Mounting Options for Shadow Box Frames

Shadowbox frames are versatile display cases for a wide variety of 3-dimensional items. You may want to display memorabilia related to special occasions such as your wedding, birthday, childbirth or graduation. These can also hold souvenirs and collections – that baseball you caught at the game (that you then had autographed by the team), that medal you won during a contest, the shells and pebbles you collected during your unforgettable family vacation at the beach. Indeed, there is so much more that you can showcase for all your loved ones and friends to see.

Shadowbox frames also make for custom display cases since it is available in a variety of depths – ranging from half an inch to one and 3 quarters of an inch. The Victorian Frame Company can also custom make shadowbox frames according to the unique shape and depth you required. These frames can be placed on top of a coffee table or it can be hung on the wall.

When mounting objects in the shadowbox frame, you need to determine the depth of the frame, to ensure that the items fit without being crammed inside the box. You also need to decide whether to add glazing, to ensure that the items are safe from dust and grime, as well as moisture and mildew. More importantly, you need to determine the type of mounting you can do. You need to decide whether you want to mount it using a reversible method or not. Mementos that are more sentimental than valuable can be mounted with an irreversible method such as gluing them onto the mounting board. Precious items that increase in value over time that you may consider selling in the future will need to be mounted using a reversible method to ensure that the quality of the items is preserved, even when you need to take them out of the shadow box frame.

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. Thus, you need to decide with finality on the placement of the items in the frame. You can use craft glue or superglue. Mark the spot where you want the item to be then place some glue on this spot. Hold the item onto the backing for at least 10 seconds to make sure that it is firmly attached to the backing.
• Poster putty. For light items, poster putty can work. You just need to get the right amount of poster putty and stick these onto the mounting board, at the desired spot. Then, you can press the item to be framed to the putty, applying pressure so that the item is attached to the mounting board.
• Shelves. If you have an item that is not easily broken when the shadow box frame is dropped or jostled, you can consider using a shelf. This is a more dynamic way of mounting your items, since you can easily move them around. Get a flat piece of wood or a metal where the width is less than the depth of the frame. If you are attaching shelving from one end of the frame to the other, you can place nails or screws underneath to support the shelving. If the shelving you are attaching just goes midway of the frame, you can glue the sides to the backing and the inner edge of the frame.
• Invisible thread and decorative cloth. The cloth can serve as a background for the item. It also provides a base that holds the thread and subsequently, the item to be framed. To attach the cloth, you can stretch it across the mounting board and glue the edges at the back. You can also try spray-on adhesive so that the cloth sticks to the surface of the mounting board. Then you use invisible thread to anchor key areas of the item onto the cloth.
• Pegboard and twist ties. Instead of cloth and thread, you can also use a pegboard (a sturdy board that has holes in them). You can anchor the items using the twist ties, which are then fasted through the holes of the pegboard.