Show and Tell

We've all got 'em: collectibles, artwork, figurines, souvenirs, etc. In other words, stuff we want to show off. The only difference between regular folks and us geeks is that our stuff is less Hallmark and more...well...this:

The little guy is actually from 1984. That counts as an antique, right?

Anyway, I absolutely love finding unique ways to display my stuff, because let's face it: working StayPuft into your home decor is NOT easy. And since I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem, here are some of my own display solutions to (hopefully) give you some ideas.

Blind-Box Toys

I fell in love with Tara McPherson's "Gamma Mutant Space Friends" series the moment I saw it. Trouble is, they're so small! How do you display a bunch of 3-inch figures?

Well, I do it like this:

Sorry about the photo; the glare from the glass gave me trouble.

This was a fun, easy project, since it's just an 8x10 shadow box frame with an acrylic shelf attached inside. The background is cut scrapbook paper, and matches the design and colors of the series' boxes.

My favorite bit is the bunny:

Seriously, isn't this set adorable?

I always thought he looked like he was flying, even though he's meant to stand up, so I got a bit of fishing line and suspended him from the top of the frame. (Much harder than it sounds. Heh.) I also stuck one of the slugs on the side wall, just for fun.

The figures are held in place with museum putty, a kind of tacky, removable adhesive. (I need to find a clear version, though; you can see little blue bits of it reflecting up from under their feet.) The putty is vital; without it everything would topple over at the first bump.

[Update: thanks for the tips, guys! I found some clear museum wax on Amazon here.]

Art Cards

Shadow box frames are also fantastic if you collect ACEO. ACEO stands for "art cards, editions and originals" and are each the size of a baseball card: 3.5 x 2.5 inches.

Because they're small, I like to display my cards in frames that look like an extension of the art:


I line the back of a 4x6 frame with scrapbook paper that complements the art, and then attach the card with a piece of foam
or cardboard
so it floats above the background. It looks great, and costs next to nothing - a win/win!

[Thanks to your comments I've learned cardboard is a no-no: too acidic! So stick with acid-free foam board instead.]

I painted the above frame to match, but not all shadowboxes allow you to remove the glass. In those cases, I go with neutral black or white:

Choose papers with lots of texture for a rich, custom look.
(And check a craft store for the frames. A small size like this should cost around $10.)

And yes, a lot of my art is quite girly. :) These and the toys are all in my office, though, where I really let the color and girliness run rampant. The rest of our house is a bit more subdued. (Just a bit, though.)

Figurines/Sculptures

I saved my favorite for last.

This art doll is in our new steampunk dining room (still a work-in-progress):

I love this picture.

Because he's only about 10 inches tall, I wanted to display our diver dude in or on something that would call more attention to him. At first I wanted a cloche - one of those glass domes with a handle - but then I learned that the size I needed would cost anywhere from $40 to $65. Yikes! No, thanks.

The solution came when I realized one of the lanterns we'd already purchased for the room reminded me of a diving bell. It's meant to hold a candle, but our little guy's feet fit perfectly:

Plus, this lantern was less then $20. Sweeeet.

In fact, if you have a similarly sized figurine or sculpture to display, candle-holders and lanterns provide all kinds of options. I found several just by looking around the house, like this one:

If you don't have anything suitable at home, check your local discount home goods stores. Ross and Home Goods are my favorites, but there are plenty of others to choose from. (Also keep an eye out at thrift shops and antique/junk marts!)

Oh, that reminds me: when I was still intent on finding a cloche, I realized you might be able to substitute a footed vase, turned upside-down. Big glass vases are cheap, so if you find the right shape you could save yourself $50 or so, easy.

I still haven't found one with the right curved shape and foot for a cloche, but I did find this last week:

Cool, right? I left the TJ Maxx price tag on just to show you that this gorgeous vase/dome was only $6.99! Plus, the shape is really growing on me - like a modern version of a cloche. I still like the lantern best for our diver, but I'm sure I'll find something else to display under this soon.


Ok, guys, your turn! How do you display your favorite geeky collectibles or art? Tell me in the comments - or, better yet, send me pictures!