Decorating Your Home With Shadowboxes

A rectangular shadow box frame is a three-dimensional frame with a glass casing in the front used to display objects that would otherwise not work in a flat space on the wall. They can be used to display art, photos, objects of personal significance or treasured collections.

There are so many ways to use shadowboxes, that they are one of the best investments for not only decorating but organizing your home. Taking that junk drawer apart may seem like a pain, but there are probably some forgotten items that you aren’t quite ready to part with but hold no purpose at the moment.

In the kitchen. Maybe you got some beautiful crystal champagne glasses that have just been collecting dust as a gift, or an engraved silver serving spoon that never sees the light of day. These types of gorgeous, but not exactly useful, items are great to place in a shadowbox frame and hang them on your kitchen or dining room wall. If you are a wine lover, there may be some old corks lying around that would make a great decoration for a home bar.

In the main living area. If you have a central theme in your home, adding a gallery wall of shadowboxes with ties to that theme will help create a put-together look. Beach houses beg for seashell displays or sand dollars, and shabby chic homes would look amazing with beautiful dried flowers in pale white or light blue boxes.

In the bedroom. Place a shadow box in the middle of your antique round picture frames filled with photos from your daughter’s recital days filled with objects like ballet shoes or ribbon. This will make a lovely memorabilia wall for her room, and remind her of her love of dance.

In the rec room. If you already have a rich collection of jersey display cases and sports memorabilia taking up space on your walls, organize some of those items into groups with shadow boxes holding objects pertaining to each sport, and not just sitting haphazardly on your wall.

In the nursery. Old christening gowns, loved stuffed animals and bronzed baby shoes make wonderful nursery decorations for a delicate touch. However, when left on shelves, they can get dusty or worse – broken – when little hands get too close and curious. Hanging these objects high on the walls in a shadow box will keep them out of harm’s way, and right in the eyeline for treasuring in your little one’s room.

In the library. If you are a book lover, you want your favorite titles within reach, and on display. Using a shadow box without the glass can not only have them used as decoration for a perfectly cozy book nook but can allow them to be easily accessible without digging through a large shelf. Group them by author or by genre, however you like.