How to Make Picture Frames

Guide Note

Making your own picture frame is one of the easier woodworking projects you can take on. With only basic woodworking skills and a few tools, you can make a picture frame that you'll enjoy for years to come. This Guide will walk you through the fundamentals of how to make your own picture frame.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• You Will Need
• Step 1: Measure and Mark
• Step 2: Miter Cut the Boards to Length
• Step 3: Rabbets and Grooves
• Step 4: Assemble Your Picture Frame
• Step 5: Finishing Touches
• Conclusion
• References

Picture Frame Tips

1. Plan before you start.
2. Measure as accurately as possible.
3. Don't rush through the cuts.
4. Carefully trim the miters for a tight fit.
5. Wipe away excess glue.
6. Wait for the glue to dry before applying stain or paint.

• by Glenn Pasewicz

Introduction

• In simple terms, a picture frame is nothing more than four lengths of wood joined to form a square or rectangle. The picture, mat, and glass fit inside the frame in a recess cut out of the wood. A really fun part of making your own picture frame is that you choose the wood, finish, and colors. If you're feeling particularly creative, you can experiment with decorative moldings or cut your own profiles with assorted router bits.^{1 2} Read on to learn everything you need to know about crafting your own picture frames to complement your home decor.

You Will Need

• You don't need a fully equipped workshop to make your own picture frame. You will find, as with most woodworking projects, that there are almost always substitutes and creative ways to make-do with what you have. There are a few essential tools that you will need, however, to make your own picture frame.

1. 

   (Creative Commons photo by The Prophet)
   Wood
   • There are dozens of different types of wood available, from domestic hardwoods to exotic tropical species.^{3 4} You can work with plain boards or, for a fancier frame, purchase decorative molding from a home store. If you're new to woodworking, pine is a good choice of wood because it is inexpensive and widely available. If you can't find the type you like at your local home improvement store, there are hardwood suppliers, like Groff and Groff Lumber and Hearne Hardwoods, which will ship even small amounts of lumber right to your doorstep.^{5 6}
2. Wood glue
   • There are many different types of wood glue, but an old standby, like Elmer's, will work fine for making a picture frame.^{7 8}
3. Wood putty
4. Nails
5. Saw
6. Measuring tool
   • You can use a tape measure or a carpenter's ruler.
7. Hammer
8. Clamps
   • If you're going to glue rather than nail your frame together, you will need clamps to hold the pieces while the glue dries. You can use specialty clamps designed to hold picture frames or band clamps, which are useful for a variety of purposes.^{9 10}
9. Medium to Fine Grit Sandpaper¹¹
10. Hand Plane¹²
11. Miter Box¹³
12. Combination square
    • If you don't have combination square, simply use a square piece of paper. Fold the paper diagonally and as long as the edges match up, you will have an edge with a perfect 45 degree angle.
13. Turn buttons ¹⁴

Step 1: Measure and Mark

• Now that you have your materials, it's time to plan your cuts. Picture frames usually have mitered corners, which mean the ends are cut at 45 degree angles so that they will join to form 90 degree corners.¹⁵ It is very important that your pieces be cut to exact lengths. Otherwise, the corners will not match up as tightly as you would like them to and the frame will not have 90 degree corners.

1. Determine the appropriate length of each piece.
   1. Measure the height and width of the picture and mat to determine the inside dimensions of the frame.¹⁶
   2. Remember: because of the mitered corners, the outside length of the frame will be longer than the inside length.
   3. An easy way to calculate how much overall length you will need is to remember that the outside length must be twice the width of the board.¹⁶
      • -For example, if your board is 2 inches wide, the overall length of the piece will be four inches longer than the inside length.
2. Mark the pieces with a very sharp pencil or a mechanical pencil.
   • -For greatest accuracy, some woodworkers prefer to mark with a marking knife.^{17 14}
3. Mark off 45 degree angles with a combination square.¹⁸

Step 2: Miter Cut the Boards to Length

• There are many different tools that can be used to cut the boards to length, but all are either power saws or hand saws. Regardless of which saw you use, cut as accurately as possible.

• SAFETY TIP: Always wear eye protection. And if you're using a power saw, wear ear protection.¹⁹

When using a power table saw:

1. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Lucius Kwok)
   Before you turn on the machine, adjust the miter gauge to 45 degrees. ²⁰
2. Line up the wood with the blade to see exactly where you will be cutting.²⁰ Position the wood so the blade cuts on the waste side of the line you marked in Step 1.²¹
3. Back the wood away from the blade and firmly hold the wood against the miter gauge.²²
4. Turn on the machine.²³
5. Cut slowly and carefully.²⁴

When using a power miter saw:

1. Secure the saw to a stable work surface, as shown in this Power Miter Saw tutorial.²⁵
2. Adjust the saw's angle to 45 degrees.²⁵
3. Make your cuts.²⁶

• SAFETY TIP: If you need to make adjustments to a power saw after you've started cutting, turn off the saw before adjusting. And it's a good idea to unplug it if your hands will be near the blade.¹⁹

When using a hand saw and miter box:

1. Clamp the miter box securely to a work surface to improve accuracy and help ensure safety.²⁷
2. As with a power saw, line the wood up with the blade so the blade cuts on the waste side of the line.²¹
3. Cut with a firm grip but don't force the saw through the wood. You don't want to shift the piece out of alignment and you don't want to bend the blade as it is cutting. Both will yield less than accurate results.²⁷

• If you opted to use decorative molding, be sure to cut each piece so the profiles align properly when you fit them together.

Step 3: Rabbets and Grooves

• A rabbet is a groove cut along the edge of a board.²⁸ In a picture frame, the rabbet is the groove cut in the back inside edge that the picture will rest in. If you'd rather not cut rabbets in your frame, skip to the third method listed below.

First Method

• The easiest way to create rabbets is by using a table saw's dado blade or a router to cut rabbets along the back inside edge of each piece.^{29 30} Make the rabbets deep enough to accommodate the picture, mat, and glass. If you don't have a router or dado blade, you have two other options.

Second Method

• If you don't have a dado blade, you can use a regular blade to cut rabbets on a table saw.³¹

1. Adjust the height of the blade to the desired depth of the rabbet.³²
2. Position the table saw fence so it's the appropriate distance from the blade.³¹
3. Cut along the length of the piece.³³
4. Turn the piece face down on the table.³³
5. Make the second cut, making sure that the blade meets the first cut.³³
   • -Always make sure the waste piece falls to the outside of the blade.³¹

Third Method

• If you don't want to cut rabbets, you can make a second frame with slightly larger inside measurements and glue it to the back of the first frame. The difference in size between the two frames will create the rabbet where the picture will fit.³⁴

• This is a great method if you are using decorative molding, because molding is often not thick enough for rabbeting. Simply, glue a second, plain frame behind the decorative frame.¹

Step 4: Assemble Your Picture Frame

• In this step, you'll see the nearly finished picture frame. Here is where you'll find out how accurate your measuring and cutting were in Step 1 and Step 2. If the pieces don't come together exactly right, don't be discouraged. Fine adjustments with sandpaper or a hand plane can make all the difference.

1. Test fit the pieces to see how tightly they fit. You may have to try different combinations to get the best fit.
2. Use sandpaper or a hand plane to shave off small bits of the ends to create a tight fit.²⁷
   • -Don't get carried away. It's better to make several minor adjustments than to over do it.
   • -Some woodworkers and frame makers build shooting boards to make fine adjustments to their miter cuts.³⁵
3. Apply wood glue to the ends.³⁶
4. Clamp the pieces until the glue is dry, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.³⁷
   • -A band clamp is useful because it allows you to clamp all four pieces simultaneously.¹⁰
   • -Be careful to wipe off any excess glue that squeezes out of the joints. If you stain and/or varnish your frame, excess glue will show through.³⁸

• If you're framing a heavy picture, one that has a glass front, for example, consider reinforcing the joints with nails, or even screws.³⁹ Dab wood putty over the nail holes and sand smooth when dry.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

• 

  (Creative Commons photo by Laineys Repertoire)
  At the end of this step, you will have your very own, homemade picture frame. It's better to be patient and allow the glue from Step 4 to dry completely before starting this step.

1. When the glue is dry, remove the frame from the clamps.³⁶
2. You may want to dab some wood putty in any gaps at the corners of the frame. Sand it smooth when dry.⁴⁰
3. If you plan to paint your picture frame, prime it before painting on the final topcoat. This is especially important if you used a knotty wood, such as pine, to prevent the knots and sap from bleeding through the final paint.⁴¹
4. Paint, stain or varnish the frame according to the manufacturers' directions.⁴²
5. And finally, when the finish is dry, mount your picture, mat, and glass in the frame and hold them in place with a few turn buttons affixed to the back.¹⁴

Conclusion

• Making picture frames, like any other craft, gets easier and the frames look better each time you make one. As you improve your skills, you may want to upgrade your tools to further increase the quality of your frames. For example, professional frame makers use miter trimmers to make precise miter joints. Use your new skills to frame and re-frame all the pictures in your home. And remember, picture frames make great gifts, especially homemade ones.

References for How to Make Picture Frames

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} BobVila.com: Build a Picture Frame
2. ↑ MLCSWoodworking.com: Router Bit Assortment Sets Gateway
3. ↑ American Hardwood Information Center: A Guide to American Hardwood Species
4. ↑ Center for Wood Anatomy Research: Tropical Hardwoods
5. ↑ Groff & Groff Lumber, Flooring, Exotic Lumber, Domestic Lumber: Groff & Groff Lumber, Inc.
6. ↑ Hearne Hardwoods, Inc.: Hearne Hardwoods, Inc.
7. ↑ Popular Mechanics.com:Woodworking Guide Understanding Different Types of Glue
8. ↑ Elmers.com: Products
9. ↑ Coastal Tools.com: Clamp Mate 88094 Picture Frame Clamp
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Framing4Yourself.com: Frame Making Clamps
11. ↑ Woodzone.com: Sandpaper 101
12. ↑ Expert Village.com: How to Use a Block Plane
13. ↑ About.com Home Renovations: Miter Box - Miter Saw
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2} Rockler Woodworking.com: Turn Buttons
15. ↑ DIYinfo.com: Constructing Mitre Joints
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Wayneofthewoods.com: Miter Cut to Dimension  
17. ↑ WKFineTools.com: Blue Spruce Marking Knife
18. ↑ Ace Hardware.com: Combination Square
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} AskTheBuilder.com: Table Saw Video (Time: 1:39)  
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Toolcritic.com: Table Saw Analysis, Miter Gauge
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} ThisOldHouse.com: Choosing and Using Table Saws
22. ↑ BHG.com: Using a Tablesaw: Key Techniques  
23. ↑ About.com: Table Saws for Woodworking
24. ↑ BHG.com: Using a Tablesaw: Key Techniques  
25. ↑ ^{25.0 25.1} FineWoodworking.com: Choosing and Using a Miter Saw
26. ↑ WoodNet.net Getting the Most from Your Miter Saw 
27. ↑ ^{27.0 27.1 27.2} DIYinfo.com: Constructing Miter Joints
28. ↑ Pictureframes.com: What is a rabbet?
29. ↑ Woodsmith Magazine: Rabbets on the Table Saw (Time:6:25)
30. ↑ About.com: How to Cut a Rabbet
31. ↑ ^{31.0 31.1 31.2} Woodsmith Magazine: Rabbets on the Table Saw (Time:6:25)
32. ↑ DIY Network: Picture Frames, Cutting Rabbets and Mitered Corners  
33. ↑ ^{33.0 33.1 33.2} WoodMagazine.com: 5 Ways to Make Precision Rabbet Cuts  
34. ↑ SawdustMaking101.com: Easy Picture Frames
35. ↑ White Mountain Designs.com: Shooting Board, how to set up and use
36. ↑ ^{36.0 36.1} Elmers.com: Tips from the Experts, Clamping Guidelines
37. ↑ Elmers.com: Carpenter's Interior Wood Glue
38. ↑ Wood Magazine.com: Put the Squeeze on Excess Glue  
39. ↑ On The House.com: Picture Frame Joints
40. ↑ DIY Network: Miter Saws and Wood Finishes: Wood Filler and Putty Comparison  
41. ↑ FineWoodworking.com: Pitfalls of Finishing Pine
42. ↑ BenchMark: Woodworking Finishing Procedures