Shadow Boxes: Beautiful Christmas Gift Ideas from Etsy Part 1

Shadow boxes are glass-front display cases that contain salvaged and created beautiful objects placed artfully at various heights to generate a depth of field. Some shadow boxes include mood lighting for added dramatic effect and can be used as a night light or as a piece of art in the lounge room. Others are contain nostalgic miscellanea from another time and place.

I am obsessed with the shadow boxes on ETSY, which vary in terms of quality. Here are the best ones that I found. Some vary in price. There is one there for several thousand dollars but as you might imagine – this is a singularly unique work of art and is actually worth that much money,

Here are some useless but beautiful gifts for Christmas which the arty person you know may appreciate.

A Bad Harvest in the Hollow by Chimerical Reveries 

This is an original handmade shadow box complete with a glass front and ornate frame. It is finished in a dark satin stain and has been fitted with brass screws and an antique toggle switch, and powered by a 9v adapter.

This shadow box is a visually immersive model, as alluring and enchanting as it is curious. Saturated with texture, colour and detail. The box was designed to be viewed from any side and angle, every time you view it you will see something you didn’t see before. There is no beginning or end to the models inside, they are made to appear as if the end is just out of sight.

NZ$2,434.57

Shadow box di cappuccetto rosso by Creating Monkey 

This is a shadow box of little red riding hood and the wolf in a birch forest made from delicate water colour paper, LED lighting in warm white and Obeche wood with an MDF casing. (I Google translated this from Italian for ease of understanding).

NZ$142.07

Curio Box by VintagebCindy 

The box itself is vintage as well as most of the items it is filled with. Inside there is an assortment of treasures found at flea markets in Wisconsin such as a Victorian baby sitting in a shoe, Vintage miniature books, buttons, wood spools of thread, a porcelain vase and game pieces. Each shadow box is unique.

NZ$143.61

‘Wolf song’ by CuttingEdgeLaserSrvs

These 3D Shadow Boxes are designed and then precision laser etched, cut and inlaid. Each piece is hand stained and assembled to create a memorable scene.

They accept custom orders and will work with you to create a favorite scene. Such beautiful craftsmanship and a strong attention to detail.

This shadowbox of a wolf in forest, “Wolf Song”, has 7 layers and is inlaid – it spotlights a howling wolf, moon, clouds, forest and mountain scene.

You can choose wood stain colours such as walnut, ebony, orange, natural oak, dark walnut and pecan.

NZ$290.15

 

Miniature Antique French Book Store by Titowanderlust

A charming diorama featuring an antique French book shop filled with miniature books. The shadow box is made of dark wood and has a glass on the front. It cannot be opened. It can be hanged on a wall or laid on a shelf.

The background is a marbled pink wallpaper. Some of the books have leather or faux leather cover, others have pictures and titles printed on the front. The name of the shop is written in gold on black with a nice calligraphy: “Au Temps Du Livre”, with the house number “5” in the center. In a good vintage condition.

NZ$452.85

‘Paper Roses’ by JenniesHox

A slightly creepy but yet adorable shadowbox featuring an antique doll head has a striped torso, a golden crown and sits above a sea of white paper flowers, with an architectural print behind. There is a brass ring on the back so it can be hung on the wall or stand alone. It comes in a lightweight wooden box.

 

NZ$154.19

Star Wars Hoth Shadow Box by SuziDigital

This great shadowbox is handmade and pays homage to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. It has a low voltage so the light can be kept on safely all night. It also has a break-away adaptor so if the wire is pulled between the box and the frame the connection is broken without damaging the box. Ideal for a Star Wars lover.

NZ$70.99