Display Your Memories

• 

  Your Very Own Art
  Stashed in a box or a drawer, memorabilia are just clutter. But combined into beautiful displays, they're personalized works of art.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Display Your Memories

  Ellen Silverman

• 

  Frame Them
  Organize a series of frames around a single event or milestone, such as baby's first year, as an easy alternative to scrapbooking. Use at least three frames and choose different sizes, allowing one to three mementos per frame (if it gets too cluttered, the display won't be as striking). Instead of framing mats, use gift wrap or wall-paper scraps to create graphic backgrounds.
  
  Spray paint unifies mismatched frames, turning them into a stylish collection. You'll need three to four coats (or less, if you use a spray primer first); wait 15 minutes between coats for paint to dry. We especially like Krylon's Glossy Interior-Exterior paint in white ($4; krylon.com for stores).
  
  Expert idea: Add depth and texture by using a frame's ledge or top edge for a small three-dimensional item, like a wooden toy.
  
  Thin box frames, West Elm, $8 to $24, westelm.com.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Display Your Memories

  Ellen Silverman

• 

  Shelve Them
  Shelves are ideal for showcasing large, bulky, or oddly shaped mementos, such as coral and other found objects, trinkets, or a wine bottle saved from a special occasion. Cluster a group of smaller items underneath a glass cloche for (dust-free) variety -- perfect for shells and sea glass gathered at the shore.
  
  2-inch mantel shelf, in espresso, $49, containerstore.com; 8-inch Cloche, Jamali Garden, $13, jamaligarden.com.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Display Your Memories

  Ellen Silverman

• 

  Box Them
  A themed display set out on a side table puts your most cherished memories at your fingertips. Focus on a favorite hobby, a romantic courtship, your grandparents' marriage, or an homage to a loved one. Include a mixture of two- and three-dimensional keepsakes and add details that will enhance your theme (we used moss and stones to give our "gone fishing" display an outdoorsy feel).
  
  Use a shadow box to showcase three-dimensional items on a wall. Graphic gift wrap, letters, and tags give your display personality. Alternately, include just one bold memento (say, your great-grandmother's wedding tiara) for dramatic effect.
  
  Large Kiri display box, Roost, $80, ABC Carpet & Home, 212-473-3000.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Display Your Memories

  Ellen Silverman