Decorating DIY Home Decor DIY Home Accents How to Make a Shadow Box Build your own shadow box frame to house treasured keepsakes. By Sydney Price Sydney Price Sydney Price got her start in journalism while in college, writing food and fashion content for her university's magazine and campus newspaper. She also interned at Modern Luxury, freelanced for Blue Frog Dynamic Marketing, and served as the copy chief at Urban Plains. After graduating, she became the editorial assistant for Better Homes & Gardens, writing about food, holidays, gardening, and home. After two years, she transitioned to copywriting at ITA Group where she wrote digital and print copy for B2B employee engagement programs. Her clients included technology, finance, and fashion industries. Sydney moved on to be the contract copywriter for Arbonne, helping create content for social media, emails, and event announcements. She is now the copywriter at AuditBoard, a risk management platform based in California.Sydney Price holds a bachelor of arts degree in magazine journalism with a minor in biology. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on June 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Project Overview Working Time: 1 hour Total Time: 6 hours Skill Level: Beginner The humble shadow box is a decorating workhorse. Its display potential is endless: small collectibles, medals, travel mementos, shells, baby clothes, vintage jewelry, or even a bottle cap collection. A shadow box frame is perfect for keeping three-dimensional objects safe from damage and wear. Learn how to build a simple shadow box, then customize its contents to your heart’s content. What You'll Need Equipment / Tools 1 Tape measure 1 Pencil 1 Chop saw 1 Nail gun 1 Paintbrush, if needed 1 Drill Materials 1 Frame 1 4' 1x3 1 Paint, if desired 1 Craft board larger than the frame opening 2 Hinges 1 Hook and eye latch 1 Screws 1 Fabric or scrapbook paper 1 Decoupage glue 2 D rings 1 Wood glue 1 Construction adhesive Instructions Prep Front Panel Carefully remove the hardware from the back of your picture frame. Using the construction adhesive, permanently glue in the glass panel so it won't shift around or fall out. This glass panel is essential to keeping your items protected. Measure and Cut Wood Measure the opening on your frame. You'll need four pieces of wood to form a box around the opening on the back of the frame. The lengths will vary depending on the size of your frame. Transfer measurements to your 1x3 wood board, and cut four pieces. Related: How to Use a Miter Saw Assemble Shadow Box Apply a bead of wood glue along the edge of one of the short pieces you just cut. Butt it against a long piece to form a 90-degree angle and clamp. Tack it in place with a nail gun. Continue this process with the other sides to build the box. Paint Box If desired, you can paint, stain, or otherwise decorate the box at this stage. We used white paint on ours. Allow the paint to dry fully before proceeding with the next step. Cover and Attach Back of Box Measure and cut a piece of craft board to fit on the back of the box you just built. Decoupage paper or hot-glue fabric onto one side of the craft board. Fold over and hot-glue any excess fabric. After it dries, apply a bead of glue to the back of the box and press the lined side of the craft board onto the glue. Nail the craft board to the back of the box for security. Attach Box Hardware Drill in the two hinges along one side of the front of the box. Measure from the edge of the box to the edge of the hinge, then use this measurement to mark where the other half of the hinges will be attached on the front panel. Secure them to the back of the front frame. Your shadow box should now open and close. Next, attach the hook-and-eye fastener on opposite sides of the box and frame to hold it closed. Refer to manufacturer's instructions for installation. Secure Mounting Hardware To hang your shadow box on the wall, attach D rings to the back. Fill with keepsakes and display memories in any room of the house.