#1: This obvious, but get something you LIKE and want to see a lot. I loved loved loved the pieces I got in Fiji and went against my better judgement to spend the money on them. (I also LOVED a woven mat handmade in one of the towns we visited. I don't really have a place for it right now, so I'll show it in a future post!)
#2: Be careful, just because a native is selling it doesn't mean it wasn't made in China. Make sure you know the cultural significance of your items, like I did for the masks and neck breaker.
#3: Your collage of pieces is more likely to balance if you chose a variety of sizes. I selected one large mask and balanced it with a smaller mask and a small neck breaker. My husband wanted a 4 foot neck breaker, but that was a little too varied for our small apartment!!
#4: Plan your arrangements on the floor before starting to hang them. You don't want to make any more holes in your walls than necessary, so make sure you have a plan when you start hammering! Also, balance is a visual concept so you really shouldn't need to measure too much. Maybe you want to make sure your center piece is centered, but other wise trust your eyes! That's how everyone else will be experiencing your art, so that's what matters most.
#5: Lastly, if you need to, fill in blank spaces with something you got in town, as long as it continues the vibe you have going. My three pieces left an awkward blank spot so I filled it with a vase and rocks from Target and sticks from IKEA.
Never again will you have to return with a T-shirt that you'll never wear or a made in china magnet. Find something exotic and bring a little bit of your vacation home with you!
Where are your summer plans taking you?
