Portable Display Board for Puzzles

So here's how it all happened:

Some time last year I began making puzzles. At first I only had a few but over time the selection grew (I think the current selection is 26 different animal patterns) and as the selection grew, so did the amount of space it took up on my tables, until puzzles alone took up over half a table. 

This on it's own isn't a problem per se, at least as long as I'm doing mostly farmer's markets through the summer, since space isn't much of a problem and hypothetically I could always add another table. There are, however, two long term problems with the situation: 1. the table begins to look too cluttered and 2. table space becomes a factor at craft and gift sales (which dominate my weekends through November and December) when every table costs extra. Clearly a solution was needed for the long run. 

Previously I had made a small display board for my pre-cut inspirational words. This was a small board, maybe 2' high, that had a removable base that attached to a table to maximize space and provide a better display. This had worked out fairly well, but I would need something significantly larger to accommodate puzzles. The words are all roughly 3" whereas the puzzles range in size with an average of around 5" and a few coming in excess of 6". Since i had around 26 different puzzles in stock it made sense to make something that would be large enough to hold all of those and have a bit of space left over. 

I wanted something that would be portable, and given the size I would be dealing with, this meant it would have to either fold up or disassemble. I decided to go with something that could be set up and taken down with little time or trouble, no tools and would fit in the back of my mini van. 

I took an inventory of what I had around the shop for scraps. I had a few 4' long scraps of 3/4" plywood that looked like they'd make a good base, and a 32" x 48" piece of 1/2" ply that would make a great display board. I ripped some scraps of 1" dressed lumber to 1 1/2" wide and rounded over the front edges. 1" x 4"s made supports along the back to provide stability and the entire assembly would be held together with bolts and wingnuts so that I wouldn't have to carry tools around with me. When it was all done the set up time was under 2 minutes and was easily done without assistance from anyone else. 

The final product turned out quite well, I think. If my puzzle inventory increases much more than I can always make another one, but this one should suffice for the Christmas rush (beginning soon) for this year. I set it up at the Madoc Farmer's market on Friday and received a number of compliments.

I will take a quick moment to mention that I do build custom display units for other vendors. I will try to do a post later this week showing another display unit that I made for myself and then for another vendor. Table space is limited for most of us, and showing off our wares isn't always easy to do affordably. If you have a display need, contact me at mapleridgecreations@gmail.com for a consultation and pricing.