First of all, we want to start this off by saying congratulations are in order! You’ve almost finished your senior year of college and are ready to embark on the next chapter of your life. This was no easy feat -- you made it through four years of studying, taking finals, writing term papers, creating art, conducting lab experiments, playing music, and much, much more! This is your time to celebrate this milestone achievement and display all that your hard work meant to you. 

If you’re a 2021 senior, college graduation might look a little different this year. Just like last spring, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to persist and may for another year, alter the classic commencement proceedings we are used to celebrating. 

However, that does not mean your achievement means any less than the graduates before you! In fact, with all the complications of the year, that gives you even more of a reason to celebrate. 

On the bright side, the new year has just begun, and we don’t know what is to come -- we may get to a point where a traditional commencement is possible. If not, your college or university will still go to great lengths to ensure you receive the proper celebration of your achievement. 

Many schools were able to livestream a traditional commencement broadcast, others put together large slideshows honoring the graduates, and even individual departments created personalized videos for students majoring in those fields. 

Everyone understands the importance of college graduation, not only did you work extremely hard for the past four years to earn your degree, but this is also the next step toward your career and your future life!

One of the ways you can celebrate graduating college this year is by purchasing a diploma frame. This will ensure you remember your achievement forever and it can be displayed wherever you want -- in your bedroom, in a curio cabinet with other memorable accomplishments, in your home office, or in your office at your new job. 

You can upgrade your traditional diploma frame by purchasing one that has a section to display your graduation tassel -- this is known as a diploma and tassel box frame. Tassels can be easy to lose, so if you don’t already have a plan for yours, this could be your best option!

We will explain how you can find a personalized diploma and tassel frame for your college, that way your graduation can be remembered for the long term. 

How to Find Your Diploma and Tassel Frame 

Finding a diploma and tassel frame for your college is easy. There are hundreds to look through, with nearly every school represented.

These frames are high quality and made from mahogany wood that has been stained with a high gloss coat for the perfect sheen. The black mat board is accented with a beautiful gold trim. The shadow box makes for easy incorporation of your tassel. 

You can have peace of mind that your diploma will be safe inside this frame because both the matboard and mountboard are acid and lignin free as well as pH neutral. This will ensure that your diploma and tassel will be protected. 

The frame package also includes instructions for how to insert your diploma and hang your tassel, that way you can have your magnificent achievement on display as soon as your frame arrives. 

Now you may be asking yourself, how can you have your school’s name and crest engraved into the frame? Well, no worries because all you have to do is search through and find your school and the work is done for you. 

The bottom border of the matboard will be embossed with the name of your college or university. The top border will display your school’s seal in gold foil. This will pair beautifully with the gold trim around the black matboard. 

Whenever you graduate, be sure to ask what size diploma you will be receiving. This is because there are sometimes different sizes -- the normal size is 8.5 x 11 inches, but this could change depending on the type of degree. 

Where to Hang Your Diploma 

After you’ve purchased your new frame, you have to decide where to hang it. This could be a number of places, and doesn’t have to be the conventional spot for a diploma. 

Before you decide what to do with your diploma, you should reflect on your experience. What did college mean to you? You spent all nighters in the library cramming organic chem in your brain, or maybe you took hours creating a master work of art for your gallery show. You shouldn’t downplay graduating, because after all, it took four years to get to this point and you worked hard! 

Your life is changing now, you’re off to your masters program, or maybe you got the job you’ve been dreaming of since you were a little kid. So, spend some time thinking back on your experience, all the memories you’ve gained that have helped shape you into the person you are today. College is some of the most critical years of our lives -- so make sure you take the time to remember these years fondly. 

When you started college as a freshman, you were in a completely different place in life. You were just beginning your journey and still trying to figure out where you wanted to go in life. 

Now that graduation is near, you probably have a good idea of what the future has in store -- if you need to continue your education, what type of career you would like to have, and where that will take you. 

Once you’re ready to move on from your college experience, you can think about where you would like to hang your diploma and tassel frame. 

You can go the traditional route and display it on the wall, or if your style is quirky and nontraditional you could opt for a different way to display it. 

This could be on a bookshelf, in a cabinet, in the lobby of your office, maybe in a display with photos and other memorabilia from your college career. If you plan on continuing your education, think about the other diplomas you will be receiving and if you’ll want to hang them all in your office space. Maybe you have a plan for your diploma that is a completely different option. 

If you plan on continuing your education, you’ll want to think about a theme with your frames. This should probably be consistent, with the same style of wood and matboard. 

The options are endless, and since our minds are always changing, you never know what could happen and where your diploma will end up. 

Be Proud

Last but not least, you should be proud that you have graduated and earned your diploma. Oftentimes, we have the tendency to downplay this achievement by saying, “It’s just a piece of paper.” But it’s so much more than that -- it was the hard work, the extracurriculars, the leadership opportunities, the jobs and internships, the friends that you made and everything else that you were involved in during your years. 

That’s not to mention the money that went into your education. You heard us right -- college isn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination. So, at the very least, take one extra step and purchase the frame that is not only going to show off your achievement, but also tell everyone who helped pay for your college that you appreciate them and all that they’ve done for you. 

If a diploma frame typically seems boring to you -- the diploma and tassel frame offers a variation of the traditional style. If you are dead set on showcasing your tassel, there are other options like picture frames that include a place for your tassel and favorite photo. 

College is all about finding out who you are as a person and what you want to do with your life. So, your diploma means much more than the classes you took, what you majored in, and what kind of prestigious achievements you earned along the way. 

If you have trouble looking at your diploma and only see the difficulty it took to earn it -- remember all of the positive events and memories that occurred along the way. Not everyone reaches this achievement so you should be extra proud that you decided to go to college and earn your degree. 

Once you are older, you can look back on your experience with fondness and smile every time you walk into your office and see your amazing achievement looking back at you. You will definitely be thankful for your diploma frame during this moment!