Stylish & Affordable Ways to Display Degrees

Aside from our home, one of the most expensive things I own is my college degree 🤣 Idk about you but when upon every graduation there’s always an option to have your degree framed by the university but it always costs damn near as much as a course credit. So if you’re anything like me, your degrees have been sitting in storage (in my case, at my parent’s house) for months, maybe even years. Well it’s time to show them off, cuz you earned them! Whether you’re a fresh graduate or you finished school decades ago, here are some stylish and affordable ways to display your degrees.

Acrylic Clear Floating Frames

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In my home office in Indiana, I wanted a very clean and streamlined workspace to help me think both creatively and scholarly. Those bulky dark degree frames that are some in most places were NOT going to work on my walls. I decided to frame my three degrees in 11 x 14 acrylic floating frames so they subtly blend into the walls. I’ve used acrylic floating frames before, for our wedding picture in our Nairobi bedroom, but that one was pricy and a wedding gift. While a bunch of retailers now sell floating frames, I actually got mine from… Costco! They came as a pack of two and with an option of gold or silver hardware. I definitely chose gold because it went well with the room’s aesthetic. While I placed mine side by side, you could also place them one on top of the other to take up less visual space. Depending on the size of your degrees, this is another affordable option — just make sure you measure twice!

Standing Desktop Frame

If you like to look at your degrees as you work then this option is for you. Consider getting a standing desktop frame. Just like people place photos of their loved ones on their desks, you can have it sit on a corner of your desk alongside other decorative items. For visual interest, consider using an easel frame display — just make sure you won’t knock your diploma over.

Large Acrylic Floating Frame

Another option for displaying multiple degrees is to place them in one single large frame, like a 20 x 24 frame. This is a great option if you have a lot of wall space to fill, if you don’t like the idea of gallery walls, or if you want to minimize the number of holes in your walls. And if you’re thinking about getting another degree, you can use a placeholder one part of the frame — maybe an inspirational image of what you envision your life/career will be like once you get that additional degree!

Matted Photo Frames

Even if you don’t like the acrylic look, you don’t have to be relegated to the standard diploma frames that have thick heavy framing and ugly matting. Just use a regular matted photo frame! Although degrees don’t come in a standardized size, you’ll want to look for a frame that can display an 11 x 14 image while matted. Use some double-sided tape (or just regular tape folded over) to secure your degree to the mat, and voila! Hang wherever you please!

Clothesline Photo Display

For a DIY and more sentimental option, you can create or buy a clothesline photo display, and display your degrees alongside some images that best capture your college/graduate school experience! Maybe you’ve got an extra wallet-sized photo from graduation, a polaroid from a memorable night with your friends, or even your final student loan payment acknowledgment — hang those up alongside your degree(s)!

Do you display your degrees, diplomas, or certificates? I’d love to know how you show them off!