How to Build Freestanding Frames for Fabric Panels
Freestanding fabric panel frames make easy-to-use room dividers, privacy screens or places to display artwork, photos or family calendars. Freestanding frames are a combination of sturdy material, such as wood, and heavy-duty hinges that allow you to fold the frames so they will stand on their own. Hinges that fold both backward and forward make your frame more versatile and allow you to fold it away completely for storage when not in use. Cover the frames in brightly covered fabric, rice paper or fabric-covered foam for beauty and versatility.
Things You'll Need
- 9 or 10 2-by-4-inch pieces of wood
- Measuring tape
- Saw
- Drill
- Wood screws
- Corner braces
- 6 two-way hinges
- Fabric
- Staples and staple gun
Instructions
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1
Determine the height and width of the panels you want to make. If you are using them as room dividers, each panel should be no taller than 6 feet and no wider than 2 feet. The finished room divider will be a total of three panels, making the total size of the divider about 6 feet in width when unfolded. Adjust your measurements according to the space where the panels will be used.
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Cut six pieces of 2-by-4-inch wood to the desired height. Use the remaining pieces of 2-by-4-inch wood to cut boards that are 8 inches shorter than the desired width. The vertical wood pieces will account for those 8 additional inches. The nine shorter pieces with be the tops, bottoms and middle brace pieces.
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3
Lay out the first panel by placing the two vertical pieces of wood on your work surface and adding the top and bottom pieces to fit inside the two vertical pieces so that the edges are flush at the top and bottom and form right angles at the four corners. Screw the top and bottom pieces of wood to the two vertical pieces of wood by drilling two screws at each corner through the vertical wood pieces and into the top and bottom pieces.
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Add the middle anchor pieces of wood by measuring the height of the finished outer frame and divide that number in half. Mark the halfway point between the top and bottom pieces of the frame. Secure the middle support horizontally at this mark by screwing through the outside of the frame into the middle support piece.
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Connect four corner braces to each corner of the frame with the drill and more wood screws. Attach the braces approximately 1 inch from the edges of the frame. The corner braces provide added support to the top and bottom frame connections.
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6
Repeat these steps and make two more frames for a total of three panels.
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Connect the three panels with heavy-duty two-way hinges. Divide the total height of the frame by three and mark the measurements on what will be the inside edge of two of the frames and both sides of the middle frame. Attach the hinges with the drill and wood screws to the marked locations.
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Connect the three frames by inserting the hinge pin into the hinges. Stand the three-panel frame on the floor and adjust the folds so it doesn’t wobble. Attach fabric to the panels by stretching it tightly across the wooden frames on both sides. Attach the fabric to the frames with staples and a staple gun.
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References
- Photo Credit BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images
