Sun, Sea and Sand: A Summer Window Display

I've previously written about the Christmas and autumn window displays I created for a charity shop, and promised to update about this months ago. The weather has been sunny lately (I think spring is finally here!) so today I want to share photos of the summer window I created last June!

This was my first more challenging display, in that I decided to turn the display table into an ice cream cart.

I also made a 'fishermen's net' of gold mesh fabric and shells, which you can see in the top picture, and a fishing net (scrap of tulle, wire coat hanger and bamboo stick) which you can just about see leaning against the cabinet.

The ice cream cart was constructed using bamboo, fabric, and pins, with handles and wheels made from a cardboard box.

I made a lot of things for this window, including the 'Catch of the Day' and 'Beach' signs. The wooden 'Beach' sign was made from scrap wood.

I couldn't resist making a silly sign for behind the ice cream cart: 'Summer may be short, so get them while you can!'

We had loads of shorts in stock, and they sold like hot cakes!

Also seen on the table are some sticks of rock (paper bag, card and cellophane), ice creams (pompoms, scrap wood, old ring binder dividers) and pinwheels (old map, pins and old chopsticks). I made all of these with otherwise unusable items!

In a moment of insanity, I also decided to cut out tonnes of 'seagulls'. Once again this was using scrap paper--mainly those annoying one-line pages that print out on some documents or e-tickets. Taping thread onto the birds and pinning them to the ceiling was time-consuming, and in true seagull fashion a couple of them dive-bombed people who reached into the window ;)

You might have recognised the sticks of rock from a previous post of mine: Paper Sticks of Rock, or Beach Themed Party Favours.

These turned out pretty well and once the window was dismantled for a new display, somebody bought them!

Being a charity, there is no money for creating window displays, so we have to work with what we've got!

This display was created using only items that were donated, recycled, and handmade--so our summer shop window was entirely free. :)

There will be more window displays to come--this time I'll post them as I create them, rather than backwards!