What do you put in a military shadow box?

Medals and ribbons, service pins and sashes, patches, plaques and a folded flag, often with a photograph or a certificate. Pieces with depth fit too, such as a cap, a sword or a jacket. Several pieces can share one box, each mounted so it can come out again.

How to display a lot of medals?

Together in one shadow box, each medal held on its own so it can be removed later. Laid out with the ribbons, a photograph and a name cut into the mat, they read as one piece instead of a pile. The layout is designed at the counter with every medal in front of us.

What is the correct order for mounting medals?

The order comes from the service member’s records or an official source for that branch; it is not a framing choice, and we do not set it. Bring it with the medals, and the layout is planned with both on the counter, each medal held on its own.

What are some cool military gift ideas?

A shadow box made from what the veteran already has: the medals in a drawer, a cap, a flag, a photograph from their service. None of it has to be valuable. Tell us if it is a surprise and the date it is for; the turnaround is quoted at the counter.

Military Shadow Boxes for Medals and Flags

Military shadow boxes: medals, ribbons and a folded flag

A military shadow box is a frame with a box behind it, built around what a service member kept: medals and ribbons, service pins, patches, a folded flag, a photograph, a cap or a sword. Each piece is held on its own so it can come out again, nothing touches the glazing, and everything behind it is acid-free.

On Veterans Day, when Medi Bendanna was on FOX 11’s Good Day LA, one of the hosts, a veteran himself, said that when he left the service he had uniforms and a sword, did not know what to do with them, and ended up getting rid of it all. A shadow box is what else can be done with them.

What goes in a military shadow box?

Anything the service left behind, not only the medals. Military memorabilia is part of our shadow box framing: service pins and sashes, plaques and medals, ribbons, patches and flags. A photograph or a certificate can share the box. Pieces with depth belong in one too, whether it is a full uniform, a grandfather’s jacket, a badge, a cap or a sword.

How do you make a military shadow box?

With every piece on the counter. An in-person design consultation is required for framing 3-D objects, since so many variables must be taken into consideration, so this is how it goes at our counter on Placentia Avenue.

Lay it out. The depth of the box and where each piece sits are decided with the pieces in front of us. Several pieces can share one box.
Mount it so it can be undone. Each piece is supported from behind, not glued, because gluing memorabilia down can permanently alter it.
Cut the mat. Our computerized mat cutter cuts several openings, shapes and lettering into one mat, so a name can share the frame with the medals. Like everything in our store, the mat is acid-free.
Choose the glazing. Museum-quality or UV-protective glazing is chosen with you for the piece, because daylight fades color slowly and unevenly. Our guide to museum glass vs regular glass explains the difference.
Build it. Every custom frame is crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse, and when no catalog carries the profile, the moulding is milled in our own wood shop.

How do you display a lot of medals?

Together, in one box, with each medal held on its own. Laid out with the ribbons, a photograph and a name, a drawer full of medals holds together as one piece instead of a pile, and any one of them can come out again later.

The order they sit in is not a design choice, and we do not set it. Bring the order along with the medals, from the service member’s records or from an official source for that branch, and the layout is planned with both on the counter. Bring that order along with the medals, and the layout is planned with both on the counter.

What about the folded flag?

It goes into a case or a shadow box cut to its triangle and deep enough for the fold, and the medals, ribbons and patches can share the box, each held on its own. Most families keep a folded flag in a standard case; a custom box keeps it with the rest of the service. Our guide on how to frame a flag covers folded and open flags.

What are some examples of military shadow boxes?

Three of ours went on FOX 11 for Veterans Day, and they now stay in our showroom. A World War Two army cap stands in a table-top shadow box with a mirror set inside it, so the insignia and the inscription inside the cap show from the right angle without anyone handling it. A 1902 officer’s sword is held in its case by magnets, so it lifts out to be shown to friends and goes back in. A pilot’s cloth map sits behind UV glass on an acid-free foam board, with a paper dust cover on the back against insects and a solid wood frame around the whole piece.

Is a military shadow box a good gift?

Yes, and the best one is usually made from what the veteran or the family already has. None of it has to be valuable; it only has to mean something to someone. If it is a surprise, tell us. If it has a date, for a retirement or for Christmas, tell us the date when we design it with you: everything is specially ordered and cut to size, the turnaround is quoted at the counter, and if the date is tight, call first.

Bring the pieces to 1671 Placentia Avenue in Costa Mesa, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm or Saturday 9am to 1pm. No appointment is needed, and the three pieces from FOX 11 are in the showroom. You can also call (949) 791-8780, or send the quote form to start. Every shadow box is quoted in person once we have seen the pieces; there is no published price list.