Build Your Own Rock Display Case

Choose a pre-made, wooden shadow box with openings that your rock and mineral specimens will fit in. These are usually made from very thin, light weight wood and may be treated or painted. They may also come unpainted. Paint the wooden shadow box white. This will provide more light in the holes for better rock viewing. If your rocks or gemstones are large, it may be necessary to use a small hand saw or electric saw to cut the cross beams of several of the holes.

Lay the sheet of styrofoam over the top of the shadow box and apply gentle pressure across the whole thing by putting something heavy on it. This will create small impressions in the foam of the cross beams and borders of the rock display case. Conversely, you can simply use a ruler to measure the openings and mark out the squares and rectangles with a pen. Cut on these lines in the styrofoam using a sharp craft knife.

Trace each styrofoam shape onto a piece of felt fabric. Felt is ideal to use in rock display cases as it is soft and does not fray on the edges. The color you use may depend on the types of rock you have to display, though white is a good choice for maximum light on your stones. Cut out the pieces of felt fabric and keep them with their corresponding styrofoam piece.

Push the styrofoam shapes into the corresponding openings in the wooden box rock display case. These will provide cushioning for the specimens and raise them up closer to the top of the box for better viewing. If the box is very deep or your rocks small, insert multiple layers of styrofoam in each hole. You can use different levels for different rocks or minerals in your collection as well. Lay the felt fabric pieces on top of the foam sheets and use a flat tool, such as a butter knife, to gently push the edges down between the foam and the sides of the wooden box.

Cut a sheet of plexiglass or hard acrylic to cover the entire open side of the rock display case shadow box. Use a ruler and a t-square to be sure the piece is perfectly shaped to fit as a lid. Smooth the edges if necessary. Drill holes in the plexiglass or acrylic to attach the hinge and hasp hardware. Screw the hardware on to both the lid and the wooden shadow box to complete the rock display case lid.

Lay your rock specimens from your collection into their places in the display case you have built. Write the name or information of each specimen on a small piece of card stock paper or index card. Stick the label on the wood between the square spaces that hold the rocks or directly on the felt fabric itself using double-sided tape.