Unframed canvas prints can add a touch of artistic flair to your living space, but let’s be honest, they often look… unfinished. That exposed edge, while sometimes considered “minimalist,” can also scream “I haven’t gotten around to framing this yet.” The good news is, framing your canvas doesn’t have to break the bank or require a trip to a professional framer. In fact, with this simple DIY guide, you can learn how to frame canvas prints yourself for less than $8 and in under two hours!
This budget-friendly DIY project is perfect for anyone looking to elevate their canvas art without spending a fortune. Whether you’ve recently purchased a canvas print or have one that’s been leaning against the wall waiting for its moment to shine, this tutorial will walk you through creating a basic, stylish frame in any color you desire. Get ready to transform your canvas from simple to stunning with just a few affordable materials and easy steps.
A beautifully framed canvas print displayed on a mantel, showcasing how a simple DIY frame can enhance the artwork and overall room decor.
Why Frame Your Canvas Prints?
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s quickly discuss why framing your canvas prints is a worthwhile endeavor. While the “gallery wrapped” look is popular, adding a frame offers several advantages:
- Finished and Polished Look: A frame instantly elevates the presentation of your canvas print, giving it a more finished, gallery-worthy appearance. It bridges the gap between casual and sophisticated decor.
- Protection: A frame provides a degree of protection to the edges of your canvas, preventing them from getting bumped, frayed, or damaged over time.
- Enhanced Visual Impact: A well-chosen frame can complement the artwork, drawing the eye in and enhancing the colors and details of the print. It acts as a visual border, separating the art from the surrounding wall and making it stand out.
- Personalization: DIY framing allows you to customize the frame’s color and style to perfectly match your decor and personal taste. You’re not limited to standard store-bought frames.
- Cost Savings: Professional framing can be expensive, especially for larger canvases. DIY framing is a significantly cheaper alternative, allowing you to achieve a framed look on a budget.
DIY Canvas Frame: Budget-Friendly Tutorial
Ready to get started? This tutorial focuses on creating a simple, minimalist frame using readily available and inexpensive materials.
Supplies You’ll Need
For this project, you’ll need just a few basic supplies that you can find at most home improvement or craft stores:
- 1″ x 1″ Poplar Boards: These will form the main structure of your frame. Poplar is a good choice because it’s lightweight, affordable, and easy to work with. Look for these in the dowel rod section, not the molding section of the store.
- Flat Panel Board (Plywood or Hardboard): A thin sheet of paneling to create corner supports for added stability.
- Nails or Brad Nails: For assembling the frame and attaching the canvas. Brad nails and a nail gun will make the process faster and cleaner, but regular nails will also work.
- Wood Glue (Optional but Recommended): For stronger corner joints.
- Gold Spray Paint (or Color of Your Choice): To finish the frame and give it a polished look.
- Measuring Tape: For accurate measurements.
- Miter Saw or Hand Saw with Miter Box: For cutting the frame boards at the correct angles. A miter saw is ideal for clean, precise cuts, but a hand saw and miter box will also work.
- Hammer or Nail Gun: For driving in nails.
- Safety Glasses: Always protect your eyes when cutting and nailing.
- Sandpaper (Optional): For smoothing any rough edges on the wood.
Essential supplies for building a DIY canvas frame, including poplar boards, paneling, nails, and spray paint, laid out on a workbench.
Step 1: Measure Your Canvas and Cut the Boards
First, carefully measure the dimensions of your canvas print. You’ll need the width, height, and depth.
- Frame Dimensions: For a simple frame that sits flush with the canvas edge, you’ll cut the poplar boards to the exact width and height of your canvas. For our example of a 48″ wide and 36″ tall canvas, you’ll need two 48″ pieces and two 36″ pieces.
- Miter Cuts (Optional): For a more professional look, you can miter the corners at a 45-degree angle. This means each end of the frame boards will be cut at a 45-degree angle so that they join together to form a 90-degree corner. If you choose to miter, remember to account for the miter when measuring the length of your boards. For a simpler approach, you can skip mitering and simply butt the corners together as shown in the original tutorial.
Using your miter saw or hand saw and miter box, cut the poplar boards according to your measurements.
Step 2: Assemble the Frame
Lay out the cut boards on a flat surface to form the rectangular frame.
- Butt Joints (Simple Method): If you’re not mitering, simply align the corners so the side boards sit on top of the top and bottom boards (or vice versa).
- Mitered Joints (Advanced Method): If you mitered the corners, carefully align the mitered edges to form tight corners.
Apply a small amount of wood glue to the corners (optional but adds strength). Then, using nails or brad nails, join the corners together. For butt joints, nail straight through the side board into the end of the top/bottom board. For mitered joints, nail through the mitered joint, pulling the corners tightly together.
Assembling the DIY frame by joining the cut poplar boards at the corners, creating the basic rectangular structure before attaching it to the canvas print.
Step 3: Add Corner Paneling for Stability (Optional)
For added stability, especially for larger frames, you can add small pieces of paneling to the corners of the frame.
- Cut Paneling Squares: Cut four 5″ x 5″ squares of flat panel board.
- Attach to Corners: Position a paneling square in each corner on the back of the frame, ensuring it overlaps both frame boards at the corner. Nail or glue the paneling squares into place. This step is particularly helpful if you plan to attach the canvas to the frame from the back.
Step 4: Attach the Canvas Print
Now it’s time to attach your canvas print to the frame. There are two main methods:
Option 1: Attaching to Corner Paneling (Back Mounting)
- Position Canvas: Place your canvas print face down on a clean, flat surface. Center the frame on top of the canvas, also face down.
- Secure with Nails: If you added corner paneling, you can nail through the paneling into the stretcher bars of the canvas frame from the back. This method minimizes the risk of damaging the visible edges of the canvas.
Option 2: Attaching Directly to the Frame Sides (Side Mounting)
- Position Canvas: Similar to Option 1, place the canvas face down and center the frame on top.
- Nail Through Frame Sides: Carefully nail through the sides of the poplar frame boards directly into the sides of the canvas stretcher bars. This method brings the frame edge closer to the edge of the canvas print for a more contemporary look, as shown in the original tutorial. Be cautious not to nail through the front of the canvas.
Close-up view of the finished DIY canvas frame, showcasing the gold spray paint finish and how the frame enhances the canvas print.
Step 5: Finishing Touches – Painting the Frame
Once the frame is assembled and the canvas is attached, it’s time to add the finishing touch – paint!
- Spray Paint: Spray paint is a quick and easy way to achieve a smooth, even finish. Choose your desired color (gold, as shown in the example, adds a touch of elegance). Apply several light coats, allowing each coat to dry completely before applying the next.
- Brush Painting (Optional): For a more rustic or textured look, you can brush paint the frame with acrylic or latex paint.
Allow the paint to dry completely. Once dry, your framed canvas print is ready to hang and admire!
The completed framed canvas print hanging on a wall, demonstrating the final result of the DIY framing project and its impact on home decor.
Tips for a Professional-Looking DIY Canvas Frame
- Precise Measurements: Accurate measurements are crucial for a well-fitting frame. Double-check your measurements before cutting any wood.
- Clean Cuts: Straight, clean cuts will result in tighter, more professional-looking corners. Use a sharp saw blade and take your time when cutting.
- Sanding: Lightly sand the cut edges of the poplar boards before assembly for a smoother finish, especially if you plan to paint or stain the frame.
- Wood Filler (Optional): If you have any gaps at the corners, you can use wood filler to fill them in before painting for a seamless look.
- Consider Frame Style: While this tutorial focuses on a simple frame, you can adapt the techniques to create different frame styles by using wider boards, adding decorative molding, or experimenting with different paint finishes.
Framing your canvas prints doesn’t have to be intimidating or expensive. With this easy DIY method, you can create beautiful, custom frames for your artwork in no time and on a budget. So, grab your supplies and get ready to give your canvas prints the finished look they deserve!
