Talk about literary genius. This stationery display is a stroke of inspiration. The lost art of writing is making a comeback in a big way, and independent retailers are showing just how stylish they can be. 

This mailbox table display envelops fashionable stationery items in elegance and reminds customers of the pleasure of finding handwritten letters waiting in the mailbox. We used an inexpensive wood table as the base for our display. The unfinished, rustic wood provides a nice contrast to the elegant stationery products. Then, we simply lined a set of mailboxes along the top. (The table is pulled out from the wall to allow the mailboxes to sit centered and balanced.) A custom-cut piece of glass tops the mailboxes and provides additional display space.

The background for the display was created using enlarged photocopies of old letters and envelopes. A blueprint copying machine (available at most self-service copy centers) will allow you to make these oversize copies. We then gave the letters an aged appearance by tea-staining them with watered-down acrylic paint. To do this, first wipe the papers down with water, using a sponge brush. Then, brush on a small amount of brown or tan acrylic paint and immediately wipe it off, using another clean sponge brush or cloth. We wallpapered our aged letters to the wall, but you could also just tack them up for a less permanent display.

Once your display is ready, fill the mailboxes, the tabletop and the space beneath the table with your best paper and writing products. These reminders of "old-fashioned" personal correspondence are sure to inspire your customers to write that letter they've been thinking about—and, of course, to buy some beautiful stationery and pens to do so.