What to put in a shadow box.

In a shadow box, put the things that mean something and are not flat: a jersey, a christening gown or baby clothes, service medals, seashells and tickets from a trip, a grandfather’s license plate. Almost anything with depth can go in, as long as the box is deep enough that the glazing never touches what is inside.

None of it has to be valuable; it only has to mean something to someone. That is why a shadow box makes a good gift: the best framed gift is usually something the family already has. There are more ideas in holiday gifts worth framing.

What are some good things to put in shadow boxes?

Things with depth that already belong to a story. These are some of the pieces that have come through our shop in Costa Mesa:

• Baby keepsakes. A christening gown or baby clothes, in a box deep enough that the fabric keeps its shape and never touches the glazing.
• A jersey or a pair of gloves. Supported from behind so the jersey keeps its shape, with a photograph, a ticket or a program from the day in the same frame. Our guide to framing a jersey goes step by step.
• Military pieces. Service pins and sashes, plaques and medals, and flags. Several pieces can share one box, laid out at the counter with every piece in front of us.
• A trip or a summer. Seashells, sea fans, swim fins, surf pennants, maps, tickets and foreign currency.
• Something of a grandparent’s. A grandfather’s license plate with a small engraved plaque beneath it, or a grandmother’s handwritten recipe framed together with a wooden spoon.
• Something worn or played. A jacket, a pair of shoes, a vintage swimsuit, a wedding gown, a guitar in a custom white oak frame.

If what you are holding is not on this list, that is not an answer: bring it in. “I've had many pieces framed here from diplomas to 3D pieces with my son's jerseys and medals,” Gloria H. of Irvine wrote on Yelp in July 2022.

How do you put items in a shadow box?

Each object is supported from behind, in a way that can be undone, and the box is built deep enough that nothing touches the glazing. The depth is decided with the object on the counter, because a photograph cannot tell you how thick a jersey is. Fabric pressed against glass marks, and the mark does not come out, so that gap is the whole point of the box.

The mounting is chosen for the object. On FOX 11 for Veterans Day, Medi showed a 1902 officer’s sword held in its case by magnets, so it lifts out to be shown to friends and goes back in, and a World War Two army cap standing in a table-top box with a mirror inside, so the insignia and the owner’s inscription show without anyone handling the cap. Both are in our FOX 11 segment.

What is the best glue to use in a shadow box?

None, for anything you want to keep. We support each object from behind, in a way that can be undone, because gluing memorabilia down can permanently alter it. The same goes for a textile that matters, from a christening gown to a flag: it is supported from behind rather than glued, so it can come out of the frame one day without harm. Our textile framing page covers garments, flags and stitchwork.

What is the difference between a box frame and a shadow box frame?

Ask about the depth rather than the name. A shadow box is a frame with a box behind it, deep enough that the glazing never touches what is inside, so an object is mounted inside the box rather than pressed flat like paper and keeps the shape it came in with. Whatever a frame is called, the question to ask is whether the glazing will touch the object.

How do you fill a shadow box if you have never had one made?

Start with the piece and the person it is for, and bring everything you might want in the box. We design every piece around what we call the four corners of a frame: the customer, the piece, the place it is going to hang, and only then the frame itself.

At the counter, corner samples from the moulding wall, mats and glazing are held up against the object itself rather than picked from swatches on a screen. Mats get lined to the object rather than to the room: a navy and gold jersey gets a navy and gold fillet. A photograph, a ticket or a name can share the box, because our computerized mat cutter cuts several openings, shapes and lettering into one mat. Museum-quality or UV-protective glazing is chosen with you for the piece. For a gift, bring what you can tell us about the person and the room it is going to. If it is a surprise, tell us that too.

Do I need to bring the items in?

Yes. An in-person design consultation is required for framing 3-D objects, since so many variables must be taken into consideration. No appointment is needed: walk in to 1671 Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm or Saturday 9am to 1pm. A shadow box is quoted in person once we have seen the object, and there is no published price list: the size and depth of the box, the moulding, the glazing and the mounting are what move the price. If it is a gift or has a date, tell us the date.

Bring it to the counter, call us at (949) 791-8780, or tell us about the piece with the quote form, and we will be in touch during shop hours.