Shadow box your treasures so you can actually appreciate them
How creating a simple shadow box can make you feel happier
I admit to being sentimental when it comes to “stuff,” but it gets complicated because I also hate clutter and our house has limited storage space. It’s a vicious cycle, where I lovingly tuck things into plastic storage crates in a closet, and then get frustrated that our closets are full.
It took me a long time to find the solution: shadow boxes. These deep frames force you to pare down your mementos and only keep the very best ones, and then you get to smile at them every day as they hang on your wall.
The first shadow box I ever made, years ago, was about Jennifer Aniston — yes, Rachel from Friends. Oh, you didn’t think of hanging pictures of her on your wall? Funny.
I’ve been a “Faniston” since I was 12 or 13, and used to collect newspaper and magazine clippings with her pictures and interviews. Pretty soon I had many large boxes stuffed with printed episode scripts, Friends calendars and even old issues of TV Guide.
I finally decided I couldn’t keep it all anymore — and didn’t really want to — but it felt wrong to just toss our years’ worth of collecting. So I went through everything, picked out the best photos, and kept only what fit in a single shadow box (purchased for about $30 at the craft store). Suddenly, I felt OK about getting rid of everything else because my favourite bits were displayed so nicely …
How do you make a beautiful shadow box quickly, without a lot of fuss? Continue reading in my weekly DIY column, My Handmade Home …
Continue reading in my weekly DIY column, My Handmade Home …
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