How to Display Your Village Collectibles

Stuck on how to create an effective display with your collectible village pieces? Here are a few tips:

Start With a Background

Although several of the collectible village lines have pre-designed backgrounds, and effective display can begin with something as simple as a piece of blue fabric. Choose a sky blue color for a daytime display. For a more dramatic effect, or for a nighttime scene, use a darker blue. Inexpensive broadcloth will work, or you can use cotton velveteen for a rich, deep sky effect. Glue, tape or staple fabric to a piece of heavy cardboard or a sheet of styrofoam. 

Dealing with limited space? Fabric can simply be draped from the edge of a vase or from a branch in your Christmas tree to create a soft, solid background. If you like the natural look of the area where you will be setting up your display, forget the background! Remember, there are no rules.

Hide Those Wires!

If you have a village that lights up, remember that you will have electrical cords running through your display. Think about where you can hide them. The easiest way to do this is to place your display against a wall or in a bookcase. Be creative, and remember wires can run underneath any snow or ground covering.

Think About Lighting

If you're going to display your lighted village, think about where it will make the best use of light. Often, villages look best when displayed away from lamps and light fixtures, or with the room lights dimmed. If your room has a dark corner, think about setting up your display there, since it will not only look better, but will brighten that corner during the holidays. Before you start setting up, turn on the room lights---you may not like the effect of your lovely village under a bright reading lamp, and it's best to discover this before the display is completely ste up.

Use Different Levels

Make the most of your space by creating a display with several levels. Stack books or magazines and cover with white fleece or quilt batting. For a more complex display, levels can be cut and shaped from styrofoam. Simply cut sheet foam with a bread knife, and rub the cut edges with sandpaper or a piece of scrap foam to smooth the edges. Layers can be glued together with low temp hot glue, or anchored temporarily with bamboo skewers.

Getting It Together

Once you've conquered your background and base decisions, begin setting up your display by placing buildings first. Think about how your village should be arranged. Larger pieces may look best toward the back of the display, and you may have several pieces that could work together to create a sort of Main Street effect. Remember, you're building a village!

Tuck electrical wires and cords out of sight as you work. Once you've got your buildings in place, add trees and larger accessory pieces. Then add small accessories and people, which will be more visible in the front of the display. Finish by dusting your display with snowflakes. Polyester flakes can be purchased at most craft stores, or you can make your own fine snow by rubbing two pieces of styrofoam together over the top of your display.

Other Things To Consider:

• If small children will be visiting during the holiday season, place your display out of the reach of little hands. Be sure that there is nothing close by to climb on, either - village displays are like magnets to little ones. Be safe and plan ahead.
• Got pets? Make sure your display is out of the path your furry friend takes to get from point A to point B. Animals are creatures of habit, so be sure not to build your village where it blocks the road!