Christmas is over until next year, so it’s time to take down Santa and his reindeer until next December. Like many retailers, you might be feeling exhausted by the prospect of doing any more decorating before the end of the year. If you’re running low on ideas, never fear – Here are some quick and simple tips for decking the halls after Christmas to create captivating window displays:
Walking in a winter wonderland
If you created a full-out Christmas wonderland effect in a front window, don’t feel like your hard work has to be scrapped. Reorganize the store fixtures in your space to make it different while keeping the same touches. Looking to create this wintry effect simply and quickly? Start by stocking up on a few acrylic cubes of varying sizes and stacking them throughout the scene to create a diverse landscape. Secure the fixtures with an easy-to-remove adhesive or with weighted objects, then cover them with a sheet of soft white flannel or cotton stuffing to emulate the fluffy effect of a fresh snowfall. This blank canvas is a creative twist on a standard structured display, and allows for simple placement of merchandise.
Complete the look with a few decorative finishing touches. For instance, large paper snowflakes can be hung from the ceiling on strands of decorative wholesale ribbon. Then give the scene a warm, glowing look with string or strand lighting hung about the perimeter of the window. After these simple essentials are in place, you’re welcome to continue accentuating with faux pine branches decorated with spray-on snow or other effects, such as an artificial snowman or a scarf and pair of mittens. You can also spray the “snow” onto clear acrylic blocks to set atop the white sheet for additional ornamentation.
Oh the weather outside is frightful…
During cold-weather months, it might be more tempting to passersby to imagine your store as a cozy oasis. Create a vision of homey perfection in your front window that also tells a story. Start from the ground up, and choose a flooring selection with some personality – think a nice throw run over wooden paneling, both of which can be purchased at a reasonable price. Then set the scene with typical interior decorations, such as a wingback chair and a small, ornate display table, plus a lamp or wall-mounted sconce lighting. Toss a warm throw blanket over the back of the chair and set a book and mug on the table to completely emulate that home-like feel.
Remember that although you’re telling a story, you still want to call passersby to action – namely, to step inside your store and check out your merchandise. Encourage this by selecting a few particularly appealing items to place alongside your warm interior window display. As in your winter wonderland theme, you might consider advertising your best deals with decorative tags or even small clip-on posters to draw customers’ attention to products and their attractive pricing.
A whole new year
Christmas, of course, is not the only holiday celebration. If you’re feeling ambitious about changing out decorations after the new year, take advantage of this week to go all-out with dazzling details. Start with white carpeting in your storefront window, then pick out display fixtures that add a pop of color and contrast, such as a black display table and a variety of C3 Custom Color mannequins. Sparkling details like glittery decals add accentuation to the scene that will catch the light as well as customers’ eyes. Flexible clear rope lighting can bring illumination to your products and bright retail signs and posters will spell out exactly what your shoppers have to save.
