Keep the Best Memories With These 15 Shadow Box Ideas (2024)

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Megan Graney

Megan Graney is a crafting expert, art teacher, and writer who shares her knowledge of DIY painting, furniture refinishing, and sewing. She has almost a decade of hands-on experience and has been writing about crafts for five years.

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Updated on 11/04/19

Keep the Best Memories With These 15 Shadow Box Ideas (2)

Whether you’re displaying a couple of special photographs, a meaningful piece of artwork, or keepsakes from a significant memory, a shadow box can be a creative and beautiful solution. Oftentimes you can repurpose old picture frames into shadow boxes and even exchange their contents with the season or holiday. Or, try constructing your own frame from scrap wood and a bit of hardware, then decorate to your tastes. No matter the size and shape of the shadow box, it remains an excellent way to display your treasured belongings. Skim the list below for ideas on how to get started creating your own personal, unique shadow box artwork.

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Succulent Shadow Box

Why not combine your wall art with your house plants for a trendy, fresh, take on the shadow box? Gather a variety of succulents for this project—more diverse leaf shapes and colors add depth and visual interest. Because succulents require such little maintenance, you can even create this craft with live plants, just hang on a sunny wall and spritz with water every now and then.
Succulent Shadow Box from Pretty Providence
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Color Block Heart Shadow Box

For those painterly types, coat a simple balsa wood decoration with a few selected hues, and pop into a deep frame for a lovely piece of DIYed art. This craft is perfect for kids: it’s simple to put together, is doable in an afternoon, and the shadow box displays your little one’s painting beautifully.
Color Block Heart Shadow Box from Crafts by Courtney
See Also
Wall Shadow Box Ideas: Creative Inspiration for Your Home Décor
03 of 15
Ampersand Shadow Box

Commemorate a significant union with a stylish, knitted and framed ampersand. Fully customize this piece’s colors to match a couple's color story for a unique, homemade wedding shower or housewarming gift.
Ampersand Shadow Box from Julie Measures
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Rainbow Thread Shadow Box

If you have a sewing room, art studio, or playroom to decorate, consider a trio of shadow boxes filled with rainbow-hued media. Be sure to hot glue everything down to a sturdy cardboard background to ensure a lasting project.
Rainbow Thread Shadow Box from Craftily My Love
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Floral Shadow Box

Add a little life to your shelves with a set of floral-filled shadow boxes. Faux blooms work best here, so hit the craft store to select your favorite silk flowers—no regular watering or pruning required.
Floral Shadow Box from A Beautiful Mess
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Summer Shadow Box

Removable vinyl decals make quick work of this project, although you can easily stencil on your own lettering too. Add another layer of interest by inserting a tchotchke or two between the shadow box’s colorful background and the lettered glass.
Summer Shadow Box from Casa Moncada
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Rosette Shadow Box

This cute shadow box allows you to easily introduce a few pretty colors into a space. Try folding your own paper flowers (a great use for those small scraps of card stock you weren’t sure what to do with) instead of purchasing them for a totally homemade craft.
Rosette Shadow Box from Crafts Unleashed
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Initial Shadow Box

Perfect for an entryway or covered front porch, this bold initial artwork welcomes guests to your home. Consider making them for friends as personalized moving presents, too, and tailor the embellishments and color schemes to coordinate with each family's home.
Initial Shadow Box from Ideas for the Home by Kenarry
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Map Shadow Box

Cut away a section of a vintage map (bonus points for sourcing a map of a meaningful location), and combine with a favorite quote and a few small souvenirs to commemorate a special vacation or road trip. Not sure where to find a paper map these days? Pick up an atlas from your local thrift store or pop by a gas station for a freebie while you’re on the road.
Map Shadow Box from Making Manzanita
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Ocean Shadow Box

There’s nothing like being transported to the beach through your house’s decor, so bring a bit of the sand and sea home by incorporating it into a tactile piece of artwork. In fact, collect sand, shells, and photos from each and every vacation to create an entire wall of personal seascape shadow box displays.
Ocean Shadow Box from Southern Couture
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Collage Shadow Box

Gather a few special bits of paper (think: movie tickets, greeting cards, or photo strips) into one neatly arranged collage, then place into a painted wooden shadow box. Add a patterned background (scrapbook paper works well) for an eye-catching wall display.
Collage Shadow Box from A Beautiful Mess
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Paper Flower Shadow Box

Fold a dense garden of paper roses to display in a rustic shadow box for a lovely piece of homemade art. A set of monochromatic roses creates the perfect base for a pretty quote scrawled across the top glass. Not sure what to quote to select? Pop open a favorite novel and flip to a memorable passage for a meaningful, non-cliche line.
Paper Flower Shadow Box from Creative Ramblings
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Nursery Shadow Box

While your newborn’s photo looks plenty cute framed and hung on a wall on its own, try assembling a shadow box with a couple of pictures, a name banner, a set of baby footprints, and a hospital bracelet for a physical remembrance of a very special birthday.
Nursery Shadow Box from Mama Say What
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Light-Up Holiday Shadow Box

Add a little polish to your seasonal decorations with this LED-powered display. Start with a holiday photo, string lights carefully around the frame, and finally fill with fluffy white snow. Can’t find faux snow at your local craft store? Try sub-textured salt instead; it’ll give a similar effect at a fraction of the cost and effort.
Light-Up Holiday Shadow Box from The Latina Next Door
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Memory Shadow Box

It can be tricky to preserve and cherish three-dimensional items: a scrapbook can’t contain them neatly and a shoebox tucks them away out of sight. Cue the shadow box! Fill it with outgrown toys, trinkets, and photos, and display it in a place of honor (like your fireplace mantel).
Memory Shadow Box from Emily Henderson

Keep the Best Memories With These 15 Shadow Box Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What to put in a shadow box? ›

Perfect for almost anything inside, add photos, flowers or even medals and trophies or a special piece of jewellery you don't want to hide away in a drawer.

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How do things stay in a shadow box? ›

Here are mounting options to secure items in a shadow box frame. Glue. You can glue the back of the item directly onto the mounting board or the backing of the shadowbox frame. Since this is an irreversible method, it means that the item may be torn or may have bits of backing stuck to it when you remove it.

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Why is a shadow box called a shadow box? ›

Unlike conventional frames, which are flat and designed for items like photographs or paintings, shadow boxes have depth. This depth creates a “shadow” effect, hence the name.

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How does a shadow box work? ›

A shadow box frame is a type of display case that has a fixed space between the glass and the artwork to create a sense of depth. Shadow box frames can be used for traditional flat artworks as well as three-dimensional items such as memorabilia and textured works of art.

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What is the difference between a shadow box frame and a deep box frame? ›

Box frames typically exist within particular frame dimensions and have an expected depth. Shadow box frames, as mentioned above, are a type of box frame, but with deeper dimensions so the shadow cast on the piece is increased.

Why do people shadow box with open hands? ›

The way shadow boxing is done varies from gym to gym, even session to session. Some gyms use that open-hand method for loosening up, early in the session. When used, the boxer is mainly working the feet and body angle, not the hands.

What is shadow box slang for? ›

to pretend to argue about or deal with a problem, often to avoid dealing with the most important problem: The main political parties are merely shadowboxing, instead of tackling the real economic problems facing this country.

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What do you put in a shadow box frame? ›

Its display potential is endless: small collectibles, medals, travel souvenirs, shells, baby clothes, vintage jewelry, or even a bottle cap collection. Follow our step-by-step guide to how to make a shadow box for keeping three-dimensional objects safe from damage and wear.

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What goes in a military shadow box? ›

A military shadow box (a military display case) includes awards, achievements, and other personal items that honorably reflect their career or time in the armed forces.

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What does a shadow box symbolize? ›

Veterans would be given a shadow box to proudly commemorate their final rank and sacrifice, a totem to be taken home with them to be showcased and protected. This practice dates back to the early ages where sailors would man wooden ships before the modern era.

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How do you show something in a shadow box? ›

Light objects may be safely attached to a piece of foam board, usually covered in a flat-weave solid fabric such as unbleached linen. Heavier artifacts need a sturdy backer board -- 1/4-inch masonite covered in felt, silk, velvet or linen resist bowing over time.

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What are the rules of shadowboxing? ›

The game goes by many names, but most notably either the pointing game or shadow boxing. The point of the game is to point in one direction, and to try and make your opponent look the same way. If they do, you win the round. However, the game — as it's transitioned into its shadow boxing era — has taken on new life.

What is a shadow box decor? ›

A shadow box is a framed, glass-fronted display case designed to showcase three-dimensional objects, memorabilia, and other cherished items. It's called a "shadow" box because the depth of the frame creates a shadow effect, giving the displayed items a sense of depth and dimension.