You may not know what a shadow box is, but you undoubtedly have many precious memories to share. You can display your memories in a shadow box as part of your home décor and view them daily. With such an elegant solution to keep memories alive, it is worthwhile taking a closer look at the shadow box, what it is, its uses, benefits, and features.
Read on for our guide that covers everything you need to know about shadow boxes, including what to stock to help your buyers keep their memories safe and cherished.
Table of Contents
What are shadow boxes?
Shadow box characteristics
Different types of shadow boxes
Where to get your shadow boxes
What are shadow boxes?
Shadow boxes are display cases with picture frames, varying box depths, backgrounds, optional glass covers, and other features. They are designed to display 3D items in an interesting way that is unique to this product. As the light catches the contents in the shadow box, the depth creates light and dark contrasts that vary throughout the day, which is quite fascinating.
Shadow box characteristics
Shadow box features
Materials: Shadow box frames are mostly made from acrylic, metal, or wood.
Frame styles: Popular finishes include mahogany, oak, antique, traditional, modern, rustic, and other styles. Besides traditional black, an optional white shadow box finish or exterior cabinet finish is possible.
Mount type: Shadow boxes are designed to be wall-mounted or stand independently on flat surfaces.
Sizes: Shadow boxes are made in many sizes and have varying dimensions.
Colors: Customers buy these products with distinct frame colors and use lots of matboard colors as display backgrounds.
Shadow box design options: The range of styles is quite extensive. Some feature a fabric-covered cork shallow interior or a simple black background. Others are open shadow box frames, have frame swings, or shallow or deep interiors. If none of these are suitable, you can order custom shadow box display cases for fun project ideas.
Shadow box benefits
Personal creative expression: If you have any creative flair or interest, you can easily produce art content that reflects your personality with a shadow box to support this endeavor.
Protection: Keepsakes are often small items that can quickly get lost in homes. Shadow boxes help preserve displayed items that would otherwise land in drawers and never be seen again.
Visual interest: Mounting shadow boxes on walls or tables adds to a room’s aesthetic, lifting its overall visual appearance.
Arrangement: Arranging precious items in an attractive visual display improves organizational and viewing benefits.
Their uses
People typically fall in love with the shadow box because it has unlimited design possibilities. You can use them to display numerous collections, which double as aesthetic décor items. Because of this versatility, people use them to showcase many items, such as the following:
Displaying keepsakes: Whether gift wrap, a dried flower, a cherished note, pebbles, concert tickets, or seashells, the shadow box is a place to keep a memory alive and in full view. And when you need a change, you can place something else in the box.
Valued collections: Vast collections should be shared. If you collect old spoons, coins, or souvenirs, you need shadow boxes to sort, display, and share your passion with others.
Family treasures: Old, irreplaceable items from the past may have little monetary value but a lot of sentimental worth. If you have old jewelry, small tools, or photos from the past, a shadow box is a perfect display tool that blends well with various interior décor styles.
Artwork: Organizing small statues, miniature paintings, or other artwork in shadow boxes is a rewarding way to capture memories and create beautiful décor that prompts talking points.
Accomplishments: You can use a deep shadow box frame to display favorite college baseball memorabilia or school trophies.
School projects: A shadow box makes a great display project for any number of school assignments.
Cork bulletin board: Extra large shadow box cases are ideal for schools and organizations that use message boards in public places.
Different types of shadow boxes
Deep wall shadow boxes
Wooden shadow boxes are rustic, so they are perfect for displaying items like dried flower arrangements or family heirlooms. For bulky items, use extra-large sizes with depth and dark or bright backgrounds to highlight the contents.
Besides homes, places like historical societies and universities use display cases for memorabilia. They may even have optional shelves for better organization. Wherever you want a display with more dimension, choose deep hanging shadow boxes for greater effect.
Shallow hanging shadow boxes
Part of the art of shadow box décor is selecting the right product for your collection of display items. So, when these items are small, a fairly shallow standard wood shadow box frame is ideal for displaying most collections.
This display might include lightweight souvenirs, wedding memorabilia, or travel keepsakes. Either way, metal frames, and protective glass covers add allure to the overall impression of the display, so choose shallow hanging shadow boxes for small, light items.
Tabletop shadow boxes
If you have flat keepsakes like photos, notes, ribbons, or flowers, small size tabletop shadow boxes are good options for flat surface displays. In this case, a shallow box with a standard metal frame is an attractive choice for a memorable visual display that you can view daily.
Shadow box with front frame door
Typical shadow box frame swings have front doors for easy access when changing displays. This feature is convenient when displays might need regular updates, such as for educational or corporate organizations. When this is the case, order shadow boxes with doors rather than enclosed display cases, which could make things difficult.
Custom shadow box
Styles of display cases vary according to preferences and creative styles. If you want something other than standard shadow box displays, get quality built-to-order products that include interior fabric or choose from an attractive range of metal frames to tailor your artwork according to your tastes.
Alternatively, if an open box doesn’t meet your expectations, perhaps an enclosed display case with a sliding gravity lock will. No matter what you like, you can get any number of custom picture frame styles online or settle for store-bought pieces that suit your décor goals.
Where to get your shadow boxes
You can purchase designer shadow boxes or standard products from local retail stores or ask for custom shadow boxes for special projects. Alternatively, you can place orders for a broader selection of high-quality products from the Alibaba.com website.
Here, you will find various designs of extra deep shadow boxes, open face shadowbox frames, or other styles. Buy what you want from any store you like, and then share this great find with friends who enjoy arts and crafts and home décor.
