This guarantees that the frame will be square when it’s assembled. When all four pieces are cut, check to be sure the sides are exactly the same length and the top and bottom pieces are exactly the same, too. Make all measurements on the outside of the molding according to the article. Mark the lengths on the outside edges of the moldings and cut the 45-degree corners in a miter box (Photo 1).Ĭut 45-degree corners on your molding using a fine-tooth saw and a miter box. to each dimension so the backed and matted artwork fits easily inside the frame. Then measure the width and length of your prepared artwork, and add two times the molding width (not counting the rabbet) to each dimension.įinally, add an extra 1/8 in. The rabbet is the notched area in the back of the molding where the artwork is placed. Start by measuring how wide your molding is, not including the rabbet (Fig. You should do all your measuring, marking and cutting on the outside edge of the molding. Buy a bit more than you need in case you cut a piece too short. You can generally expect to pay $3 to $9 a foot. The cost will vary depending on the type of wood, the molding size, and the intricacy of the molded profile.
Shop for them at art supply stores, home centers, through the internet, or from your local frame shop. You can buy picture frame moldings in 6- to 10-ft. They’ll help you choose appropriate materials, they’ll do it right, and the cost is only slightly more than what you’d pay for the materials alone (around $20 to $30). Have your local frame shop or art supply store cut the mat and backing for your artwork. The mat serves as a border for the artwork.
The backer is a piece of stiff corrugated cardboard, foam core, or similar material that goes behind the artwork to keep it flat (see below). First, prepare the artworkīefore you even think about cutting and assembling a frame, the artwork must be properly backed and matted.
If you own a miter saw, a portable table saw, or a hybrid table saw, go ahead and use it instead. Experts use them, though, because they’re faster.įinally, you’ll need a miter box and a fine-tooth saw to cut 45-degree corners on the frame pieces. You can also use miter clamps (the kind that grip two pieces of wood together at a right angle), but these clamps are more expensive and a little trickier to use. I recommend using a small band clamp (Photo 2), which is the least expensive option ($17 or so). You’ll also need a clamp for gluing the pieces of molding together at the corners. Making a picture frame requires only a few basic and inexpensive tools. So get your tools out, collect a few pieces of art, and set up your family frame shop. For me, that savings often makes the difference between leaving some sentimental treasure tucked away in a drawer and getting it framed and hung on the wall.
You can save up to 50 percent on the cost of professional framing - even more if you make your own moldings (see section below). If you’re a seasoned woodworker or DIYer, picture framing is a handy skill just because of the savings. It’s a skill you can practice, too, and maybe even screw up at first, without any great loss of time or money. If you’re a beginning woodworker, picture framing is an ideal project - it requires only simple tools and inexpensive materials, but it gives you quick results.