Artist’s Alley Display Template Pack
Role: Designer & Creator
Solo/Team: Solo Project
Timeframe: August - October 2025 (7 Weeks)
Tools: Canva, InDesign, Wordpress, Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn
Small Business Craft Fair and Artist Alley Tabling Vendor Display Template
As someone who attends a lot of craft fairs and conventions myself, it’s clear to me as a consumer and as a graphic designer/artist myself which booths stand out more and therefore make more money due to catching more attention. As a supporter of small businesses and artists, I wanted to make a digital product that was easy to use and could easily enhance their business. This product was a solo project that I took from concept to launch over the course of seven weeks.
I designed these templates for small business owners, artists, and craft fair vendors who want to enhance their booth presentation and stand out at events without needing prior graphic design experience.
Many of these creators pour their energy into making their products, but struggle when it comes to translating their brand into a visually consistent table setup. My goal was to build a customizable Canva template kit that would make that process easier, helping vendors design cohesive signage, price displays, and layout materials that look professional, organized, and on-brand.
I wanted this kit to feel approachable, unique, and empowering as a product that not only saves time but also boosts confidence before and during an event. By streamlining the design process, vendors can spend less time worrying about setup and more time connecting with customers, creating more items to sell, and sharing their work.
Beginner vs Experienced
The Problem
Through conversations with vendors and observations at craft fairs, artist alleys, and online, I noticed a recurring set of challenges. Many vendors, newer vendors especially, said their booths don’t look as visually captivating as other, more established booths, even though their individual products they were selling were high quality. Others, like a family friend I know who runs a small craft business herself, mentioned wanting professional signage but not knowing where to start or not having time to design materials from scratch.
These frustrations pointed to a clear need for a ready-to-edit, easy-to-use display solution designed specifically for small vendors.
My Approach
To make sure my idea would genuinely help vendors and to gain inspiration for what I should work on creating for my product, I looked at existing platforms like Creative Market and Etsy to see what kinds of vendor templates already exist. While there are some resources out there, I noticed most (of the few that exist) of them are either very general or focus only on one piece of marketing/display (like only banner design). I wanted to fill that gap of lack of options to choose from, as well as a lack of everything in one place, in one simple purchase that was easy to use.
Before starting to create my Canva templates, I put together a Pinterest board of booth and display examples to keep coming back to whenever I needed inspiration. It was super helpful to see how other vendors styled their setups, what kinds of signage they used, and how they balanced functionality with aesthetics. Another resource that stood out was a tutorial I found on Geeklectic Shop’s blog: Display Board Walkthrough Tutorial for Artist Alley. The section called “Step Two: Designing your boards” was especially useful because it broke down the process of making templates in a way that felt approachable and easy to follow.
After my research, I began to work on my Canva template kit that could be customized for both print and digital use. Each template was built with beginners in mind, keeping the layouts simple but visually cohesive, with clear hierarchy and space for personalization. To make the process as stress-free as possible, I also created a detailed instructional PDF guide (that customers would receive through email upon purchasing), walking users through every step, from editing their templates and exporting files to preparing them for printing before an event.
Development Process
Week 1: Finding My Market Opportunity
The first week focused on research. I explored digital marketplaces, Etsy listings, and small business Instagram/TikTok accounts to identify where my design skills could meet a real need. After attending local markets and following creators online, I noticed that while vendors cared deeply about presentation, not all had accessible tools to help them achieve it. That’s when I decided to create a resource that simplified booth design while staying creative and flexible.
Click here to read my blog from week 1!
Week 2: Refining the Concept
Instead of just one display kit, I shifted focus toward creating a vast variety of display templates to make one large overall kit that could be used for craft fairs, pop-ups, and artist alleys. Pinterest and Etsy searches confirmed this idea, as they revealed a clear gap in the ready-to-use display template market.
Click here to read my blog from week 2!
Week 3: Building Early Prototypes
I began designing the first versions of the display templates in Canva, starting with small, commonly sold items like stickers, pins, and keychains. I focused on realistic scaling and usability, ensuring each layout worked within typical table dimensions and booth setups.
Click here to read my blog from week 3!
Week 4: Expanding the Kit
Once the core templates were in place, I introduced the Product Catalog Template, which helps vendors organize products visually with names, pricing, and options
Click here to read my blog from week 4!
Week 5: Finalizing Templates
After multiple design iterations, I expanded the collection to include signage, price tags, and product cards.
Click here to read my blog from week 5!
Week 6: Launch Preparation
With the design phase complete, I turned my focus to packaging and presentation. I initially planned to list the kit on Etsy, but ultimately launched it through my Squarespace due to some backend issues. However, this change allowed me to build a stronger sales page as it was connected to a website displaying my portfolio of previous work I’ve done.
Click here to read my blog from week 6!
Week 7: Launch & Reflection
The final week centered around launching my product page, making graphics to market it on my social media accounts, and reflecting on the hard work I put in these past 7 weeks to make this product real.
What I Built
The final kit includes several deliverables that work alongside each other.
Vendor Display Template (Canva): Gives vendors template backing cards of where they can display their products they have for sale in an organized, cohesive, and visually appealing way for customers to view.
Product Catalog Template (Canva): Allows vendors to display their offerings visually in a condensed booklet on their table, allowing customers to see everything they have available (online and in person) in one place.
Display Deals Signage Template (Canva): Helps users design booth visuals, signs, and pricing cards that align with their brand identity.
Welcome/Tutorial PDF: A step-by-step guide simplifying customization for first-time Canva users once they purchase the kit.
Sales Page Design: I set up a sales page for my product through my Squarespace website.
Social Media Advertisement: I created graphics to promote my product, especially on my Instagram pages where it would target the audience I wanted the most.
Reflection & Next Steps
This project reinforced how powerful accessible design can be when it’s built with empathy for the user. Small business owners already juggle so many tasks, such as marketing, product creation, and event planning, that booth design often falls to the bottom of the list. I wanted this kit to feel like a reliable helping hand, removing one layer of stress while helping vendors feel proud of their setup and guiding more customers to view and purchase their products they worked so hard on.
Looking back, my favorite part was seeing how cohesive everything became once the kit was assembled. Every sign, display, and catalog page connected visually, creating a unified brand experience even for small vendors just starting out.
If I had more time, there’s so much I could expand in this kit to make it even more useful for vendors. One idea I would be excited to create as an add-on in the future is creating a sticker sheet that could be used to label catalog items, things like “Sold Out,” “Foil Print,” “New,” or other custom tags. I think adding this layer of interactivity and customization would make the product catalog feel even more dynamic and help vendors communicate updates to customers quickly.
Beyond that, I’d love to explore additional template variations, like alternative signage styles, themed layouts, or seasonal kits (as seasonal craft fairs for fall and Christmas, especially, are very prevalent), to give users more flexibility and creative options.