Military Shadow Box Examples – Our Completed Shadow Box Frames

The military shadow box examples in this gallery provide a starting point for designing custom military shadow boxes for our customers. Many of the framed examples in this section contain military memorabilia worn or used by our customers. Patches, military items, medals, military ribbons, guidons, flags, photographs, uniform badges, pins, and insignias were part of military missions or deployments. For similar shadow box examples, please take a look at our Awards, Certificates, and Diploma Examples Gallery; Flag Display Examples Gallery; and our Framed Guidon Examples Gallery. The goal of this gallery and the others is to stimulate ideas about custom military shadow boxes that we can design and build for customers.

Modifying Our Military Shadow Box Examples

Designs for the military shadow box examples in this gallery are easily customizable. If you see an example of a military shadow box in this gallery that you like and wish to have customized, please contact us. We commonly modify the custom military shadow box designs in this section to meet our customers’ requirements.

A Summary of The Military Shadow Box Examples Above

We appreciate you visiting our gallery of completed custom Military Shadow Box Examples. Designing and building custom military shadow boxes is a specialized craft that we have perfected. Although this gallery focuses on designs for military shadow boxes, we commonly frame items and objects for our civilian customers, too. We often frame military objects left behind by a family member after they have passed. Sons and daughters proud of the service rendered by their mother or father often engage our services to create heirloom treasures of medals, patches, pins, insignias, and photographs to remember their parents by. Shadow boxes also fill an important civilian purpose—giving executive gifts. Most commonly, we frame golf memorabilia as a tribute to an executive winning a tournament. Our military customers eager to provide gifts often include flags and guidons in a military shadow box. Some of the military shadow box examples in this gallery were given away as PCS gifts, retirement gifts, and as tributes from staff members to their commanders.

The True Meaning Of A Military Shadow Box

The military shadow box examples in this gallery represent more than uniform patches, flags, medals, ribbons, coins, and inanimate military objects. The items placed in these military shadow box examples represent a part of America’s history. The customers for whom these military shadow boxes were made—made history by their actions. The patches and insignias on their uniforms were part of military engagements, missions, campaigns, and actions to protect and defend the United States. The objects in these military shadow box examples are as much of America’s history as artifacts dug up in battlefields. That is the reason these proud and honorable members of the military are eager to frame military items that hold a deep and emotional attachment for them. They are not merely framing military objects; they are framing memories. And in some cases, they are framing memories of their friends. Sadly, some of their friends are no longer with them, because their friends have the made the ultimate sacrifice to keep America free.

This emotional aspect of framing brings up a very important point. We take every aspect of custom framing into consideration when we consult with our customers to create a design for them. Part of the design process actually involves understanding the motive behind a customer’s desire to have objects framed. Knowing their motivation—even the emotions behind it enables us to do a much better job in the design process. Therefore, it is important for us to understand the significance of the military items and what they represent to our customer in order to produce a meaningful shadow box that honors their military service.

Framed Military Shadow Box Examples – Customizing The Framing Designs

A number of factors influence military shadow box designs. Some of these factors include: mat colors, type of mats, the number of mats used, the colors of the objects, frame styles, the number of objects framed, the size of the objects, and the size of the completed military shadow box. The framed military shadow box examples in this section fully reflect these variables.

Examples of Framed Flags – Design Size Variations

Throughout the gallery of military shadow box examples, we reveal a diverse collection of framed objects. The examples in this gallery include objects (medals, patches, insignias, crests, etc.) framed differently. The number of objects included in a typical military shadow box largely depends on the purpose of the display. In many of the examples in this section, there are only a few items in the shadow box. In others, there are medals, patches, certificates, insignias, knives, tomahawks, challenge coins, etc. framed with guidons or flags.

The military shadow box examples in this gallery represent a number of motivations for framing. In some cases, the motivation to create the shadow box is for a gift presentation. Other examples of military shadow boxes in this gallery reflect a family member’s desire to preserve their parent’s memory. This is done by framing military items used by their parents in service to America. Some of the shadow boxes in this gallery were given away as PCS gifts, change-of-command gifts, and retirement gifts.

Smaller Military Shadow Box Examples

This gallery also features a number of small military shadow box examples. These examples include a knife with a nameplate or a few military patches. Generally, the smaller military shadow boxes are given away as gifts.

Larger Framed Military Shadow Box Examples

Examples of larger military shadow boxes reflect a soldier’s/sailor’s sense of honor and duty. As stated above, the larger military shadow box examples include: medals, ribbons, insignias, patches, challenge coins, photographs, distinctive unit insignias, and custom engraved nameplates. The purpose of a larger military shadow boxes is to tell a story about a service member’s dedicated military career. Examples of the larger military shadow boxes in this section primarily reflect framing for veterans upon their retirement.

Examples Of Nontraditional Military Shadow Box Examples

Some of the interesting examples in this section include T-shirts for a military unit, a patch collection for a military unit, and Civil War reproduction maps with authentic bullets dug from battlefields.

Mat Colors Vary With Military Shadow Box Design Objectives

What colors go well with items in a military shadow box? The colors largely depend upon the objects being framed inside the military shadow box. For example, we often use a buff/desert color for top mats that match the colors in some military items and uniform pieces. At other times, the top mat color is Navy blue—when framing the American flag. Navy blue matches the blue in the flag. For custom embroidered designs, mat colors used will match the colors in the embroidered piece.

Textured Mats Enhance The Design For Military Shadow Boxes

Generally, the items in a military shadow box are top mounted. A textured mat greatly enhances a military shadow box’s design. This is illustrated in the examples of military shadow boxes that use textured mats; the textured mats add character to the overall look. Textured mats are often selected by customers when flags or guidons are included in the shadow box. Examples in this section reveal our customers’ preference for texture in both large and small shadow boxes. Linen and silken mats mimic a flag or guidon’s texture.

Other Design Elements Add Dimension To Military Shadow Boxes

In other military shadow box examples, there is our signature design element—the Open V-groove. The Open V-groove in a military shadow box tends to transform a solid top mat into distinct sections. This is important because mat colors are used to influence the eyes’ perception of what is seen in a military shadow box. We use an open V-groove to separate the design elements inside the shadow box. This is seen in the military shadow box examples where the second mat of a contrasting color is used. For example, the top mat may be black while the bottom mat may be red. The open V-groove creates a wide reveal—allowing visibility of the red mat. This creates a unique look; thereby, offering a strategy that interrupts the static design of a solid top mat. This effectively creates balance and provides symmetry inside the military shadow box. It also provides color separation between the frame and the objects inside the frame.

Examples Provide A Starting Point For Designing A Custom Military Shadow Box

Designs for the military shadow box examples in this gallery range in size from small collections of objects to very large ones. The largest military shadow box we have completed was 5’9” x 3’9”. The deterring factor for framing large shadow boxes is the availability of mat colors. A standard mat is 32” x 40” with the widest color selections available. The mat color selections become restricted at oversize mat board sizes which are 40” x 60” and 48”x 72”. It is possible to create larger frame sizes, but the framing will be without mats. Also, with larger frames the structural integrity of the frame comes into play, restricting the available frame selections.  We use 99% UV-protective acrylic on the large shadow boxes because glass is very heavy.

Need ideas for a military shadow box? Here are just a few suggestions based on the examples in this section:

• Create a Military shadow box for honoring a veteran’s service to America
• A military shadow box can provide a tribute as part of a change of command
• Create a military shadow box/flag display that commemorates a military career
• Use a shadow box to provide a gift of gratitude
• Military shadow boxes make great PCS gifts
• Create a memorable retirement gift with a custom military shadow box
• Use a custom military shadow box to honor a fellow soldier’s/sailor’s/airman’s contribution
• Create a military shadow box that commemorates your service, or a family member’s service to the country as an heirloom that can be passed down to future generations

We hope the examples in this section offer insights into custom military shadow box framing ideas. All of the design examples in this section can be easily modified. Contact us with any questions you may have about the examples, or request a quote for a similar project’s pricing. Contact us by phone (912-756-2781) or use our contact form.