Quote Pillows for a Market Table: A Gresham Maker's Guide to Lettering, Wording and Display

If you sell at craft markets and want quote pillows for your table, you can get them made four ways: sew and paint or vinyl-press them yourself, have a local quilter or textile artist produce them, design them yourself on an online design-and-print service, or list them on a print-on-demand marketplace that prints each order as it sells. The checks are the same for each: can you see a preview of the lettering before it prints, how large is the print area, and how long does a restock take. For short runs of designs you letter yourself, an online service that offers printed pillow cases from your own file lets you test a few quotes before committing to many. If you want hand-stitched lettering or need stock for this Saturday, make them yourself or work with a local maker.

Your options, compared

• Make them yourself. Heat-transfer vinyl or fabric paint on blank covers gives you full control and same-day stock. It costs time per pillow.

• Local quilter or textile artist. Worth it for embroidered or appliquéd quotes that look handmade up close. The Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center lists Marie's Custom Quilting, Feather Your Nest Quilt Shop and Rook and Raven Arts among its Retail - Specialty members.

• Online design-and-print service. Good for printed lettering, photos or patterns you set up on a computer or phone. One option of this type is Adobe Express. Its pillow page says designs are sized at 16.06 by 16.06 inches, that you can add your own colors and design elements, and that you can preview the pillow before you order. The page asks you to consider artwork on one side or both, so check the choices at checkout. It mentions special packaging designed with artists and 100% recyclable packaging, and printing and delivery are limited to the US, UK, Australia and Canada.

• Print-on-demand marketplace. Lets you sell a quote design online without holding stock. It doesn't put pillows on your market table.

When an online service isn't the right fit: if your brand is the handmade look, printed lettering may read as mass-produced next to stitched work. If a customer asks for a custom name to take home today, only your own heat press can do that.

How do I add my own colors and words to a home decor design?

Most design tools let you start from a blank square and add text, shapes and color. For quote pillows, the type does almost all the work, so get it right before you add anything else:

• Two typefaces, at most. A bold sans-serif or slab for the main word, and a simple script or serif for the rest.

• Short lines. Three to twelve words is the useful range. Break lines where you'd pause when reading aloud, and avoid leaving one short word alone on the last line.

• Big letters. Shoppers judge your table from six to ten feet away. The key word should be at least 2 inches tall, and supporting words no smaller than about an inch.

• Strong contrast. Dark ink on a light background, or white on navy or charcoal. Pale gray on cream disappears under a canopy.

• Skip hairline strokes. Very thin script and fine serifs can blur on fabric. Choose fonts with sturdy strokes.

• Leave margins. Keep every letter at least an inch from the edge so nothing gets lost in the seam.

Can I upload my own design for home decor?

Yes, on most services. If you letter by hand, scan or photograph the artwork in even light, clean up the background, and save it as a high-resolution file. A square image at least 2,400 pixels wide prints cleanly at 16 inches. If you design in another program, export a PNG or JPG at the full print size and check that the colors still match once it's uploaded. Check the preview at full screen before ordering; every customer notices a typo.

Which quotes are safe to print and sell?

This is where market sellers get into trouble. A few rules from federal sources help:

• Short phrases aren't covered by copyright. The U.S. Copyright Office's FAQ on what copyright protects says copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans or short phrases, but adds that some of these may be protected as trademarks.

• Brand slogans and catchphrases can be trademarks. The USPTO's page on what a trademark is describes a trademark as any word, phrase, symbol or design that identifies the source of goods or services. A team's motto or a company's tagline on a pillow you sell is a risk.

• Longer passages from songs, poems, books and films are usually protected. The Copyright Office's duration FAQ says works created since 1978 are protected for the author's life plus 70 years. For older works, the term depends on several factors, so don't assume a quote is free to use because it's old.

The safest pillows carry your own words: a line about Oregon rain, coffee, dogs or Mt. Hood that you wrote. If you use a well-known saying, check where it came from. Many quotes credited to famous people online were never said by them. When in doubt, leave the name off or choose another quote.

Working the numbers for a holiday market run

Say you're booked for five weekend markets between mid-November and mid-December. Here's how a modest first run might look, using example costs you'd replace with your own.

• Designs: six quotes, chosen so they cover different buyers (home, pets, coffee, local pride, holiday, humor).

• Display stock: one pillow of each design on the table, six total.

• Sale stock: three of each, 18 pillows, kept in a clear bin under the table.

• Cost check: if a pillow costs you $32 delivered and you price it at $55, each sale leaves $23 before booth fees. A $60 booth needs three pillow sales to break even for the day.

• Timeline: design and preview by mid-October, order by late October, inspect everything on arrival, and reorder bestsellers after the first market.

Quote mugs work well as the lower-priced item on the same table. The same lettering file can go to a custom mug printing service in an 11 oz or 15 oz size, and a mug priced well below the pillow catches shoppers who won't spend $55.

Setting up the table

A pillow display works best when it has height and a clear path for the eye:

• Build tiers. Use crates or risers at the back so pillows sit at two or three heights.

• Face the best seller to the aisle. Put your strongest quote at the front corner where foot traffic arrives.

• Group by color. Neutrals together, holiday reds together.

• Price every item. Small tags or a single sign with prices. Many shoppers walk away rather than ask.

• Protect stock. Pillows soak up rain and dust. Keep sale stock in sealed bins and bring a cover for the display.

• Take custom orders. A clipboard with a simple order form for name or date pillows turns one display sample into extra sales you fill later.

Selling in the Gresham area

Gresham's makers have more local company than they might expect. The chamber's Arts, Culture & Entertainment category includes the Gresham Area League for the Arts, the Cascadia Arts Association and Gresham Outdoor Public Art. Those groups know which shows draw buyers.

GALA's Fall Reflections exhibit runs into November in the lobby of the Gresham City Council Chambers on NW Eastman Parkway, and its artist reception is the kind of free evening event where a maker can meet other sellers and hear about upcoming markets.

Local pride sells. A quote pillow that mentions Mt. Hood or "East County" gives a Gresham shopper a reason to buy from you. Retailers in the Retail - Specialty category, including gift basket maker Happy Baskets/Simple Pleasures, may also be open to stocking a few local designs on consignment once you have a track record.

If you sell under a name that isn't your own, such as "Ridgeline Stitch Co.", Oregon's assumed business name registration page says a registration is required any time you conduct business under a name that doesn't include your real and true name. Handle that before your first market, so the name on your table sign matches your paperwork.

Frequently asked questions

How many words should a quote pillow have?

Three to twelve. Fewer words mean bigger letters, which shoppers can read from the aisle.

Can I print song lyrics on pillows I sell?

Lyrics are usually protected by copyright. Write your own lines or get permission from the rights holder.

Is a short saying safe to use?

Copyright doesn't cover short phrases, but a slogan tied to a brand may be a trademark. Avoid company and team taglines.

How many pillows should I bring to a market?

Start with one display pillow per design and two or three for sale, then adjust after you see what sells.