Some things don't lie flat. A cap, a medal, a folded flag, a baby's gown, a ticket next to a photograph. They need a little depth, not glass pressed on top like a poster. Marty & Pat’s builds custom shadowboxes on Camp Bowie, and we've been doing this kind of work for 40 years.
You can see that range in the local art gallery. Jersey boxes, cap boxes, layered mats, a flag given a proper field. Conservation-quality materials and CPF-certified framers are the same ones who handle custom picture framing. The difference is the box: spacers, mounts, and a layout that gives each object room.
People come in from the Cultural District, West 7th, Ridglea, Tanglewood, and Arlington Heights with keepsakes that have been in a drawer. A weekday walk-in is enough. You set the objects on the counter, talk about what should be readable from across the room, and choose a frame that can carry the depth. We're open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and closed on weekends. We'll take the time with the layouts, show you the options, and tell you what we'd do.
Sports pieces often start as a jersey and become a shadowbox when photos or a ball cap join the shirt. Graduation work is the same kind of planning: a diploma, a stole, cords, a tassel. See diploma framing when the diploma is the center. We also frame scarves and needlework this way when a medal or another object should sit with the cloth.
We'll mount the objects so they don't sag, without glue that ruins what you came to save. Mats can be cut with windows for photos or documents. We'll help you choose glass or acrylic based on weight and how much sun the wall gets.
Marty & Pat’s has been locally owned on The Bricks since 1986. The local art gallery in the same room helps. You can see how a finished deep frame actually sits, not only a corner sample. We'll talk through conservation framing and matting for the boards and glass. Most Fort Worth work is a walk-in on Camp Bowie. We'll take care of those family treasures the same way we take care of every piece that comes in.
Visit 5025 Camp Bowie Boulevard or call (817) 738-7328. Bring the objects together, even if you're not sure they belong in one box. It's easier to edit a layout in the shop than to add a second piece after the frame is closed.
Questions we hear
What belongs in a shadowbox instead of a regular frame?
Anything that needs depth. Caps, medals, folded flags, jerseys, tassels, stoles, small objects, and a diploma with a keepsake that isn't flat. If it would get crushed under regular glass, it's a shadowbox.
Can several objects share one shadowbox?
Yes, when the layout can give each piece room. Bring everything you're considering. We'll tell you when one box is enough and when two simpler frames would look clearer.
Do you use conservation materials in shadowboxes?
Yes, and we recommend them when the objects should last. Our CPF-certified framers will talk through boards, mounts, and glass before the box is built.