How to Build Frames for Paintings

Although finding a properly sized frame for a photograph is usually an easy task, paintings do not always come in the same standard set of sizes that photos do. Having custom framing done can be expensive, and hunting for a frame that fits just right can be both time-consuming and fruitless. Those with the proper tools, however, can instead opt to build a custom frame for their painting. This can both save money and offer a degree of personalization that a store-bought frame cannot.

Things You'll Need

• Picture-frame molding
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Miter saw
• Craft knife
• Frame clamp
• Wood glue
• Pin hammer
• Panel pins
• Nail punch
• Hardboard
• Straightedge
• Sandpaper

Instructions

1. Determine how much frame molding you will need. To do this, measure the length of all four sides of your painting, and then add these measurements together. However, this only tells you the size of the interior of the frame, not the exterior. To find the exterior length, and thus how much molding you will need, double the width of the frame and add it to each side. For example, if your frame molding is 3 inches wide, add 6 inches to each side. Take this final figure and add an extra 10 to 12 inches of molding, to account for construction waste.

2. If you want to add matting to the picture, you will need to add inches to the frame. Although the left, right and top matting should be the same length, you can make the matting for the bottom of the picture longer. For example, if you wanted to add 2 inches of matting to the left, right and top and 4 inches to the bottom, you would need to add 6 extra inches to the sides of the frame, and 4 to the top and bottom.

3. Mark off the length of each side of the frame on the molding with a pencil.

4. Cut the molding at a 45-degree angle. This angle must be exact so that the corners will fit together neatly. The precision of a miter saw is preferable over attempting the cut freehand.

5. Use a craft knife to clean up the mitered edges of the frame so that they will fit flush with the other edges. Make sure the edges fit properly.

6. Apply wood glue to the angled edges of the frame and push them together. Use a frame clamp to hold the edges together. Wipe off any excess glue with a damp rag. Let the frame set overnight.

7. Remove the frame clamps. Hammer panel pins into the ends of the top and bottom of the frame for improved stability. Use a nail punch to push the pins all the way in to the molding.

8. If you want glass in your frame, bring the frame to a glass cutter. For a precise fit, this is preferable to simply bringing frame measurements. If you do not want glass in your frame, skip this step.

9. Using a craft knife and a straightedge, cut out the painting's backing from a sheet of hardboard. The backing should fit snugly into the frame. If your frame has glass, simply trace the outside of the glass and cut along those lines. Sand down the edges of the hardboard.

10. Put in the glass, the painting and the backing into the frame. Hammer panel pins into the hardboard backing at an angle to keep the backing in place.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to forgo glass and hardboard backing and attach the a canvas painting directly to the frame, try using a straightened-out hose clamp, with one screw attached to the canvas frame and one to the picture frame. A thin hose clamp can be bent so as to fit snugly against the canvas and the picture frame. This will keep your canvas firmly in place.

• Always be especially cautious when using power tools such as a miter saw. When securing the backing, be careful not to hammer the panel pins through the painting.