Help me with display ideas for small laminated cards.

January 26, 2005 5:52 AM

Help me with display ideas. I have a collection of probably 40 or 50 small laminated cards (picture backstage passes) that I would like to display in my apartment. I had them all taped to a wall forming one giant blocky collage, but was wondering if there's a better way.
posted by helcat to home & garden (16 comments total)

mount them on a backing and have it framed. It'll cost a bit, but it will protect the cards and provide a neater collage.

Consider leaving a couple of the cooler ones out (especially if it will help make the arrangement symmetrical) and framing them individually for desk or end table display. You might even be able to buy little picture frames for these and not pay for custom framing.
posted by Mayor Curley at 6:21 AM on January 26, 2005

I have an idea that may or may not be appealing... Buy or build a display "box" (shadowbox?) A hanging display that is a few inches deep. Leave a slot in the top and put the cards in. They will fall down and will look beautiful (IMHO).
posted by terrapin at 6:54 AM on January 26, 2005

Ikea sells these 'picture frames' that are essentially a 4X6 piece of glass with a cardboard backing that is held on by metal clamps. I use them to hang vacation snapshots on my walls. I think these would be good for you because they are unobtrusive in that they don't detract from the actual displayed matter but are sturdy enough to hang.

Ikea's website is down right now or I'd get you a link. If you do a search on picture frames I'm sure they will be easy to spot.
posted by spicynuts at 7:05 AM on January 26, 2005

I have seen people do interesting things with their paper money collections by buying one of those sheer window curtains with pockets and putting the items in the pockets. Here's a DIY article on them. Here's sort of a picture of what I'm talking about.
posted by jessamyn at 7:06 AM on January 26, 2005

Lomo makes cool little fotoclips. I have a packet of grey ones that I use to display a few of my favourite Polaroids, but looking around online, they appear to also come in clear and orange (and perhaps more colours if you search). I like them because they're an inexpensive alternative to framing.
posted by heather at 7:28 AM on January 26, 2005

Wow, that's great Heather. I'd never seen those before. I could make a curtain, a la jessamyn, with the cards by attaching them all to each other. (Though framing might be more elegant.)
posted by helcat at 7:32 AM on January 26, 2005

I love the photoclips! Since the cards are already laminated, you probably wouldn't mind people touching them? Because Ikea has a nifty little cable/clip system that I just love. It's basically a silver wire with ends that you can attach to two different walls, and silver clips that let you hang photos or cards or pretty much anything you want, and the clips are strung across the cable. It's really great-looking, and super cheap - less than 20.00, if I recall correctly. You can change the display as often as you like, which keeps it fresh. It's very inviting to touch the things displayed on it, and slide them around, which is why I asked if you'd mind anyone touching them.
posted by iconomy at 7:34 AM on January 26, 2005

Why limit yourself to two dimensions? Get some thread or fishing wire and make a mobile or two!
posted by googly at 7:37 AM on January 26, 2005

I second heather/iconomy. My brother displays pictures and other memorabilia on several different metal wires strung across his room, and it looks really neat, with the items free to rotate. Make sure you place it high enough (to avoid collisions when stretching etc) and keep it relatively taut, because cats/dogs/kids/friends like to paw at the stuff on the line.
posted by wonderwisdom at 7:40 AM on January 26, 2005

Oh yeah, they're laminated and fun to paw through. I'll check out the Ikea thing as I'm hoping to go there tonight or tomorrow anyway. Gracias.
posted by helcat at 7:43 AM on January 26, 2005

oh, wire is good too. we have a wire in our living room that we hang prints on. I've heard about the Ikea kits (ours wire is strung on two ugly screws) and how elegant they are.

the fotoclips can be three dimenionals as well... check out the links for shapes that they suggest.
posted by heather at 7:48 AM on January 26, 2005

The Ikea things are neat looking. You can do a low-rent version of those by buying one of those backpacker clotheslines [basically a long bungee cord with some clips already built in] and stringing it somewhere. That's what I do with postcards I get and other things I hang over my desk.
posted by jessamyn at 7:58 AM on January 26, 2005

I saw a skirt made out of old Metrocards -- two tiny holes had been punched on each side of the card, and little rings held them together -- and it was nifty. I bet a wall hanging made out of these cards with a similar technique would look cool.

Also, I've seen people display their collections of press passes on big sheets of corkboard.
posted by Vidiot at 8:27 AM on January 26, 2005

You could always store them in CD wallpaper.
posted by mendel at 10:04 AM on January 26, 2005

I like those clips, although they seem pricey for what they are.

Lots of small items can be grouped in a number of identical frames for a nice look.

Small items can be mounted on a piece of foam a little smaller than the object then mounted on the wall (if they're light, that foam tape will work) so they really stand out.

fun question.
posted by theora55 at 10:25 AM on January 26, 2005

You could make a coffee table display by arranging them and then painting a layer of that thick hard varnish stuff over it - or if you don't want something permanent, put them under a sheet of glass.

Clip them to a lampshade or fix them to a square paper hanging lantern.

Make a record bowl and put them in there in a pile, or hang them from it like a hanging basket or mobile.

Put up a big sheet of metal or paint something with magnetic paint and stick them up randomly with magnets and magnetic words for captions.

(Pier One sells those clip-and-glass frames too. )
posted by Melinika at 2:04 PM on January 26, 2005