The Weekender: Frame It Up

This week's Weekender will help you make a frame for the DIY art you made last week.

WARNING: This post is for slackers looking to do things the easy way. If you're making a frame for a non-wood art piece (photographs, prints, fabric, etc), or you just like quality work, you'll want to stop reading immediately and head over to Instructables.com where they'll show you how to make a great frame just like one you'd buy in the store.

There are two ways to make a frame, the easy way and the right way. So far, I've only made a frame the easy way. I was going to make a frame the right way so I could give you step-by-step instructions, but then I got lazy and went the easy way again.


For others wanting to go the easy way, all you need is wood trim, a miter saw/box, a staple gun, and screws.

First buy the trim which can be found in the lumber section of your local hardware store. There are all kinds of trims and mouldings available, depending on the look you're going for and how much you're willing to spend. Read the labels carefully...some trim is sold per foot while others are per piece.

A miter saw is next. It helps you make angled cuts, which is exactly what you need for the corners of your frame. Unless you plan on using a miter saw pretty often, I'd recommend skipping the power saw (you can get a cheap one for about $100 at Home Depot) and going for a hand saw and miter box. I bought this miter saw for $20. Because I don't want to be the one you sue if you cut off your finger, I won't tell you how to use the saw...read the directions that come in the box to make the corners of your frame. Remember to measure carefully as you cut. You'll want to measure from the outside edges of the trim when calculating your length, NOT the inside.

Now you can paint or stain your trim and let it dry. Easy enough!

Here comes the part where I cheat. Instead of buying flat corner brackets to join my frame pieces together, I go the easy route and simply attach the trim directly to my wooden art piece using a staple gun. I then attache a picture hanging bracket to the back of the piece so that it can easily hang on the wall.

I just saved you like 20 steps. You're welcome.

Again, this is only for people looking to cheat and do things the super easy way. As long as the work you do is good, people will never notice (or care) that you cheated!