Decorating on a Dime: Keepsake Shadow Boxes

Guest post from Rachel of Third Stop On The Right

I have saved mementos from special events for as long as I can remember. I saved graduation tassels, play programs, awards and medals, keepsakes from my wedding, as well as from when my son was born.

It can be hard to know what to do with these things. Recently though, I found a way to inexpensively display these items so that everyone can enjoy them: Shadow Boxes!

Here’s what you will need to create a Keepsake Shadow Box:

• 1 Shadow box
• 1 Piece of cardboard cut to size of shadow box
• 1 Piece of felt, scrapbook paper, or fabric
• Favorite mementos
• Double-sided tape or pins

I bought an inexpensive shadow box to display these items. The one that I purchased was from Joann Fabrics and was originally $14.99, but with a half-off sale as well as a 20% off coupon I was able to get it down to $6. You can also get these for under $10 at Walmart.

Some of the shadow boxes have an inner display board which you can pin things to, but you will pay more for these ones. Instead, I used a sheet of cardboard cut to fit inside the shadowbox.

To begin, I gathered some of my son’s birth mementos such as a picture taken after he was born, the hospital bracelets, his hat, and also the card that was inside his bassinet.

Then, I cut a piece of cardboard to the size of the shadow box and covered it with a piece of scrapbook paper (felt or fabric will also work) and then secured it with double-sided tape. I added the mementos, securing them with either the double-sided tape and pins.

After you add the mementos, you can just put the piece of cardboard into the frame, and you are finished! Then hang the shadow box on the wall and you have a beautiful keepsake that everyone can enjoy.

Some other great ideas for these shadow boxes are:

• Wedding memories (such as the bouquet, garter, vows, or the veil)
• Birth Memories (hospital wrist bands, hats, pictures, hand and footprint impressions, or cards)
• Pregnancy Memories (ultrasound pictures)
• Child memories (favorite toys, hand and footprints, pacifiers, or onesies)

Rachel blogs at Third Stop On The Right, a blog dedicated to crafting, DIY, and the realities of parenthood.