I love to paint. Shocking, I know. Every once and a while I’ll decide to pick up a brush and paint a canvas. It’s a fun, relaxing project and a way to make nearly free wall art. I needed a painting in my entry way – so this is what I came up with. It’s just a mix of latex, chalk paint and puff paint – I just grab colors I like and see what happens.
Once I was happy with the painting, I wanted to frame it out to make it look more finished, and give it a bit more substance. So I came up with an easy way to make a frame for a canvas. This is a good tutorial to remember for printables you find online, art prints, canvas prints, home-made signs and more.
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How to make a DIY Wood Frame
1. I had some pieces of 1×3 pine scrap wood from another project. If you need to buy some, make sure you measure all the way around your frame plus a few inches for cutting allowance.
2. Start by lining up the wood flush to each side. Mark the length and cut with a chop saw or a circular saw. Cut two of these pieces.
3. With the side pieces lined up. Now line up and measure the top and bottom lengths. Cut to size.
4. Sand the edges, and any rough spots with 120 grit sandpaper. I did this by hand but you could also use a pad sander.
5. Wipe off the dust and pick your stain. I wanted a lighter to medium color wood so I chose to Antique Oak Water Based Wood Stain.
6. Wipe or brush the stain on the wood. Wear gloves so you don’t make a mess of your hands. I just used paper towels to wipe the stain on and off which meant it was a super light application and dries very quickly.
7. To attach the frame to the canvas, I used my brad nailer and nailed right through the wood into the wood backing of the canvas.
8. Hang your frame and admire your work! I love the contrast the wood adds to the painting, and it’s a completely custom piece of art.
Next time you have something to frame, see if you can make it yourself!
Jenni
