Custom Shadow Box Framing in Wakefield, RI

A custom shadow box brings together objects, photos and memorabilia into a single cohesive presentation that is meaningful and visually appealing. Where a standard frame holds a flat image, shadow box framing gives depth to the objects that carry the story.

A Piece We're Proud Of

We built a shadow box honoring a customer's mother, who served as a nurse in the Vietnam War. It included her Boonie hat, her service medals, a photograph of her in uniform, a Washington DC Vietnam Commemorative Coin, and two personal items she carried with her: a piece of sea glass etched with the word "Imagine," and a ceramic tag reading "Distance means so little when someone means so much."

That last detail is the reason we love this work. The medals tell you what she did. The sea glass tells you who she was.

Popular Shadow Box Projects

• A shadow box for medals, ribbons and military keepsakes
• Wedding keepsakes, invitations and christening items
• Military, police and firefighter shadow boxes
• Sports jerseys and athletic memorabilia
• Memory box framing for baby items and family heirlooms
• Travel keepsakes, collections and memorabilia collages

We have many more examples in our gallery — worth a browse to see the range of what's possible.

What Makes Shadow Box Framing Different

A standard frame holds something flat. A shadow box has to hold objects of varying weight, shape and fragility in position, permanently, against gravity, while keeping them visible and protected.

• Depth and Spacing: The interior depth has to clear the tallest object with room to spare, so nothing presses against the glazing. Objects touching the glass can adhere to it over time, and the contact point is where damage tends to appear first.
• Weight Distribution: Objects mounted in a shadow box exert continuous downward force. That load has to be carried by the backing and the frame structure rather than by whatever is holding the object in place, or the mounting will eventually fail. This is why heavier pieces need a more substantial build than their size alone would suggest.
• Mixed Materials Age Differently: A shadow box often contains metal, fabric, paper and wood in the same sealed environment. These materials respond differently to humidity and light, and some can affect their neighbors. Paper in contact with untreated wood or non-archival board will discolor along the contact line. Archival materials throughout the interior prevent that interaction.
• Light: Ribbons, fabric and paper items fade as readily as artwork does, and medals and coins can tarnish. UV-filtering glazing slows this considerably, and a wall away from direct sunlight helps as much as the glazing choice.

Built Around the Objects Inside

Every shadow box we build is designed around what goes in it. Depth, mat selection, layout and mounting method are all determined by the objects themselves, so the finished piece hangs securely and displays well for decades.

We mount using reversible methods whenever possible, so the objects inside stay protected and can be removed unchanged if you ever need to.

Conservation Options

Objects fade and deteriorate just as paper does. Ribbons lose color, fabric weakens, and paper items yellow. We can build any shadow box using conservation framing materials and UV-protective glazing when preservation matters.

Common Questions About Shadow Boxes