25 Indoor Vendor Booth Ideas for Craft Businesses & Artists

September 6, 2024

So you're preparing for your first (or next) indoor vendor show, and you want some new ideas for your booth?

Say no more! We've collected 25 indoor vendor booth ideas for your craft or art business that you can use for your next show.

Preparing for a vendor show can be nerve-wracking. You might wonder if you're setting up your booth the right way or if you'll make your investment back.

We've been there, and we've been lucky enough to see lots of success from vendor events. (By the way, you can find our upcoming vendor events on our Trade Shows page!)

With this article, we hope to give you plenty of inspiring ideas that will put you at ease and get you ready for your next vendor event.

Important Note: Make sure you read through your event rules and restrictions before you invest in something new. Indoor event planners have to consider fire safety and crowding, so they may have restrictions on what you can and can't use, or they may ask you to pay for any electricity you use. It pays to read the rules first!

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that we may receive a commission if you make a purchase using third-party links.

#1 - Make the Most of Vertical Space

If you want your items to be seen, you must use all your vertical space! Please don't lay your stuff flat on tables. Lifting or propping them up with hooks, shelves, or other display furniture will make sure all your customers can spot them from afar!

#2 - Make a Neon Sign

Most people have printed signs, but you can stand out with a cool custom-made neon one! These aren't cheap, but they'll ensure your booth is literally glowing on the big day.

@kaylabayw Event season is the best seasom 🤪 #foryou #fyp #smallbusiness #selfemployed #entrepreneur #smallbusinessowner #vendorevent #vendoreventbooth #howmuchimade #workwithme #tshirtbusiness #christmasbooth #christmasevent ♬ Christmas Tree Farm - Taylor Swift

#3 - Add a Rug

A simple area rug can really bring your space together. It can also add a big spot of color to entice more people to check out your things. Our advice? Pick something that matches your brand colors and helps your products stand out from far away.

#4 - Try Grid Walls

Grid walls are lightweight and easy to set up. You can hang products, signage, or other display items with S-hooks for an easy display. This is an easy way to add vertical displays to your booth, especially if you don't want to lift heavy items.

You can find grid walls like these on Amazon.

#5 - Get Display Racks

Another idea for indoor booths is to invest in display racks. These are relatively inexpensive but can help you display your products on multiple levels and make them more visible. You can even DIY these with a laser cutter or some wooden planks at home.

#6 - Use a Peg Board

Peg boards come with two perks: they make it easy to hang items with hooks, but they still look professional and cool. Like grid walls, these make it easy to hang signs, containers, or products and display them vertically for all to see. And the great thing about peg boards is that you can paint them in any color you want.

Image Source: IKEA

#7 - Try Shelving or Home Furniture

Someday, we'll hire a skywriter to let everyone know: "You don't have to use tables!" You can branch out to home furniture or wooden shelving for a more upscale, store-like look. We're thinking shelves, side tables, racks, and more.

#8 - Create Branded Signs

Print a vinyl sign to hang over your booth or stick to the front of your table. Make sure to include your brand colors, your business name, and a simple description of the main product or category of thing you sell. Simple is best--you want people to instantly be able to categorize you and understand why they should come take a look.

#9 - Host an Interactive Make & Take

A make-n-take, for the uninitiated, is a crafting experience for your customers--they get to make something to take home with them! We LOVE hosting make-n-takes at our booth because people can't resist them, and we get to meet a ton of awesome people. You could offer a free experience with cheaper items to bring people to your booth or require people to purchase a product to customize during the class.

@makerflocrafts Here we are Texas! Back at @pinnersconf and ready to have a blast! Catch us in action and come craft with us! #sublimation #uvresin #engrave #hydrodipping #craft #makeandtake #inspire #create #learn #GrandesDeclaracoesRenner ♬ All I Want Is You - Disco Lines

#10 - Put Eye-Catching Products at the Front

Before anyone will shop with you, you first need to draw them to your booth. And one of the best ways to do that is to create a single focal point that people just can't ignore. This could be your most interesting or provocative product, a selection of your most colorful items, a really fun sign, or even a spin-the-wheel game that they can play for free to get discounts!

#11 - Display Products on a Lazy Susan

Consider buying a lazy susan-style display to show off products. That way, customers can turn the table and see everything up close. Here's an idea from Amazon.

#12 - Upcycle Your Decor With Paint

If you have wooden display racks, shelves, or decorative items, consider painting them in your brand colors, white, or black. Think about what will help your products show up most easily. If you're in an indoor venue, black or bright colors may stand out more, but for outdoor events, white might be the best choice.

#13 - Dress According to Your Brand Style

Don't forget that you yourself are a walking billboard for your business! You can dress in a way that complements your booth and brand vibe, or simply wear a t-shirt with your logo on it. We like to wear blinged-out glittery jackets-- they certainly draw attention to our booth!

makerflo crafts team at pinners conference in kansas city 2024

Let's just say we like to make an impression!
This is part of our team at Pinners Conference in Kansas City.

#14 - Use a Photo Backdrop to Highlight Your Booth

We've heard crafters recommend using a photo backdrop to highlight your booth. You can find these in all different colors and patterns, even glitter tinsel for something fun. Like we said at the beginning of this article, though, make sure you're not breaking any rules by setting it up. A backdrop like this adds a pop of color and very literally "highlights" your booth for all to see! Here's an example on Amazon.

#15 - Add a Canopy or Curtains

It's not an outdoor event, but you can still use a canopy (if your event allows it, that is!). This can also create a more immersive experience for your customers. Plus, you can hang signs from the top of your booth, which makes them easy to see from far away.

#16 - Experiment with Battery-Operated Lighting

It's kind of magical when a booth has twinkling or glowing lights. ✨ If you don't want to pay for electricity or trip over cords, or if you don't have access to electricity in your booth location, battery-powered lights are a great alternative!

#17 - Prepare Free Samples and Gifts

Give people a reason to come to your booth by handing out free samples or little gifts! Think branded pens, packaged snacks (if allowed), or even coupons to your store. Or set up a free game they can play to win discounts or free products.

#18 - Plan Your Layout on Canva Before You Set Up

This is more of an insider tip, BUT… Indoor booths can be really tight, so you often can't go outside of your allotted space. You don't want to bring all of your tables only to find out that they don't fit as you like. Instead, plot out your layout with free software like Canva to make sure everything fits before the day of! See some examples in our list of 10x10 craft booth layouts.

#19 - Bring Folding Chairs

Folding chairs are a must for any event like this. You'll need a chair in between busy moments of the show, but you don't want a chair to get in the way when customers are flowing through. Enter the folding chair, which can be set up in seconds and folded away when you need it to disappear.

#20 - Add Fake Plants!

Who doesn't love a little bit of green in their space? 🪴Plants can make your booth more interesting and bring some life into your decor. But, real talk, plants are messy, and you have to worry about watering them all the time! For an indoor event, fake plants can really come in handy. You can pack them away and bring them out for each show without worrying about water or mess.

#21 - Create an Immersive Experience

Upgrade your booth to a store experience by creating three walls. You can find more ideas inside our list of 10x10 craft booth layouts to try, but here's how it works: use vertical shelving, racks, or curtains to create 3 walls at the back of your booth, effectively creating a walk-in store. When customers walk in, they become immersed in your booth. That leads to higher engagement and a greater likelihood that they'll walk away with a new purchase. 😉 The example below doesn't quite follow this layout, but still draws you in with a store-like vibe:

@solanasimply Setting up our market booth 💕 #retrocraftfair #smallbusiness #marketseason #craftshow #marketdisplays #candlebusiness #candledisplay ♬ original sound - Solana

#22 - Put One Sample Product at Eye Level

Products get missed when they're not at eye level. Big box stores know this, and that's why they put their most important products right there where you can see them. 👀You can capitalize on this same strategy by raising up one of each product type and placing it at eye level. People will notice these samples more readily, then look down to see if you have any more like them. And voila, more sales!

#23 - Try a New Table Layout

Have you heard of the Z-layout, inverted U-layout, and I-layout? There are SO many ways to organize your space, and each one has its own perks! See what we recommend in our guide to 10x10 craft booth layouts.

#24 - Consider a Booth Cover for Multi-Day Events

If you're keeping your booth in a mall or large event space over multiple days, you might want to cover it overnight for an extra layer of security. (Of course, make sure to take any valuables home to avoid theft.)

#25 - Design a Fun Pricing Sign

You can show off your brand vibe with all the little details of your booth, including your pricing sign. Search "Price List" on Canva to find tons of designs to choose from. And if you haven't made a pricing sign yet, we recommend it! It saves you from labeling each item or having people come and ask you what things cost every time.

Final Thoughts

Phew! We've shared a ton of different indoor vendor booth ideas with you in this article. Which one are you excited to try? Don't be shy--share your booth photos with us in our Official MakerFlo Facebook Community. We can't wait to see them! 📸

Looking for more ideas? Here are more resources we recommend: