Making BQuirkie’s Fall Window Display
When my favorite vintage store posted to their Instagram story looking for help with their fall window display, I set down my second glass of wine at a Friday dinner and did what any reasonable person would do — slid into the DMs and volunteered both myself and my friend Abbey for the job.
Did I have any experience with window displays? No. Had I even asked Abbey if she was free? Also no. But the thought of another vintage-loving, ring-stacked, bangle-wearing thrifter landing this opportunity before I could was simply not something I could live with.
Bella, the owner of BQuirkie, graciously took a chance on me after receiving what I’ll admit was an overly enthusiastic and slightly too-long message describing Abbey and I as crafty girls who know a thing or two about working within a budget. My gig was secured!
I spent that Saturday morning poring through Pinterest for inspiration and digging through every closet in my apartment for whatever crafting supplies I’d had the sense to keep from my college sorority crafting days — plus a few things salvaged from my parents’ basement, and got to work. I put together an inspiration collage, made a few tweaks with Bella, and then it was time to create – and by create I mean hand-fold, cut, tape, and assemble over 200 paper flowers into flowing floral curtains to hang at the front of the store.
Abbey came over and folded flowers with me for hours and honestly I owe her my life a little bit.
I will say, it took way longer than I thought it would. But the best part of the whole thing was that it cost almost nothing and forced me to dig into my creativity. I basically just raided my own apartment for supplies, but being scrappy forces you to get creative in a way that going to Michaels or buying on Amazon just doesn’t.
So with Abbey getting carpal tunnel alongside me, many late nights with my cat keeping me company (I went through two entire seasons of Friends playing in the background while making these decorations) we somehow got 200 flowers done.
But after we spent several evenings post 9-5 flower-making, I realized I had no idea how I was actually going to hang the display from the shop ceiling. I needed something strong enough to hold up against the constant opening and closing of the door and the changing of mannequins, while still feeling delicate enough not to compete with the flowers or clash with the store’s cool, earthy vibe. A quick reality check on the Michaels app reminded me I was also on a budget (and at one point I genuinely considered searching nearby parks for fallen branches, just to lean into the whole whimsical thing I had going).
Thankfully, I made a last-ditch effort at the only hardware store downtown Cincinnati a few blocks from my apartment. To my surprise I found bundles of bamboo for under $10. On the walk home, arms full of bamboo, I was probably the strangest-looking person on the streets of Cincinnati. But it was exactly the look I was going for, it wasn’t too heavy for the command strips I had in my stash, and I got it from a local mom-and-pop shop — so I was supporting a small business while making something for another small business. Double win!
As it turned out, the hardest part of the whole thing wasn’t the making of the decor, it was the transporting of it. Getting those delicate, wispy strings from one end of town to another cost me nearly an hour of untangling once I arrived (by spring, I had a much better system). But once everything was up and Bella was happy, I had my very first art installation in a public space!
Walking past Findlay Market after that felt different than usual. Seeing my work in that window, in a neighborhood I love, gave me a feeling of pride I hadn’t quite felt before.
Be sure to check out BQuirkie on your next trip to Findlay Market!