Hey there! I wanted to share my process for displaying my Disney pins. Cork boards are a very popular way to display pins. They allow you to remove pins whenever you want which is very convenient, but I wanted to create something that was more of a permanent home for my pins. The idea originated from a Pinterest pin I saw that had pins displayed on top of a black paper with various white frames. I thought it was so cute and I wanted to do that too. Little did I know that the paper was actually a printed piece of cardstock and not hand drawn. While that may have made life easier, I’m glad I go the hand drawn route.

Supplies List:	Tools List:
Black Foam Core	Hobby Knife
Shadowbox (12×12″)	White Gel Pen
Scrap piece of 12×12 Cardstock/Paper	White Paint Pen
Carbon Paper	Pencil
Printer Paper	Straight Edges with Right Angles
Your Pins	Craft Glue

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Here we go!

I didn’t document everything so I’ll have to explain some things in writing.

First, I cut a piece of black foam core to size using a hobby knife and ruler. For this specific shadowbox, I cut 12×12″. This was set aside so I wouldn’t accidentally dent it. I’ve also done 9×9 shadowboxes.

The first and most important thing to do is to arrange the pins in a way that the eye isn’t drawn to any one in particular. The way I do that is by having cohesion in some places and not in others, I look at colors and shapes, themed pins are usually separated–but close by–unless there’s only 2 and they’re small. It’s complicated.

For this shadowbox I started by separating my pins by the most dominate color. Reds and oranges, blues, greens, etc.

Next, I take a piece of 12×12 cardstock–one I don’t care about–and use that over carpet to place my pins. I do this so I can punch in my pins and see them laying flat.

I start in one corner and grow it from there. This time, my starting pins were the Fox and the Hound set.

After placing all of my pins (some were left for the next shadowbox as they didn’t fit) I cut out some printer paper and draw in general ideas for frames for most of the pins. By this point, I’ve already decided which pins won’t get a frame. I like to pull inspiration from shapes that exist in the pins or the theming of the pins.

If you look at the picture above, you’ll see that the starting pins (the Fox and the Hound ones) have similar colors as the Thunder Mountain pin. That pin is my transition to other blue and yellow pins. They all meld from one color to another.

I then traced around each pin’s frame onto the cardstock and labeled them.

I used carbon paper to copy the placement onto the black foam core. I only bothered to do the corners, some edges, and the circle frames where I had something to trace around. I don’t want anything too permanent here because I know that not everything is straight and angled correctly.

With the help of some handy right angle rulers, I was able to draw out my frames in pencil.

I then punched in my pins into the foam core. This requires precision!

Before removing the pins to go over my pencil marks, I trace around the pins that don’t have frames with a white gel pen. This will allow them to pop without taking up room like the frames do.

It’s super important to not smudge the gel pen or get it on your hands because it might ruin the black background.

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When the general outlines for the frames are done, I go in and add thickness, fill with white paint pen, or add designs.

Then I put the pins back and go in-between the frames to add little effects, mini frames with something relating to the movies or rides, and doodles.

Final touches. Looks good!

After finishing the background, I chopped up some of the foam core to use as backings for my pins. I punch these all the way thru. This will help lift the pins off of the background and make it look great.

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With pins that have transparent parts, I took a piece of glitter cardstock and cut it to size. This was attached to the background itself, not close to the pin.

Everything was ready to go and I slathered on some craft glue directly onto the foam core backings and reinserted my pins into the holes I made earlier on the 12×12 foam core background.

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When the glue dried, I put my foam core in the shadowbox and secured it with four short metal pins angled up into the foam that was attached to the frame’s back cover…

And done!

That’s how I approached this shadowbox pin display this time around! My very first one was not quite as packed with doodles, but I think it’s fine for this one to be different. I hope you are inspired to create your own pin display! It really makes your pins look more like artwork and it’s personal. I just love looking at them in their shadowboxes.

Thanks for taking a look at our blog! Follow us on Instagram and Pinterest for more projects like this one and don’t forget to share with your Disney DIY loving friends and family. We’d really appreciate it!

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