How to Design a Shadow Box
A shadowbox is a beautiful way to display items and documents that may be important to you, but that are hard to display. They also make wonderful gifts for friends and family members, displaying mementos of your good times together. Planning a shadow box takes time and effort, but the results are absolutely worth it.
Things You'll Need
- Mementos
- Shadow box frame
- Fabric
- Paper for labels
- Glue or epoxy
- Drill
- Fishing line
Instructions
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1
Select your mementos. This can be a single item like a signed baseball or a collection of items such as stadium tickets, a program and baseball cards along with the baseball.
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2
Pick a frame. Make sure it is deep enough to accommodate your thickest object. The color and design should complement your central item.
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3
Insert mat board into the frame to cover up the wood or metal. Beforehand, you can cover the mat board with fabric and do the same for the backboard for a unified look.
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4
Plan the layout. Set the items out on the backboard and experiment with your arrangement. Photos and other paper items can be placed under larger items to add a sense of depth.
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5
Glue the items in place once your are satisfied with the layout. Epoxy can be used for larger items.
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6
Drill holes in the backboard to string fishing line to set items that you do not wish to glue down permanently. Alternatively, you can simply lean the item against the side of the box if you do not plan to move it often.
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7
Set the top frame to complete the shadow box. You can choose whether or not to include glass.
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Tips & Warnings
You can easily print out labels on your computer to add both an informative and decorative element.
For particularly expensive items, it is better to seek a professional to have your item preserved and framed properly.
