How to Build a Picture Frame

How to build a high-end wood picture frame to accommodate a large oil on canvas. Awesome art by Emily Keyishian.

Step 1 Make or acquire art

Make something brilliant, or find someone who has and is willing to sell it to you for a reasonable price.

Most cities will hold artists' open studios, where you can walk around checking out neat art, meeting the artists, and generally poking through interesting live/work spaces. This means you can find work by young/unknown artists, who are usually much less expensive than big-name artists yet often just as talented, and that you don't have to pay exorbitant gallery markups. Get out and look around- meet some neat people, support a starving artist, and get inspired to make something yourself.

I found a neat piece by Emily Keyishian. You can check out her art during the SF open studios every October, or as listed on her website. Of course, this picture needed an equally impressive frame. Having spent all my money on art, I got to make the frame myself.

Comments

[wolf86]

wow! awesome painting and beautiful frame!

[jakee117]

Very cool art and frame... maybe some detil with a woodburning pen would be cool... just an idea.

[canida]

Ooh, neat idea! Thanks for the suggestion - will have to try it next time.

[sleeepy2]

I've always wanted a biscuit joiner. Do you use it often?

[canida]

I don't use it terribly often, but when I do it's usually invaluable.

[FridaFreak]

This is excellent, saved me a lot of time and a trip to the craft store for help. Couldn't be easier.

[Atomic645]

Places like Home Depot will do the first few steps of wood cutting for you. Sadly, it means having to use their commercial, non-special wood. Still good if you don't have the fancy tools.

[inertia18]

Thanks, keep up the great work

[inertia18]

Do you have an easy way of doing this without using some specialized tools. thanks. Nice work !!!!

[canida]

You can easily get away without a biscuit joiner- just use finishing nails to connect the corners, countersink the nails (tap them in past the wood surface), and use putty to cover the holes. You could use a different type of saw to make the long cuts, but would have to be much more careful about keeping your lines straight. Does that answer your question?

[Phill]

That's amazing! How much was this "yuppy hardwood" you speak of; I may be trying this out after I get some form of wood working skill.

[canida]

It was about $7-8/board foot.

[Phill]

Thank You. =)

[Pet Pepper]

very nice instructable... i will save a good amount of money now
and nice painture, by the way.

[sam]

mmmm.. I love the smell of tung oil.. It's a wicked finish. This looks great.

[Jafafa Hots]

Thanks. Well done, good walk-through and photos.