How to frame a mass market paperback book so I can hang it on the wall?

March 6, 2018 4:04 PM

I've got some beloved mass market paperbacks from my youth with amazing cover art, and I've long wanted to display them on my walls. But how to do so?

The idea first arose a few years ago, when I saw these amazing frames for sale -- EXACTLY what I wanted -- an easy way to slip a mass-market paperback into a frame and hang it on the wall. BUT the product was already sold out.

They've remained out of stock ever since. I have now accepted that they probably are not coming back into stock, ever.

Soooo, I've been brainstorming alternative ways to find or make such a frame. I'm not super talented with crafts, though, and my budget is (sigh) limited. So I guess my question is...

1. Does anyone know where else to buy a frame like this, specifically designed for mass market paperbacks?

Since the answer to that is probably NO, I'll also ask:

2. Does anyone have a brilliant idea about how a supremely unskilled crafter could make a product like this on a bare-bones budget?

3. Or, failing that, does anyone know whom I would hire to make about a dozen of these, for a price that wouldn't break the bank? (The local framing shop, which is excellent, charged me $250 to frame a standard-sized poster a couple of years back, so I'm assuming I would not be able to afford to commission twelve of these at that fine establishment. However, if someone wanted $250 to make 12 MMPB frames, I could probably swing that.)

All other ideas also solicited and welcomed.

posted by mylittlepoppet to Grab Bag (7 answers total)

Previously.

Ikea has these Ribba or Gunnabo frames that have depth to them. This feature would likely allow for a hack that displays the cover art without making the book unreadable (assuming that's your intention.)
posted by Everydayville at 4:18 PM on March 6, 2018

Google “shadow box frames.”
posted by valkane at 4:26 PM on March 6, 2018 [6 favorites]

Best answer: Also, there's these on Etsy. Which, on preview, they don't ship to the States - but if you had friends or family in the UK (or a helpful MeFite!), they could ship it to you.
posted by Everydayville at 4:28 PM on March 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Alternately, you could make a high quality print from a scan of the cover. Then you get to have your book and read it too.
posted by goatdog at 4:37 PM on March 6, 2018 [7 favorites]

Best answer: Michael's Crafts is where I'd go for these. They have these shadowbox frames in various sizes. They might be a tad bigger than the books (mass market paperbacks are usually 4x7 and 6x9, and these are 5x7 and 8x10). But I've framed posters in frames that were slightly too big and it looked fine. I'd bring the book and try it out in the store to see how it looks before buying. They often have coupons and sales so if you go at the right time it won't be too expensive.
posted by selfmedicating at 4:59 PM on March 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: SuckUK will ship internationally; they cite this, but it's difficult to tell if they have it in stock or not. You can contact them directly. Other retailers I notice seem to be sold out.
posted by BWA at 10:40 AM on March 7, 2018

Best answer: I put books on my wall by simply screwing a plate holder to the wall, like the ones used for commemorative plates, and then setting my book in there.
posted by maxsparber at 12:52 PM on March 7, 2018 [2 favorites]