Think inside the Box by Using Shadowboxes as Wall Decor
Sometimes things are not what they seem to be. A mirage along a desert landscape gives us the impression that a pool of water lies, where none exists. The trickery of a magician proves that indeed, the “hand is quicker than the eye.” All text, programs, and pictures on the Internet, can be reduced to a complex series of 0’s and 1’s.
The “box” in “shadowbox”
Likewise, sometimes a “shadowbox” is not related to sports. You might consider using a shadowbox as a form of wall decor, along with metal wall art. A shadow box is a shallow square or rectangular box with a frame, used for storing and safeguarding items that are on display. Typically, a glass is included in the front of the shadowbox. While shadowboxes sometimes appear like framed pictures or paintings, they are actually a three-dimensional boxes.
Beginnings of the box
What is the origin of shadow boxes? While the accounts vary, one of the most viable ones indicates that shadowboxes evolved from the Sterio-Opticans. During the Victorian era, the privileged of society used these tiny boxes that contained a scope. Viewers used the scope to view uncommon photos and vivid paintings of images from throughout the world.
The popularity of the Sterio-Optican became so great that women began to create their own versions, which eventually resulted in some of the Earth’s first shadowboxes. They would place objects such as pictures, in small boxes.
Putting the box before the shadow
Another theory about the invention of shadowboxes involves a ritual of the navy. The tradition involves creating and issuing a shadowbox to a sailor or officer who is leaving a ship or is retiring from the navy. Why is this done? The tradition is based on the idea that a sailor’s shadow contacting land prior to his body does, is a sign of bad fortune. Thus, fellow sailors would build a shadowbox for their exiting comrades. They would put objects in the shadowboxes (i.e. flags, souvenirs and medals) as remembrances of the sailor’s shipmates and ship.
On the wall and inside the box
When decorating the interior of your home, shadowboxes can provide as an outstanding effect to viewers, as abstract metal wall art can. Shadowboxes can celebrate various events, including:
births
graduations
marriages
retirements
vacations
Shadowboxes can also contain a variety of collections, including:
baby items
dried flowers
golf balls
knick-knacks
photos
In fact, you can place any valuable items into shadowboxes, just as you can place various flowers into metal wall vases.
When creating a shadowbox, you have several options in terms of the overall decor of the room. You can stain the shadowbox, or color it to complement the color of the entire room. Furthermore, the shadowbox’s glass cover can remain clear, or can be either be engraved or tinted.
Shadowboxes, DIY, and Y-O-U
If you are n fan of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects, then you might consider building your own shadowbox. It is actually easier than you might expect. You will need the following materials for the project:
2 pieces (6.5 x 4.5 x .5) inch pine. This is for the top and bottom of the shadowbox
2 pieces (8 x 4.5 x .5) inch pine. This is for the sides of the shadowbox.
1 piece (8 x-7 x .25) inch pine. This is for the back of the shadowbox
Bone folder
Card stock
Craft glue (white/clear-drying)
Paintbrush
Picture frame hooks
Piece of silk (large)
Tape (double-sided)
Wood glue
Woven linen tape (the color should complement the silk)
After collecting the materials for the shadowbox, follow these simple steps that are as easy as using iron candle sconces:
1. Glue away
Place the back of the shadowbox on a level surface. Dispense wood glue on the border. Connect the two side pieces, the top piece and the bottom piece, to create a square.
2. Use a clamp to secure the pieces as the wood glue dries.
Meanwhile, place finishing nails on the corners of the shadowbox, in order to fasten them. Next, use the paint to paint the shadowbox’s exterior surface.
3. Line the box
Measure the back panel’s interior. Match that size by cutting a portion of the card stock. To accommodate the silk’s thickness, subtract 1/8-inch from every edge. Put this plate into the shadowbox, to verify that it fits, while allowing some extra space around the perimeter.
4. Cut out a portion of silk that equals the cardstock’s measurement, plus an extra around the perimeter.
Place the silk in the middle of the cardstock, and then use a couple pieces of the tape (double-sided) to attach it. Even up the silk at crosswise lines at each of the corners. Wrap the extra silk to the cardstock’s back, and then use tape to attach it.
5. Use glue to attach the panel lined with silk, into the shadowbox.
Repeat steps 3-4 to cover the interior walls with panels of cardstock. Then use glue to attach them to the box’s interior.
6. Use a paintbrush to add the craft glue (white/clear-drying) to the side pieces’ front edges.
As you proceed, fold each of the corner’s base, while positioning -inch of woven linen tape on the edges that you have glued. Then use a bone folder to smooth the surface.
7. Use the picture-frame hooks to mount the shadowbox onto a wall
With their history beginning off the wall, shadowboxes continue to serve as a vital part of any home’s wall decor, along with cast resin wall decor. Remember that how you position the shadowbox on the wall is equally as important as what is contained inside it. For those who want to create a miniature museum of sorts within the privacy of your home, think out of the box, by thinking inside the box of a shadowbox. Your walls will never be the same.
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