Homemade Picture Frames
Picture frames are fantastic gifts to make during the holidays. You can make them a million different ways, giving them a unique look. This blog shows you how I made a batch of DIY picture frames to give as Christmas presents. I’m hoping that you’ll make your own frames once you see the steps that I took in order to make mine.
My picture frames are 4x6 inches and made from walnut. I started off by milling some walnut lumber to about 3/4” thick. Then, I cut the wood into strips of around 2” wide. If I wanted a simple style frame I would stop right here and start cutting the miter joints. However, I wanted a traditional look so took my strips to the router table in order to route a swooping profile. I used a crown molding router bit to do this. A bit this large eats away a lot of wood so I recommend taking a lot of shallow passes. Don’t try to route away too much wood at once or you risk the board jerking out of your hand.
I created my crown molding profile and trimmed off the left and right edges of the pieces, leaving the parts that I thought looked best for a picture frame. Using a ripping blade in my table saw, I cut a rabbet in the underside of the pieces that’s approximately 1/4” deep x 1/4” wide.
I utilized my picture frame sled to quickly cut my wood parts to form picture frames that hold a 4x6” picture. I love using this jig because it takes all of the math out of the process. I get so many questions about this picture frame jig whenever I use it that I decided to make a blog article devoted to building it. If you plan to make a lot of picture frames then I highly recommend that you take an afternoon to make the jig.
Gluing together the frames was a piece of cake. I applied glue to the miters, assembled the frames, and held the pieces together using some blue painter’s tape. After the glue dried on the picture frames, I used some sanding blocks to help me sand in the curves of the frame. These sanding blocks are fantastic for sanding in hard to reach areas.
You can apply just about any type of finish that you want on picture frames. I decided to use a hardwax oil. It’s easy to apply and I can put on as many coats as I want without building up a thick film. I generally apply just a few coats and buff it with a rag until I get the sheen that I’m looking for on the surface. I recommend trying this type of finish, especially on walnut.
Now, here is a quick tip for you when it comes to buying glass or picture frame backs. When shopping for easel backer boards, it seemed like it cost between $0.75 to $1.00 per backer board. Glass is even more expensive. Sometimes I will cut my own glass, but it doesn’t necessarily save much money. Instead of buying these supplies individually or in a bundle, buy picture frames from the Dollar Tree. You can take out the glass and backer board and use them in your own frame. It will save you a lot of money over the long run. The last step in the frame making process is attaching the backer board. I invested in a Logan point driver because I tend to make a decent amount of frames. It’s a fantastic tool that I would highly recommend.
That’s how I made my latest batch of picture frames. I hope that you give it a shot yourself. They’re a great gift that you can customize in a variety of ways.
