How to Make a Frame into a Shadowbox Easily and Cheaply

Shadow box frames are ideal to display your bead work, stump embroidery, scrapbooking and collectibles. This is how to take a $2 document frame and make it into a $20. shadowbox frame with $3.00 of supplies.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shims purchased from building supply store (43 = $2.75) OR 1” X ½ “ strips of wood .47 linear foot.
• Small saw
• White Glue
• 2” wide scotch tape.
• Cheap frame with glass.
• Black spray paint

1. 
   Professional Shims 43 for $2.75 at Building Supply

   1. I purchased the professional shims from lumber supply store as for $2.75 I could make 5 shadowboxes; whereas, if I purchased correct size wood by linear foot .47 @ (like real thick wood yardsticks), I could only make one shadowbox for $2. The shims wood is sawed at an angle, so you need an extra step of gluing together two shims, each facing opposite directions, to make one stick about 1” x1/2” by 14”. Let dry overnight.

2. 
   MEASURE STICKS TO CUT

   2. Put frame face down on table, remove back. Put your glued shims or already correct sticks in back of frame to measure to cut, (leave 1/8” or less leeway), to fit standing up inside back ridge of frame as pictured. No mitered corners or nails required. Be sure to allow for thickness of wood on both sides before cutting four pieces.

3. 
   Assembled

   3. Cut wood. Test fit. Try various ways.

4. 4. Black spray paint all wood being used including edges as they may show through front of picture. Let dry to specifications. My Ehow article “How to make a Victorian Frame” will show you how to cover front of plain frame and thus any wood showing.

5. 

   5. Reinsert wood into back of frame manner in which it fits best. When happy with fit, put glue all way around inside of frame next to glass; glue corners of wood to fit inside of frame. Tape edges to secure while drying. Let dry 24 hours.

6. 
   Back of Shadowbox

   6. Mount picture for shadow box to inside of back. When centered correctly, use wide tape on back of box to hold back to new box.

7. 
   Cloth picture hanging tabs on top outside edges.

   7. Put cloth hanging brackets as shown on top sides of box directly onto wood, not tape. As you see, I tried the hook on back of box, top of frame sticks out; and eyes on top, bottom of frame sticks out. So, I removed both of them and used cloth tape, (used in apartments not to mark walls or pictures), that you wet and let dry for 24 hours. Then, of course, I put my favorite wide scotch tape over cloth tabs as extra protection.

8. 
   My stump embroidery of The White Clover Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker.

   8. The reason I make shadow boxes. My stump embroidery of Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies. See my Ehow article "How to Do Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork Embroidery".

9. 
   My stumpwork of Apple Blossom Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker.

   9. UPDATE, 7/1/09, I find it's better to spray paint inside of shadow bow white, light blue or green as it continues the picture better and reflects light better. This is a picture with inside of shadow box sprayed light color. To see how I covered the frame see my Ehow article "How to Make a Matching Frame for Your Picture".

[admiller]

on 6/4/2009 I love shadow boxes. Thanks for the directions.