How My Husband Rebuilt Our Market Shelf
My market booth got a serious upgrade, and I have my husband to thank.
He started with a 3-tier display stand design from the Etsy shop BradyMakesDIY. It's a beautiful design, but our candles aren't light. Handmade concrete vessels are heavy, and a shelf that wobbles at a market is the last thing you want. So he reworked it to be sturdier while still folding down for setup and pack-up.
The shelf before it was stained.
What he changed, and why
1. Hinges between each tier
He added hinges to the support sections between each tier. That lets the whole stand fold, so it's easier to carry, load into the car and set up at each market.
2. A full ladder-style center frame
He rebuilt the center into a full ladder-style frame. That gives the shelves a much stronger backbone to carry the weight of the concrete.
3. A hinged top with fixed dowels
The top section now opens on hinges, while fixed dowels connect both sides. The dowels hold the two sides together so the stand stays steady once it's open.
Opening the stand: the hinged ladder frame and the dowels that connect both sides.
4. Copper loops and a locking dowel
To secure the whole structure, he installed 1.5-inch copper loops along the back of each side, running through the shelves and supports. Then he slides a 1.5-inch dowel through them. That ties everything together into one connected, reinforced frame.
Fitting the 1.5-inch dowel through the loops along the back.
5. A safety chain across the ladder
A chain runs across the ladder frame and hooks on at both sides. It stops the ladder from opening any wider than it should, so the shelves stay level and the candles stay put.
The safety chain keeps the ladder from spreading, with the copper loops and dowel below.
The result
A shelf that still folds and travels easily, but stands solid with a full load of concrete candles on it. Concrete vessels on one side, the Cozy Collection in amber glass on the other, and no wobble.
Stained, loaded and ready for market day.
A closer look at the finished shelf at market: the copper loops, dowels, legs, safety chain and hinges, all stained.
It made its debut at the East Northport Festival. Come see it in person at one of our October markets.
Shop the candles
Shop our Fall Candle Collection in handmade concrete vessels, or our Cozy Collection in amber glass.
With love,
Molesia