A shadow box is a glass-front display case that we can use to display small objects such as jewelry, coins, etc. It is very useful to protect our valuable items from air, dust, or any other damages as it has an enclosure. There is another another unique thing about a shadow box. It is actually an item that many people use to keep their precious and valuable items inside, especially items that have sentimental value or memorabilia from the past.
Nowadays, shadow box has evolved into a more useful and decoration item to have. It has become more than just as a keepsake box, but it also a great decoration and wonderful gift for our loved ones. Many people use their creativity to create a beautiful shadow box as a gift for dearest family and friends. There are abundances of shadow box ideas that you can find, and they are ranging from the flowery design to a magnificent 3D form that looks very realistic.
If you are currently looking for some exquisitely beautiful shadow box ideas for your next DIY project, or as a gift for your loved ones, then you are on the right page. Here we have gathered 20 shadow box ideas that you can try to recreate at home. From the flowery one into the box full of lights, we have it all. So wait no more and check the list below.
1. Shadow Box Wedding Bouquet
A wedding is a very special day to cherish and remember forever! Therefore, it’s a great idea to keep the sweet memories of a wonderful wedding into a unique home decoration. Have you ever thought of preserving your precious wedding flower bouquet into a display box? You can make a shadow box out of the wedding bouquet flower and display it in the living room as part of your family journey. To preserve the flowers perfectly, the bouquet needs to be laid out with glue inside the frame box. For dried flowers, you would need more glue since they are very fragile. The best way to do is by using an intense glue to secure the flowers, such as hot glue or a clear caulk.
2. Personalized Floral with Initial Name
Shadow box is a nice birthday gift that works for anyone, which may include your mom, dad, siblings, friends, even your colleagues at work. To make a sweet yet unique flower shadow box, you can create a personalized floral shadow box with a flower arrangement that forms their name initial, and also their name written on the bottom. For the flowers, you can use artificial flowers with the same color tone to make it look stunning and adorable.
3. 3D Butterfly with Garden Setting
This 3D shadow box is definitely the perfect decoration item to display, which will make any room or space feels more lively and vibrant. It’s also a great shadow box idea for birthday gifts for family and friends. You can attach real butterflies inside the shadow box or use 3D artificial butterflies. As for the other elements, you can add and arrange some real grass, dried flowers, and other types of greenery into the corners of the box.
4. Just Pressed Flowers in Shadow Box
Family or friends who love flowers more than anything would be very happy to have this pressed flowers shadow box ideas. All you need to do is combine their favorite flowers in the fresh condition and then put each flower tightly between one and another. To make the shadowbox more vibrant, try to combine some colors in one box such as pink roses with violet roses, or add the other variety such as a daisy or baby’s breath.
5. Merry Christmas Shadow Box
A winter scene shadow box idea would be a unique Christmas gift for friends and family. So for this Christmas, why don’t you create the winter scene inside a shadow box with a Santa Claus, lampposts, with snow powders scattered all around? Moreover, if you want to add a magical effect, you can create a lamppost with light by attaching an LED strip lamp into the shadow box.
6. Beach Scene
This one comes as the perfect gift for someone who just came back from a summer holiday on a tropical island. This shadow box idea would be the perfect keepsake that reminds them about the beautiful beaches that they had visited. To create this shadow box, you can add elements such as white sand, some shells and a writing that says, “take me to the beach” on the front side. To make half of the sand stay on the base, cover the base of the box with glue and pour the sand on it. When the box turns vertically, the rest of the sand will fall and some of it will stay.
7. Couple 3D Light Box
A shadow box can be a sweet gift for couples on their anniversary or presented as a wedding gift. This shadow box idea has a silhouette of a couple who are blessed by the fairies. The shadow box comprises a paper with light on the back. To create the same shadow box, you need to carve a hard paper then placed on the box as several layers to make the 3D effect. After all the papers are attached, put an LED light with appropriate color to lighten up the box from the inside.
8. City Night Lights
Another wonderful shadow box idea that you can definitely try is a picturesque city lights at night. It includes light effects as if they came from the window of classic high-rise buildings. Just like the night view in real life, you can also add some paper crafts as the buildings, then add some LED lights on the window part to make it look like a light view. You can give this to the family or relatives for birthday gifts.
9. Deer in the Forest
A hunter must love to receive this gift. These is one of the shadow box ideas that features lights effect, making it a perfect gift for your loved ones. Since it has such a unique design, it will make a beautiful home décor, which is why it can a great house warming gift. Just like other shadow box ideas, this one also uses a paper craft, which is formed in several layers to create the 3D effect. Just before placing the back cover, add an LED light to make the magnificent effect of the box.
10. 3D Farm Shadow Box
This is a 3D farm shadow box with a Meadow tree as the highlight. It is highly suitable as a birthday gift or also as gift to welcome the spring time. This 3D shadow box features white paper color, making it look clean and gives that calming kind of feeling. Inside the frame, there are 7 layers of paper with lights on the back. In addition, you can also buy the digital pattern of the design, and then you can print and assemble everything on your own.
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11. Memorial Shadow Box
The next shadow box idea is this memorial shadow box, which lets you keep the beautiful memory of a loved one with you. This is one of the shadow box ideas that you can make using a paper that features the details of the person who passed away. Moreover, you can also customize the phrase from their personal quote that will always be remembered.
12. Welcome Wave
Are you currently thinking about adding a shadow box as the display on the foyer in your house? If you are, then this shadow box idea could be a great option for you. The welcome wave shadow box features the sand, shells, and an artificial starfish with a writing that says “welcome”. The sand and shells are formed like a beach wave , which create such a unique shape in this shadow box.
13. Cool Shadow Box Art
Looking for some shadow box ideas for a cool and artistry look? Copy this cool shadow box and create your own version. The shadow box picturing a scene where a train passes the bridge above a beautiful river. This shadow box looks like a realistic painting with the bridge, river, and also the other elements that have a vivid color. This is a great idea if you are looking for a shadow box that is exquisitely beautiful but not too cute.
14. Family Tree Shadow Box
Don’t give just a usual family tree as family gifts. Instead, level up your family tree gift with this family tree shadow box. You can make the family tree in a 3D form that includes the family name in the middle, as well as the 3D formed tree with leaves and branches. It will definitely make a great gift for family, for mom, as well as a great wall décor of your own house.
15. Superheroes Shadow Box
Are you a fan of the superhero characters? If you are, then superheroes shadow box ideas will perfectly suit your style. This shadow box features a 3D paper cut light box with multiple layers, and also colorful LED strips to create the beautiful color gradation from yellow to purple on the bottom. Without a doubt, it will make a great decoration as well as a birthday gift for a superhero fan.
16. Circular Flower Shadow Box
Who says that a shadow box should always have rectangle design? You can create a circular shadow box as a birthday gift for family or a friend. Arrange a flower on the side and add the name of the person you wanted to give it as a gift. To make it easier, you can also buy the digital file for the name, then print and attach it into the box. For the ornaments, you can customize it by yourself.
17. Mandala Tree Shadow Box
Mandala or tree of life represents the longevity of life, blessing, and good fortune from nature. Bring the positive energy of the Mandala tree into the shadow box as a decoration at your house. It will be a fun project for a DIY décor with the addition of LED strip lights on the back, which create a magnificent effect of the shadow box.
18. 3D Koi Fish
Some people believe that the koi fish represent good fortune and attract the energy of wealth. Therefore, many people hang the picture of koi fish on the wall. If you are still unable to decide what painting style you would choose, then try this 3D koi fish shadow box. This is one of the most recommended shadow box ideas for sure. It features two koi fish in a blue and red pattern, which is commonly found in a koi fish painting. Get the digital file and try to assemble the shadow box on your own.
19. Wedding Shadow Box
For mom or dad who will celebrate their wedding anniversary, getting them a shadow box would be a great idea to try. Get them a romantic wedding shadow box to remind them about the sweet moment of their wedding. To make it more personalized, include the name and the year of their marriage into the shadow box.
20. Pet Memorial Shadow Box
Your late pet deserves a shadow box, which will become a lovely piece of item to keep the memory of the cute pet, and how it was loved by everyone in the family. For this purpose, you can create a memorial shadow box for your late pet. It can include their photo, name, and the beautiful words inside the box. You can also add a poem which describes how meaningful they are.
21. Gothic Shadow Box
This shadow box idea is perfect for those who are into gothic stuff. It comes in full black, which allows us to immediately feel the gothic vibe of this item the moment we see it. It includes a beautiful butterfly as the focus object of the box. However, if you want to use other objects to be the main focus of your gothic shadow box, you can definitely do it.
22. Dreamy Shadow Box
A dreamy shadow box like this one is definitely something that will put a smile on a sweet person’s face. So if you are looking for a sweet gift for a sweet person in your life, then a dreamy shadow box can be a great option. In order to make it look more beautiful, you can add a little light in the background so the shadow effects can be highlighted even more.
23. Music-themed Shadow Box
Still looking for the best gift ideas for someone who loves music? or maybe for a fan of a legendary band like The Beatles? Search no more, because we have the perfect idea for you. This music-themed shadow box will be a great gift for any music lover out there. For The Beatles lover, for instance, this iconic Abbey Road shadow box can really be something to cherish.
24. Bookshelves Shadow Box
When it comes to choosing the best gift for bookworms, there is nothing better than giving them this unique bookshelves shadow box. You can create any design that represents someone’s love for books, including this adorable Alice in Wonderland-themed shadow box. It can be used as a book stopper, or as something to define sections in your book collection.
25. Video Game-themed Shadow Box
A special video game lover in your life deserves to have a unique video game-themed shadow box like this one. Just look at how adorable this Mario Bros shadow box is! It comes in a white square frame with adorable images of Mario and other items that we find in the game. This shadow box will definitely remind you about the glorious times of playing with our video games. However, you can also feel free to use other games as well, such as Sonic the Hedgehog or other popular video games in the 90s.
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What should be in a shadow box?
In a shadow box, you can put things such as fresh or dried flowers or sentimental things as a keepsake such as wedding bouquet or the first movie tickets. Plus, you can also add some decoration items such as sand or confetti balls. Try to combine things that you think would fit in the frame, which will be the beautiful shadow box ideas.
How do you make a shadow box look good?
To make a shadow box look good, first thing first is determining the frame, whether you want to have a specific color or just any color that works as a shadow box. Then, make sure to arrange everything inside nicely and neatly. If needed, you can also use an LED light for a lighting effect from the back that will make the shadow box looks more beautiful.
What does a shadow box represent?
A shadow box can represent various things which are usually being used to display memorabilia, as a gift or a wall decoration in the house. It allows you to display everything that you want depending on how you would like to use it.
How do you attach things in a shadow box?
You have several options to attach things in a shadow box. The most common way is using a glue to attach the object into the mounting board. The other option could be using a twist tie or a pegboard for a specific item that needs to be held to avoid the falling.
How do you secure flowers in a shadow box?
Securing flowers in a shadow box can be tricky if you don’t know the secret. For already preserved and dried flowers, you need a hot glue or clear caulk as those are more intense types of glue. Because the dehydrated flowers are more fragile than the fresh one, you need to be careful when attaching the flowers to the board.
