Bespoke Oak Framed Norwich City Shirt

Over the last few months I have been designing and making a 2" deep box frame to display a signed Norwich City football shirt. It has taken a few months to build because I was secretly making it for my mum, she had no idea! This meant I had no real deadline to meet. When I had other jobs to do this project kind of got pushed to the side for a while until I had some free time to work on it.

The idea was to make a deep, breathable frame for the shirt to hang freely inside. I wanted to make sure no condensation could build up on the inside of the frame as this would harm the shirt.

A little about the shirt.

My mum is a HUGE Norwich City fan. For her birthday last year she was given the shirt by a friend of hers who managed to get it signed by the complete premier league promotion winning squad. Her friend that got the shirt is a cousin of the Goal keeper. So this is a very special shirt and I felt it needed something interesting and eye catching to display it in.

This is what I came up with:

Following my signature style of work, I used my multiple changing cube design, hand cut and finished from solid pieces of oak. I cut a unique profile into the oak to hold the clear perspex into tightly so it cannot move, a 1 inch thick area for the shirt to hang freely inside of and a 3mm rebate for a backing board.

I used a 45 degree angle on the corners with a hidden spindle inside each joint for extra strength when gluing. I also chose to use a decorative joint called a butterfly key. These small keys lock both sides of the joint tightly to one another and stops them from separating while looking gorgeous.

I made an oak hanger for the shirt which was fixed from the inside to the top part of the frame.I also added a majority of small holes in the sides of the frame for air circulation so it could breathe easily.

The backing was also handmade using 3mm thick strips of oak which I run down in a table saw to the thickness required and made them into a panel to fit the frame.


I will share a few photos of the build from the first marking out to the finished piece:

This is what I started with, 4 pieces of oak I prepared to 60mm x 40mm. This is the unique profile marked out and ready for removal.

This image shows the profile cut out, the cube design cut into the oak and the 45 degree angle (no spindle).

A quick test fit for square and angle fitment. This image also shows the cube design quite well.

All the sides rubbed down and edges softened. The oak hanger location being marked out to the frame.

3mm oak backing board panel made and fitted to its place.

The glue up, clear perspex fitment and butterfly keys driven home.



The finished frame:

                                                          Finished with the shirt mounted, ready for display.




I am so happy with this frame. It is like nothing I've ever seen before. It easily draws your attention straight to it when you enter the room it is displayed in. There has been a lot of praise for this from everyone that has seen it. Pictures really don't do it justice!

It has also had offers made from Norwich City fans which I unfortunately had to turn down. This was a gift for my mum. It is currently hanging in the middle of her living room where it looks completely at home!