Wooden frames. DIY photo frames made from cardboard step by step

It's always nice to look at photographs that capture memorable moments from your life. Be it wedding celebration, the birth of a child, or just a photo on a bench in an autumn park.

And in order to prevent valuable shots from disappearing, we try to carefully preserve them; a photo frame may be suitable for this. You can buy it at the store, but making it yourself is much nicer.

Recommendations for making a photo frame with your own hands

In order to make a frame you do not need expensive materials; most likely, you have everything you need at home.

Initially, you need to decide what the base of the frame will be made of.

Suitable for this:

  • Paper colored or plain;
  • Durable cardboard;
  • Fibreboard, wood, etc.

For those needlewomen who have more experience, it will not be difficult to make a base for a photo frame from an old watch case, a box of matches, branches, twigs, plastic forks or spoons, and disks.

The greater the variety of available materials, the more interesting the work will be. The most popular material is wood and cardboard.

Paper photo frame

If you have wallpaper scraps on hand, they can serve as a good basis for making a three-dimensional photo frame. Plain color is also suitable colored paper, which, if desired, can be painted in the color you need.

Newspaper can also work for this. Using knitting needles, twist it into a tube, weave a frame, then form a frame and paint it with bright colors.

Cardboard photo frame

Cardboard will serve as the most reliable base for a photo frame. Draw out template details for the future frame. If you are planning to have a photo frame hanging on the wall, back wall secure a small loop made of thick threads.

If you want to admire a photo on your desktop, take a step. Decorate the cardboard with flowers, stars, hearts, butterflies, which are prepared in advance from multi-colored paper.

Do not forget that excess design may look unsightly. If the paper contains beautiful drawing, then there is no need to add decorations.


Wooden photo frame

If you decide to do wooden frame, then for this you will need twigs and branches. First, think about what size the photo frame will be, because the width and length of the source material will depend on this.

The fastening element will be organza or rope. The work will not take much time, and the manufacturing process will be entertaining and interesting.

Weaving from willow, willow or vine branches requires certain skills, so this work is not for everyone.

An excellent material for a photo frame would be ice cream sticks. With their help you can create your own unique creative masterpiece.

Photo frame from other improvised means

Save colorful cards, they are great for decoration. Master the quilling technique and your bright works will delight you for a long time.

Pay attention!

You can also use multi-colored napkins, cut them into small squares, twist them into small balls, and attach them to the base with glue. This work is not difficult, but even a child can do it painstakingly.

Various pieces of fabric are also suitable for decoration. For example, if you decorate a cardboard frame with denim, it will look very stylish and creative.

You can also attach puff pastry figures to the photo frame. Unnecessary markers, plastic tubes, pencils, fragments of broken vase, discs and much more can be used for decoration.

Natural materials (dry leaves, flowers, pine cones, nut shells, wood shavings, multi-colored small stones, shells) look more natural and natural; they are perfect for decorating photo frames.

Experiment with food items, decorate the frame with rice, buckwheat, peas, beans, corn or sunflower seeds.

Please use when checking out pasta(corns, stars, vermicelli or spaghetti). To make the frame look more colorful, you need to paint it with colored paints.

Pay attention!

From everything that has been said, we can conclude that in order for the photo frame to turn out beautiful and unique, for this you will need any available material, your imagination, idea and desire.

DIY photo frames

Pay attention!

Subframe – necessary element any picture. It serves to evenly tension the canvas with the image. The closer the subframe fits to the frame, the better. Those craftsmen who have been making picture frames for a long time choose their own stretcher options.

Subframes are deaf and...



Modular - allows you to adjust the tension. Its elements are movable.

A blind subframe is the easiest to manufacture:

To make it you need to select wooden slats universal size. Reiki can be purchased at any store. You will need: wood glue, tape measure, sandpaper for processing, nails, corners.

We measure the slats. Horizontal and perpendicular. The frame size should be slightly smaller size canvas.

We make cuts at an angle of 45° and process sandpaper.

What you need to make a wooden frame with your own hands

There are many variations of wooden frames, from the simplest.

To more complex ones. For example, from carved wood or baseboards.

Instructions for making a picture frame from wooden plinth


We apply glue to each cut and connect them together. This is where we come in handy with a clamp, which will help make the fastening points very strong.

Making your own picture frames from polyurethane ceiling plinths

If you want to see a white picture frame on the wall, you can make a baguette from the ceiling. The most important thing is to cut the joints perfectly evenly.

Advice! For gluing we use Titan glue for ceiling tiles and baseboards. The top of the product can be treated with acrylic paints.

How to make a cardboard frame with your own hands

Simple, fast, most cheap way make a picture frame using cardboard. You can decorate the creation with fabric, pebbles, and interesting decorative elements.

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Advice! For work, it is best to choose thick cardboard. In an ideal way fastening the elements will be a heat gun.

An interesting video will show you how to make a mat for a photo with your own hands.

The following photos and diagrams for creating a mat will help you create the layout correctly.

How to make a picture frame with your own hands from scrap materials

Making picture frames with your own hands is a difficult but exciting activity. If you decide to purchase such an exclusive product once, you will definitely never forget about your hobby.

Any picture is a story; a spectacular frame can highlight this story and make it even more vivid.

Today, there is a wide variety of ready-made photo frames in stores. But sometimes there is a desire to do something yourself so that the product turns out to be truly original.

How to make a photo frame

The process of creating a photo frame from wood with your own hands is quite creative. Therefore, different methods are used to obtain the final result.

DIY wooden photo frame.

First way

Least labor intensive and easy to use.

  1. First of all, you need to choose the right fittings from which the future photo frame will be made. To make a wooden frame, you will need wooden slats, glue, paints, sandpaper, and staples for a stapler.
  2. Of course, it’s also worth paying attention to what size the future frame will be. Next, the same length of all four sides of the future product is correctly measured. After which the edges of the slats are filed at an angle of 45 degrees.
  3. Then, using staples, the two sides of the frame are connected, so that the joint becomes barely perceptible. But this is not enough; the sides of the future frame should be coated with glue before connecting them with staples.
  4. After the glue has dried, you can start decorating the frame. In this regard, everything will depend on your own wishes and imagination.
  5. Having decorated the frame and gluing the selected ones to it decorative elements, you can put a photo in it. This can be done using a stapler, and the photo must first be laminated. This will allow you to maintain its appearance for as long as possible.

Second way

The next method is more labor-intensive, although the initial principle of operation is the same as in the first case. But this version of the frame requires the presence of a baguette. First of all, stick together wooden blocks identical sizes, then the same bars are glued together, but smaller in size, for the second frame. The result is an object that looks like a box.

Decor elements wooden photo frame can be very diverse.

The joint that connects the two frames is glued with a decorative baguette. It is coated with glue twice before use. After drying, the wooden frame can be painted at your discretion. The result is an unusual and original product.

An item made with your own hands always brings more joy and satisfaction than something bought in a store. For example, a picture frame assembled with your own hands will always evoke more positive impressions.

A do-it-yourself frame can also be made using a special woodworking machine, where you can cut beautiful patterns and make an unusual ornament. But this is usually done by craftsmen who have experience in this type of work.

Wood photo frame

A wooden frame will always win among others with its appearance, and plus, environmentally friendly materials. And any photo in it will look harmonious. When the question arises of how to make a frame out of wood, you should understand that, no matter which version of its production is chosen, it is the end result that is important.

Original do-it-yourself wooden photo frame.

Very often, in order to make a frame, they use in a simple way tightening it with rubber band. That is, the tape tied in a loop glues wooden blanks, which must be sawn at 45 degrees. True, it is not always possible to complete such work the first time, since it requires certain skills.

Another method can be used. It requires a square sheet of plywood, along the edges of which beams are screwed. They should be located at an angle of 90 degrees. With their help, already prepared elements of the future frame are pulled together and glued together. After tightening, you need to check how the corners of the frame are located relative to each other.

Any frames made of wood will always be the best decoration for any photographs or any works of art, since wood is a very elegant and expensive material. It can always be an excellent gift and decoration for any interior.

All photos from the article

If you have a lot of photographs or any paintings and other compositions that you would like to hang on the wall, then you can’t do without frames; any of the above options will look much better with them. The cost of ready-made options is quite high, but if you wish, you can make frames on your own, which is what this article will focus on.

What do you need for work?

Let's figure out what materials and equipment will be needed when carrying out the work:

Wooden elements These may be the most various options: from slats and remnants of plinth or platband to any other similar materials. If you want to create a very skillful product, then you can purchase ready-made wooden baguettes and use them
Saw and miter box With this simple kit, you will be able to file joints perfectly at an angle of 45 degrees, thanks to which the joints will be of the highest quality, which has a very positive effect not only on the reliability of the products, but also on their appearance
Carnations and glue Connections can be made in two ways: either using finishing nails and reduced heads, or by using wood glue, which can also provide good reliability. If very high strength is needed, then the options can be used together
Special clamp If you are going to make frames more than once or ideal quality is important to you, then we recommend purchasing this type of equipment, since with its help you can press the parts very well when gluing, while maintaining the ideal geometry of the structure

Important! And don't forget about paint and varnish materials, a wide variety of options can be used - from varnishes and impregnations to stains, and special compounds to give products an antique look with gilding and patina.

Workflow

Even those who have never engaged in such activities can figure out the question of how to make a wooden frame with their own hands. We'll go over the workflow to make your job even easier.

Preparing everything you need and cutting the workpieces

First of all, you need to select photographs, paintings, collages, embroidery and other compositions that you want to arrange in frames, this is necessary in order to take the actual dimensions and make exactly the configuration that you need, and not to adjust the elements to fit ready-made option, this is a huge advantage of homemade frames.

As for the process, it happens as follows:

  • If the photo contains mats (frames made of cardboard), then they need to be made in advance and the dimensions of the frames can be taken from them. With the exact parameters, you can move on to choosing the material for manufacturing, both and other options will be suitable, you can find many blanks on sale, price which are low, they are perfect in our case;

  • Next you need to take measurements, it is important to do this carefully so as not to make mistakes, otherwise finished product will come out crooked. Make sure paired elements are the same size;
  • Cutting workpieces at precise angles was previously considered difficult and painstaking work, but these days you can buy a miter box with a saw for little money and cut wooden elements very accurate and very fast. The most important thing here is to use a saw with a fine tooth so that it provides best quality cutting, the more ideal the edges, the better the elements will connect and the more attractive the finished product will be;

  • Lastly, on the back side of the blanks you need to select a groove for the glass; its depth should be 3-4 mm greater than the thickness of the glass so that it can be fixed with small nails.

Product assembly

The instructions for this stage are very simple and clear:

  • First you need to connect the two elements and securely fix them, as noted above, the best method fixation is the use of special corner clamps, with its help you will securely fix the parts in the desired position, and they will not move when drying, the geometry of the connection will be ideal;

  • After gluing, you can start further work, first of all, this is the decor of a wooden frame, here your imagination is not limited by anything, so the design style and the chosen color scheme depend only on you;

Important! You can achieve the effect of antiquity by painting the frame first with dark paint, and then with light paint, and then with fine sandpaper in some places top layer wiped.

  • Then you need to insert the glass, behind it there is a passe-partout, if available, or a photo right away, then you need to insert thick cardboard for rigidity and fix this entire system with nails or attach special rotary clamps large size;

  • For wall mounting, you can attach special eyes on the back side (they can be purchased in stores furniture fittings) or drill a hole along the diameter of the fastener in order to simply put the frame on the head of a protruding nail or self-tapping screw.

Conclusion

Making frames is a simple process, and you can get a unique result, because you can realize any ideas, the main thing is to choose the appropriate materials. The video in this article will tell you additional information on the topic, if you have any questions or important comments, leave them in the comments below.

Ever been into arts and crafts? It doesn’t matter, because learning to do something simple with your own hands is not only useful, but also pleasant. Let's try to make a beautiful wooden photo frame. After all, you always want to surround yourself with bright memories of your vacation or the smiles of loved ones.

How to make a photo frame with your own hands at home? Yes, very simple :) You will need very little: a knife, an awl, a saw, a hammer, a small drill. Almost every family has all this. So you can get started

Before this, however, it is worth visiting the forest. There you will find the roots of various bushes and trees, branches, cones, acorns, from which you will then make real works of art.

If you get creative, almost every root can make original craft. Of course, it is impossible to give specific advice on what to make from this root. After all, in it every person will see original item, on the production of which he will work. Involve your children, thanks to children's imagination you can make such extraordinary figures that everyone will simply gasp.

Now let's start making such a useful thing as a photo frame. It can also be a frame for interior decoration. You can make a completely new one or restore an old one using natural materials.


First, we clean it of dust and varnish. We polish. After this, we prepare branches and cones, tree bark. The frame is opened with glue, and the most various materials. Some are placed symmetrically, others asymmetrically. It all depends on your imagination and the imagination of the child.

It is better if the entire surface is covered. Next, everything needs to be varnished and your joint creation can be mounted on the wall. The photo shows one example of the design of an old frame. This is not a standard; each master will make his own unique work.

While collecting natural material, teach your child to use roots and branches collected from cut trees. You cannot break growing trees, causing irreparable harm to your native nature.

Thus, in a short joint production of crafts, several useful educational processes will be combined at once, which will help your child become a worthy citizen of his homeland. He will gain skills in working with tools and a lesson in caring for the environment.

How to make a photo frame

When you take good pictures, you want to print them out and hang them on the wall. But as always there is a problem with photo frames.
Those that are on sale are not always suitable in size and color to implement your idea. There is only one thing left - to make a photo frame yourself.

Moreover, it is very simple and you can get by with a minimum of tools. First we need to find wooden planks from which we will make the frame.

I usually use small shaped or rectangular glazing beads for this, which are sold at construction markets. Next you need to decide on the shape of the corners, usually there are two options - 45 degrees and 90.

The first option looks more beautiful on frames covered with or without a transparent coating. I prefer the second option with black painting. Next, we saw off the four sides of the future frame and adjust the corners, especially if we sawed off at 45 degrees. When the frame is roughly fitted, you should level the slats using fine sandpaper or a small plane.

There are several ways to fasten the planks together. The easiest way is to glue them together with strong enough glue. For this you can use epoxy resin or transparent “Moment”. A more reliable connection would be to glue and hammer in staples from a large stapler. This connection will suffice in the vast majority of cases.
If you need to make a large photo frame, then you can make the corners from thick tin or aluminum, in which case you can attach them with small screws.

I make the smallest frames even simpler - on a backing made of thick cardboard The planks themselves and the photograph are glued, this is enough for the entire structure to hold firmly.

You don’t have to limit yourself to the usual materials for your frames.
I've seen frames made from barbecue skewers, cut out of liter beer cans, just an outline smeared with glue and sprinkled with sand and shells.

Using your imagination, you can even make a three-dimensional frame - in the form of, say, a window. To do this, you need to make a copy of this window frame and insert a photo instead of the background; if you choose the photo well, you can achieve an amazing effect.

Wooden or what can be made from scraps of boards

In any carpentry workshop, be it home or large production, there are always a lot of different scraps. Of course, you don’t mind throwing away the defective ones, but you want to use the ones that are more or less suitable. I have already touched on the topic of scraps on the pages of the site, these were curved and radius parts, and I decided to return to it again. Very often in the search queries for which visitors come to the site, you can find the following: what can be made from scraps? So I want to propose a topic on how to make a simple frame for a picture or portrait with your own hands. I must say right away that what I will tell and show in this article certainly has no artistic value. The goal is not to create a work of art, but to show how you can make a simple and necessary thing, durable and light, using “illiquid assets.” How to make a work of art will depend on your imagination, taste and artistic abilities. And so let's get down to business.

I was making a frame for a finished canvas 450x550mm, so the dimensions were determined in advance. The frame requires four corresponding slats with a margin of approximately 150 mm. The first thing to do is to drive them into the same section size. This is important because the corners will be cut at an angle of 45 degrees and if the width is different, then the cut will be accordingly. As a result, we get “not right away” in the corners. You can, of course, connect the corners not at 45, but at the end-edge joint, whichever is convenient for you. In this case, the width of the pillars and jumpers may be different. Using any available tool, we make the slats the same in thickness and width. Next, mark the dimensions of the future frame on the slats. When marking, you need to make indents from the edges, since we will be filing the corners from the outside of the line. Since I had a canvas, I relied on the internal dimensions of the frame, hence the markings. After marking, the task is to saw off as accurately as possible. There are many ways, a good hacksaw and miter box, a miter saw, a circular saw with a device for cutting corners, band saw with the same device, and so on... The main thing is the accuracy of the cut. In addition to a precisely maintained line, you need to make a cut perpendicular to the base plane so that when connecting the parts there are no so-called “slips”. This is when one of the planes fits tightly, but there is a gap on the opposite side.
We sawed it off, let's move on. Now you need to select a quarter from the wrong side of the blanks, in order to then insert a canvas or portrait and fix it with a glazing bead. The procedure is not mandatory, you can do without a quarter, but it seemed to me that this would be more reliable in fixing the canvas. I used a horizontal slot cutter, but you can do the same manual router or a circular saw, with the option of adjusting the depth of cut. Almost all household circular saws currently produced are capable of performing this operation. Determine the size of the quarter based on what will fit into the frame. This could be a photo under glass, for example, or a mirror. In any case, there should still be room for fixation. Although, if you intend to insert something without the possibility of replacement, you can not select a quarter, but make a cut of the appropriate size and insert a mirror during the assembly process. Then it will be framed as “for life.” Window frames were once made this way.

I cut out part of the blank in order to somehow highlight the corners, this is firstly, to increase the mating area at the corners, while making the frame visually less massive, this is secondly. Your imagination may go further than mine.

The next stage is to ensure maximum joint strength in the corners. I had a small picture in a factory frame and when it fell, it shattered into five pieces. It turns out that the corners were fastened on the wrong side with staples from a construction stapler, two per corner, that’s all! Let's learn a lesson and not repeat the mistakes of others. Let's connect the corner to a tenon; this, together with good wood glue, will provide sufficient strength. Select a groove on the end sections. How it will be depends on the thickness of your workpieces. I just made the cuts with a regular disc from circular saw. I got a cutting width of 4 mm and a depth of 12 mm. The cross section of my blanks is 45x18 mm. A spike of this size will be quite sufficient. Having made the cuts, you need to make a tenon. I took a strip of suitable width and passed it through a surface planer I got required thickness. This can be done using a regular jointer, or even an electric plane, but keep in mind that the tenon must fit tightly and at the same time without excessive force. If you have a thickness planer, but it does not allow you to plan such thin slats (often minimum size 5-6 mm.), place the strip on a pre-planed board and pass it through the bag. This way you can plan even veneer.
Carefully adjust the tenon to the groove, ensure maximum density both in thickness and width of the tenon. The fibers must be directed perpendicular to the end cut. Once adjusted, you can paste it in. If you plan to insert a mirror, then the inner edges of the frame must first be rolled with a milling cutter (if you want to do this at all). I did this on the assembled one, so internal corners got rounded. If you pass the workpiece disassembled with a cutter, the angle will naturally be right.

When all the corners have been collected, you can somehow process the edges. If you don’t want to use a router for this, then at least just go over them a little with sandpaper so as not to dull them too much. It is generally not recommended to leave sharp corners, especially on wood. soft rocks. After finishing, there may be unpleasant surprises in the form of small but clearly visible chips. I rolled the inner edges with an edge cutter to the depth allowed by a quarter, and the outer edges with the same cutter, only with a larger diameter and milling depth.

Now you can safely move on to sanding, and then to finishing. You know better what it will be like. I limited myself to stain and semi-matte varnish (2x3 layers, both polyurethane materials). And finally, insert what you planned into the frame and secure it well. If you don’t want to insert a glazing bead, you can simply cut small wedges from tin and press them in, thereby fixing the object. This is appropriate if you are inserting something hard. In my case, it was also necessary to provide some tension in the material; the glazing bead made it possible to do this.

Processed

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