How to Build a Wood Picture Frame

Save money by building your own frame.

Buying pictures frames, especially real wood ones, can be very expensive if you plan on buying a lot. Making your own cuts down significantly on the cost and allows you to personalize the frame for that special picture you want to put into it.

Frame making does require some woodworking skills and some special equipment. There are, however, several ways to build a wood picture frame, which vary in the amount of skill and tools that are required.

Things You'll Need

• Wood
• Ruler
• Miter saw
• Router
• Fine-toothed hand saw
• Corner clamps
• Wood adhesive
• Brads

Instructions

Building an 8" x 10" Frame with Mitered Corners

1. Establish how much wood you will need for the frame using a 1 1/2-inch wide board at least 1 inch thick. Add the frame length plus 2 times the wood width (10 + 3 = 13 inches) and the frame width plus 2 times the wood width (8 + 3 = 11 inches), and then double each measurement for the total length needed (48 inches).

2. Cut a rabbit with a router or dado blade along one edge of the back side of the wood. The rabbit is the groove into which the glass is recessed. The standard width of the rabbit is 1/4 inch and the depth is a minimum of 3/8 of an inch, but can be deeper if the wood is thicker than 1 inch.

3. Cut the wood with a 90-degree cut to the lengths established in the beginning. The inner edge of the frame is identified as the edge with the rabbit.

4. Place the outer edge against the fence of the miter box with the back side of the frame down. Cut a 45-degree angle on one end of each of the four pieces so the shorter side is the inner edge.

5. Measure the outer edge of each piece and mark 3/8 inch shorter than the original length. This is where the second angle will be cut. If the original length was 13 inches, then the second angle is at 12 and 5/8 inches.

6. Reverse the blade on the miter saw and cut the second set of 45-degree angles. The outer edges should be against the fence and the back sides facing down. The opposite sides must be the exact same lengths for the corners to fit correctly.

7. Put the four pieces together to form the frame. Use corner clamps to hold it together. Test to see that the 8" x 10" glass fits in the rabbit with 1/16-inch allowance all the way around. Fine tune the fit by trimming if necessary.

8. 

   Reinforce soft-wood corners with these.

   Glue the joins with wood adhesive and clamp together. Allow the glue to set over night. Use brads or corner angles to reinforce the glue.

Overlap Corners.

1. Follow steps 1, 2, and 3. Trim each board so it is 3/8 inch shorter than the original measurements. Each end should be cut to 90 degrees.

2. Mark across the width at the center of the narrow ends of each board. Mark 1 1/2 inches across the back sides of the two longer pieces on both ends. Draw horizontal and vertical lines along both sides of the board to connect the two marks. These mark the section that will be cut out.

3. Repeat the same markings for the shorter pieces but cut out the front section. Cut along the lines with a fine-toothed hand saw. Follow the lines very carefully for the most precise cuts.

4. Fit each corner together, overlapping them at 90 degrees to each other. Check that the rabbit is on the inside of each piece. Test the fit by putting the glass into the rabbit. Adjust as needed.

5. Glue the joints and clamp together securely. Use brads to reinforce the glue. Allow to dry over night before removing the clamps.

Tips & Warnings

• The same formula for measuring the wood works on all frame sizes and wood widths.

• Four-way clamps and band clamps work best.

• Fine tune the fit by removing only small slivers at a time. It is easy to take off too much and then you have to make a lot of other adjustments or start all over.

References

• "Basic Picture Framing: All The Skills And Tools You Need To Get Started": Amy Cooper and Debbie Smith-Voight; 2005

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• "Picture Frame Building"