from one leg to the other, just above the knots, to keep the curtains from blowing in too far (the knot stops them). I also added 2 lightweight chains (you could use anything) which run diagonally from corner to corner at the top of the poles and wrap strands of artificial forsythia around them to help conceal the great white expanse of tent top. (I couldn't find anything in purple that looked real, but the yellow works well -- attracts bees, too, for a little while) I tried other materials but the silk was best: lightweight, non-wrinkling, shiny, perfect for glass. I made myself a high folding chair out of purpleheart which also helps to hide part of one wall and has made a big difference in how tired my feet get at the end of a long day.

Pam

[Jerry Cave]

Pam - Perfect. Thanks very much. I'm getting ready for another outdoor show in Spokane. You know how booths are, always changing, hopefully for the better. More than likely I'll have just the back wall up but even one wall is blindingly white.





jerry

[Dani]

How about a styrofoam sheet covered in fabric, then faux-painted in some awesomely cool, moody way (like with metal and/or interference acrylics)... so lightweight you could hang from the tent supports and the added benefit of rigidity so you could actually pin items into the board (without the pinholes shows afterwards because of the fabric cover).

[charlie]

you have to think about fire protection in all these cases. i know the fire marshal has a snit when my teacher swmbo hangs stuff on the walls of her classroom.

[Geri Comstock]

Question for those of you using EZ Up, Caravan etc.

What are you using to conceal those bright white tent walls? I'm looking at draperies, sheers etc. Not finding the perfect something yet to mellow those things out.


thanks


jerry

Just curious, Jerry...why do you want to conceal the walls?

I've tried different background for my work and find that it looks best on those bright white tent walls if they're clean...LOL.

I've found that the gorgeous colors of glass show to their best advantage on bright white walls. The sunlight is able to come through which also makes my work look its best.

At indoor shows, I use white drapes for the same reason. The light bounces off the white walls and makes my work stand out more clearly from the background.

Don't know if this would be true for you, though.

Best -

Geri

[Jerry Cave]

Dani - At this point I'll consider most options. Setup has to be simple and quick. Whatever it is has to pack and travel well.



Charlie - To date, the only fire marshall issues I've encountered have been for indoor shows such as the Convention Center. Table coverings, drapes etc have to be treated and you have to be able to prove it if asked. Outdoor shows haven't been a problem,,,,,,, yet. You know it's coming sooner or later. The tent of course is for outdoor shows.

[Jerry Cave]

Geri - My display cases are glass. None of my work is exposed since it's silver, gold, and glass jewelry. In fact I use locking cases. Table covering is black. All I'm really looking to do is make it look a little better, finish the tent a bit. Color to me would be preferable over the stark white look.

[Geri Comstock]

Geri - My display cases are glass. None of my work is exposed since it's silver, gold, and glass jewelry. In fact I use locking cases. Table covering is black. All I'm really looking to do is make it look a little better, finish the tent a bit. Color to me would be preferable over the stark white look.

I'd suggest you get blown up photos of your work, have them mounted on foam core or something rigid, have them laminated, and put those on the wall behind you rather than using a colored backdrop. This allows customers to see your work from a distance.

This strategy is used by many of the jewelers who make higher end work on the show circuit.

There is a fairly well-known jeweler who does a show I do in S.CA. and also does the Rosen shows, I believe. Her pieces are very large and spendy. I believe she only does indoor shows. For a backdrop and risers, she uses a marble patterned linoleum. It looks pretty good and can be washed pretty easily. I believe she also has photos and a large sign with her name on it.

Good luck!

Geri

[kelly alge]

The photo sign idea is a good one. I do a lot of jewelry along with my panels and framed work, so I use two things on my walls... bifold doors sawed in half hanging from my tent frame with zip ties ( my pendants and earrings are carded and hang nicely on them), and then I have my framed and panel pieces hanging on pegboards that have been draped with sheer white material. (pegboard is SOOO ugly) You can make your fabric fire-retardant by using a mixture of water, borax, and boric acid, spray it on, and run it through the dryer or hang it to dry, or you can use the spray on stuff. The fire marshal should be able to tell you what you should use. I also have some black and white fabric with city names printed on it to hang in the corners to disguise the ugly poles a bit. I've tried to keep my display in black, white, and silver, so that the color in my work really stands out.