4 Creative Ways to Showcase Your BJDs: Unlock the Secrets of Doll Displays!

My floating shelves/work desk/BJD shelf on the left

Are you ready to think outside the box and explore unique ways to showcase your beloved BJDs?

While the classic shelf display is a tried and true method, there’s a world of creative possibilities waiting to be uncovered! It’s time to go beyond the expected and delve into the “art” of presenting your BJDs in captivating ways.

Key Takeaways
Displaying BJDs requires attention to safety precautions, such as avoiding direct sunlight and monitoring for stains and dust accumulation.
The most common method of display is using shelves, with options like floating shelves or standard bookshelves that offer flexibility for different doll sizes.
Display cases provide an elegant way to showcase BJDs and offer protection from dust. IKEA’s Billy display case is a popular choice among collectors.
Floating shelves are affordable and come in various sizes and colors, making them suitable for smaller dolls, but proper installation and anchoring are crucial.
Crafty individuals can create stunning displays by crafting dioramas, which allow for creativity and personalized scenes, though they can be expensive and require storage space.

Safety warning first!

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Before you get the welcoming mat ready to display your dolls, there are a couple of key things you have to remember with these guys.

They do not like the sunlight! Do not display dolls anywhere with direct sunlight hitting them. This will increase the yellowing process which is inevitable, but you definitely don’t want to increase the speed at which they yellow. Check out my article on BJD Yellowing Myths and Facts!
Stains can happen. Check your doll periodically especially if they are wearing dark clothing. You don’t want their clothes to stain them as they usually sit for long periods in your display area.
Keep your Swiffer on hand. If your dolls are left out they will gather dust. Make sure to clean them off periodically and clean the area around them.
Keep the heat off them. Similar to the first point about keeping them away from the sun, make sure they aren’t in a heated area. This is not to say that they are going to melt like the Wicked Witch of the West with heat but its just safe to keep them in temperature controlled areas.

Now that we know some key tips for safety when displaying dolls lets talk about how to display them!

The Most Common: The Shelf

Most people like to either get some kind of floating shelfs or bookshelves to put their dollies in. What size shelf to get really all comes down to what size dolls you have. For example, obviously a 80cm doll might not be able to fit in a small square cubby shelf so you have to think bigger and more space.

Personally I have a Kallax shelf from Ikea that I like to put my dolls with varying sizes in. It is great because the larger dolls (1/3 scale) can sit on top and the smaller ones can go in the cubbies. It retails for $74.00.

It can fit a range of dolls and I like that it can be built vertically or horizontally. If you do not have an IKEA don’t worry because Walmart and Amazon sell the same shelf.

Back in the day I used just a standard book shelf and that worked out just fine as well. The only problem I ran into is that I do have quite a lot of 1/3 scale dolls and I had open up the shelves in order to fit them in there.

Pros of using a standard shelf:

It has the potential to put a variety of dolls on display.
Great for 1/4 or 1/6 dolls and can even be used as dioramas (more info on this below)
These shelves are usually easy to build and can fit in most spaces

Cons of using a standard shelf:

They are open to dust. You will need to regularly check your dolls and clean the shelves of dust.
Larger dolls need the shelves to be more open and will fill the shelves faster.
IF you happen to move they are large items to move.

Display Cases

If you want to avoid some of the dust maybe a display case would suit your fancy. There are many different kinds of display cases but they mainly consist of some kind of glass windows and offer shelf spaces that are closed off. I think it makes for a very elegant way for displaying your collection.

Once again IKEA has some great display cases that are bit more affordable that other display cases elsewhere. A popular one among BJD Collectors is the Billy. It is retailed for $199.99 which is not too bad for a large display case.

It is a very tall shelf and has the potential to hold several dolls. The glass panels are large and make viewing what’s inside very easy.

Pros to display shelves:

Provides a sleek way to display your dolls
Helps reduce dust that might gather on your dolls
If you add lighting into the shelving it can really make the display pop

Cons to display shelves:

They are bit trickier to build.
Most are very large so you need plenty of space
If you happen to move you need to transport them carefully since they have glass components

Floating Shelves

So the last piece I have for you is floating shelves. You really have to pay attention to the size and weight of your dolls vs the floating shelves and what you mount them into the wall with. Floating shelves can be anchored to carry heavy things but you always run a risk. Personally I so display some dolls on floating shelves but they are smaller dolls.

All my shelves come from Amazon and you can check out some of my suggestions here. The main thing you want to make sure you have is a good anchor for them. Most floating shelves come with light anchors but I put in heavy duty anchors into my walls.

Check out my Amazon suggestions for the BJD Hobby!

I really like the look of floating shelves and I think they are very affordable. The toughest part sometimes can be installing them. So if you are handy with hanging things on the wall this will be easy for you!

Pros to floating shelves:

They are very easy to find and mostly affordable
They come in many different colors and sizes
They work great for smaller dolls

Cons to floating shelves:

Can be tricky to install if you are not good at leveling items when mounting
Can rip holes into your wall if you do not mount them properly
Depending on how high you mount them you run the risk of dolls falling from bigger heights

Are you crafty? Dioramas as displays!

If you are a crafty person then I think bar far, the coolest way to display your dolls is through making dioramas.

here is your definition in case you don’t know what it is 🙂

I wish I was crafty enough to make one for my dolls but I have not ventured into this realm yet. Some people buy larger shelves and create rooms out of the shelving. Others custom make their shelving for the dioramas, and others buy kits to help them get started.

There are some really amazing diorama artists out there and I always am in awe when I see their work! I think what stuns me the most are the 1/3 scale dioramas because those bad boys need a lot of space! Major props to those who make dioramas!

Diorama pros:

Makes an impressive way to display your dolls
A great way to show off props or other BJD items you have for your dolls
Great for photography or videography

Diorama cons:

Making dioramas can get expensive
Takes a lot of crafting experience to make certain things
Not very easy to transport if you have to move and you will need to store all pieces

Let’s take a look at some more owner displays!

The BJD community was super nice enough to let me show off some of their BJD displays! Check out some of these amazing displays from people in the hobby! Thanks again for all those who let me use their photos!