How to Display Postcards

Co-authored by Kanika Khurana and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: November 25, 2023

Postcards are a fun, stylish way to remember trips taken, museums visited, or friendships shared. If you have a lot of postcards, you may be running out of ways to display them and show them off. Try framing your individual postcards, using wooden slats, or even putting plexiglass over them on your desk to display your postcards around your home.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Hanging Postcards on the Wall

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1
Attach your postcards to a string with clothespins. Cut a 4 feet (1.2 m) long piece of twine or fishing wire. Wrap the ends of the string around 2 push pins. Stretch the string out along your wall in between the push pins. Use clothespins or paper clips to attach your postcards to the string. Use multiple strings if you need to.
- You can hang your string or wire vertically for a cool visual effect.
2
Hang a cork board on your wall for an easy display. Cork boards are a great display tool because you can constantly change out what you have on them. Hang a cork board on your wall and use push pins to display your postcards. Arrange them into a design or overlap them to create an interesting visual.
- Use decorative push pins to add more color to your cork board.
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3
Pin them up directly onto your wall. The most classic way to display postcards is to attach them directly to your wall without a frame. Use push pins to display your postcards in a grid on your wall. Cover an entire wall with your postcards if you have enough, or choose a small chunk of one wall to put up your postcards.^{[1]
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- If you are worried about poking holes in your postcards, use poster putty instead of push pins. Poster putty is a sticky putty that will attach your postcards to the wall without making a hole in it.
- Group your postcards by size, color, or even subject matter.
- Arrange your postcards into a simple design, like a heart, to create an intriguing display.
If you don’t mind your postcards looking a little messy, throw them into a shadow box picture frame that you can hang on your wall or display on a side table. Your postcards will be in a loose pile in the frame, so they may not all be visible. If you have a lot of postcards, try creating themes with your shadow boxes, like putting nature cards in one box and artistic cards in another.^{[2]
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Tip: Paint the frame of your shadow box to match your decor or the theme of your postcards.
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Frame each postcard individually if you don’t have many. If you have a few postcards that you really want to show off, frame each one of them on their own and hang them on your wall. Standard postcards are 4 inches (10 cm) by 6 inches (15 cm), so your frames should be at least that big. You can cluster them all together or spread them throughout your house.^{[3]
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- Choose frames that are a similar color, or mix and match shades to create an interesting design.
- Buy a picture frame that has many different frames compiled to keep all of your postcards together.
- Lean the framed postcards against the wall on a shelf if they don't stand up on their own.^{[4]
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  Kanika Khurana. Interior Designer.}

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Decorating Your Home with Postcards

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1
Set up a postcard album to keep your postcards subtle. If you have a lot of postcards and you want people to be able to look through them, compile them into a postcard album. Most postcards are the size of a standard photograph, so you can use any photo album that you’d like to. Keep your postcard album on your coffee table so that your guests can peruse at their leisure.^{[5]
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- You can display some of your postcards while keeping most of them in your album.
2
Place a piece of plexiglass over your postcards on a flat surface. If you want to spruce up your work area, arrange your postcards on your desk in a grid or design, then attach a piece of plexiglass over the top of them. Use screws on each corner to secure your plexiglass to your desk. Your postcards will be safe from any spills or dust, and you can still use your desk like you normally would.^{[6]
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- You can remove the screws to take off the plexiglass if you want to change out your postcards in the future.
If you have 1 or 2 postcards that you really want to display, use some card holders to make individual cards stand up. Place them on side tables or on shelves around your room. Use card holders that go with the colors of your postcard to make them aesthetically pleasing.^{[7]
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Tip: If you have a lot of postcards, you can switch out which ones you have on display.
4
Arrange your postcards in a simple wooden box to display them. Although a box might seem like a storage solution, if you choose a distressed wooden box to place your postcards in, they can add an element of nostalgia and decoration to your home. Find a small wooden box at a thrift store or home goods store and compile your postcards in them. Leave the box open so that you or your guests can look through all of your postcards.^{[8]
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- Set this box on your coffee table or an end table in your living room to give people access to your postcards.
5
Hang a string from your ceiling to create a 3D display. If you want your postcards to be a focal point in your room, wrap a string around a push pin and hang it from the ceiling. Use clothespins to hang your postcards on the string. Make sure it is mostly out of the way so you won’t run into it.^{[9]
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- Use multiple strings in varying lengths to create a chandelier-like effect.