How to Stretch Screen Material on a Frame

Stretching screen material for paper-making molds or window screens is done by stapling.

You can make your own screen and frame for completing crafts such as paper making. You can stretch screen material on a wood frame in about a half hour and continue on with your craft. If you're stretching screen material over a single frame for use in windows, pay close attention to the molding during removal. You'll need to reattach the molding to the frame before putting the screen back into your window.

Things You'll Need

• Screen material: 3 inches longer and wider than frame
• Wood frame
• Measuring tape
• Wire cutters
• C-clamps: four, small
• Staple gun
• Wood staples
• Vise grip
• Table or workbench
• Small pry bar (optional)
• Hammer
• Molding hardware

Instructions

Stretching for a Craft Screen

1. Place the screen material on a flat surface and center the wood frame on top of the screen. Some sources of wood frames are picture frames, frames used for canvas or recycled screen frames.

2. Use wire cutters to cut the screen at least 1 inch longer and wider than the frame. Screen material can be metal such as door/window screen or plastic mesh. Wire-based material lasts longer and is available at home improvement centers and hobby stores.

3. 

   Use a C-clamp to hold the screen material to the frame while stapling.

   Center the frame on top of the screen material. Decide which side is the top. Fold the screen 1 inch over the back of the top of the frame. Clamp on each corner with C-clamps. Use another C-clamp to clamp the center.

4. Staple the screen onto the back of the frame, removing the clamps as you work. According to the Pioneer Thinking website, making a mold or screen for paper making is as simple as "stretching fiberglass screen (plain old door and window screen) over a wooden frame and stapling it. It should be as tight as possible." Use wood staples because they have sharper points for stapling into wood.

5. Place the stapled end of the frame into a vise grip on a workbench.

6. 

   Staple the screen tightly to the back of the frame.

   Stretch the screen over the bottom end of the frame tightly. Secure with c-clamps. According to the Exploratorium Magazine website, to cover a wood frame with screen material "stretch the screen tightly over the surface of one of the frames, and attach the screen to the back of the frame with a staple gun or tacks."

7. Staple the screen into place, removing the clamps as you work. Remove the frame from the vise grip. Rotate to continue stretching/stapling the screen on the remaining two sides.

8. Trim excess screen material with wire cutters.

Stretching Screen on Single Frame Window Screens

1. 

   Remove the molding from the single frame carefully.

   Remove the molding from the window screen with a claw hammer or small pry bar by carefully lifting the molding from the frame. According to the the Window Replacement Center website, start "in the center of a strip and moving toward the ends. Don't break the molding!"

2. Center the frame on top of the screen. Cut the screen at least 1½ inches longer and wider than the frame. According to Window Replacement Center, "Typical household screens are a mesh of 18 inches x 14 inches or finer."

3. Follow instructions for stretching the screen material onto the frame in Section 1 Steps 3 to 8.

4. 

   Replace the molding on the frame.

   Replace the moldings according to the attachment method used: small finishing nails, brads or staples.

References

• Window Replacement Center: Replacing Window Screens
• Pioneer Thinking: How to Make Paper
• Exploratorium Magazine: Making Handmade Paper

Resources

• Window Replacement Center: Wood Window Replacements