How to Build a Picture Frame

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RON HAZELTON:
My friend Hugh Morton down at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is a wonderful nature photographer and he just sent me this photo of one of the bears at the park down there. Now I was going to take this down to a frame shop and have it professionally framed. And then I thought, you know what, this is a perfect workshop project -- custom making a frame.

So that's exactly what we're going to do right over here at the workbench. So come on over. We're going to build our frame out of poplar. I picked this up at the local home improvement center, and we'll be using three different thicknesses -- 3/4 inch, 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch.

So the first thing I want to do is rip this down to the proper width. Now to round over this piece of wood, we're going to use this router bit called a roundover bit. It will mount into the router like this and the router in turn is held in this router table. Now come on under here and take a look.

This is just a standard router clamped upside down. Now normally with a router, you move the router over the work, but when you're using a router table, you're passing the work over the router. Now this is going to form the base of our molding, our picture frame, if you will.

And what we're going to do next is we're going to stack on top of this, just a smaller piece of lumber. This is the 1/2 inch thick. It's going to go right on top, just like that. I'll just put some glue on the bottom. Now, I want to get this nice and evenly spread out.

So we'll take a glue spreader and just kind of paint this on here. So what we end up with is a nice even film of glue. Now we'll take this, plop it right on top of that piece that we just finished routing there. I'm going to make it flush with the back. Then we'll take some spring clamps, put one of these every few inches. This is the last one right here. Okay. Now we'll set this one aside to dry and we'll do up a few more, just like this.

Well, the glue's dried, the clamps are off, here's that piece that we attached. Now this is what I want to do next. Remove this little piece of material right in here. It's going to actually create kind of an S-curve. And to do that, we're going to use this core box bit.

You can see right there how that's going to work. That's going to remove this material. Now see what a graceful S-curve that makes? Now I've installed a straight bit on the router and I'm cutting out a rabbit or a recess on the back side of the frame.

This notch will hold the glass and photograph in place, and conceal the edges. Well, this is the third piece of board in our sort of molding sandwich, if you will. This is going to sit right on the top. And what I want to do is to create a rounded edge on this. So I've set up our router table once again for our final routing.

This is a little round-over bit in here. Now this is a very thin piece of wood, so I've added a couple of blocks here and here to hold this in position, keep it from chattering and allow me to keep my fingers well away from the blade.

Let's go ahead and run this through twice --once in this direction, then we'll flip it over and run it through the other direction. There you go. See how the round shape is carried around the entire edge?

Well, now we're ready to glue our third piece of molding on top of our stack of moldings, if you will, to give us a very interesting profile right here. So let's do the same thing we did before. We'll take some glue --
[MUSIC]
Well, here's our molding. A very nice looking profile we've got right here.

Now I need to cut angles or miters on the ends of each section. To do that more accurately, I'm using the miter gauge for the table saw, to which I've attached a wood strip as an extension. I'm also using a stop block to make sure the sections on opposite sides of the frame are exactly the same length.

Finally, we have some finished frame parts right here. We're going to glue these together right now. And I've made up a simple gluing jig right here with a piece of particle board or MDF and then on top of that, a square -- I made sure that this was exactly square just screwed in place, just a few inches in from the edge. So what we're going to do is take our molding, put a little glue on the end of the miter cut here -- I've got a pretty generous coat of glue on this. Because this is end grain, it tends to soak the glue up.

Now we'll take this piece, lay it up against the block, take the adjoining piece, lay it up against that edge and then push these two together. Now you see what the block does? The block makes certain that we have a 98-degree angle here.

We're adding the pin nailer here and I'm going to nail this first from this side -- and then from this side over here, and this one, and then we're just going to repeat the process. And folks, we have got a frame. Pretty as a picture, huh? And how about this portrait?

Well, I've put some stain and a couple of coats of varnish on this and I'd say it's time to make this picture perfect. So we're going to take a piece of glass first of all, and drop this right into that rabbit that we cut earlier -- get it in there and here's our photograph. Put a mat around the outside edge of that, drop that right on top of the glass just like so.

We'll hold the photo, mat and glass into the rabbit we cut earlier, with these glazier's points, used by glass installers to hold windowpanes in place. To protect the back and keep dust out, we'll attach a sheet of brown craft paper with masking tape.

Well, there it is. You know, making your own frame can add a very personalized touch to something that's special to you.

Design, build and Finish a Custom Picture Frame in a Few Simple Steps.

Add a personal touch to a photograph, print, or piece of art by designing and building your own picture frame. Taking the time to create your own will allow you to design a frame that fits your decor, the nature of the artwork, as well as give you the satisfaction that comes with doing it yourself.

Step 1

Select the Material for Your Frame

For this project, Ron is using poplar. This hardwood is readily available at most home improvement stores, and is fairly versatile. To build this frame, you will need three different thicknesses, but if you'd like a frame with a little more (or less) heft, then you can be flexible with the thickness of the wood that you choose. Obviously, a heaver frame may be more appropriate for a larger piece. Once you've selected the thickness of your stock, use a table saw to rip it to the correct width.

Step 2

Round the Edges of the Frame Stock

When building a custom frame, you can add your own unique design touches by rounding and shaping the pieces of stock that you assemble. A router and a router table are the easiest way to do this. A round-over bit will eliminate any sharp edges and give the framework a smooth, sculpted look and will help hide the transitions between the pieces.

Step 3

Glue and Clamp the 1st set together

When gluing two flat pieces together, make sure that the glue is spread into a thin even layer. This will ensure that the bond is tight and will stand the test of time. Once the glue is spread over the appropriate area, apply a spring clamp every 6 inches or so. If you have to use heavier clamps, make sure you use a piece of wood between the jaws of the clamp to disperse the force, otherwise you will have marks and indentations on wood and they will show on your finished frame.

Step 4

Create the Contours of the Frame

Once the glue has dried, you can use another style of router bit to remove the corner where the two pieces of wood are glued together. This will make the frame look as though it's one solid carved piece of wood. Use a cove box bit to create the smooth, round face of the frame. After you've shaped the face, change the bit again to a square router bit and cut a rabbit joint on the back side. Make it deep enough to hold the glass that will go over the front of your painting, photograph or other artwork.

Step 5

Completing the Frame Stock

The third piece of stock that you are going to add to the picture frame stack is fairly thin compared to the two others. To ensure that you can run it through the router table safely, you'll need to construct a simple jig. The purpose of the jig is to hold keep the stock in place, without you having to place your fingers too close to the router bit. The jig can be several pieces of scrap wood that are clamped into place with spring clamps. After the 3rd piece of stock is shaped with the router, glue it into place and let it dry while clamped.

Step 6

Miter the corners

Using a table saw to cut the miters for the frame ensures accuracy and safety. Use a miter gauge to ensure that the angle is correct and uniform for all of the joints. A stop block will guarantee that all of the frame pieces are the same length. This is vital if they are going to line up correctly when you try to put them together.

Step 7

Build a jig to glue the frame together

You will find that it is much easier to build a frame that is square and true if you construct a jig to help you line the pieces up correctly for gluing. Simply nail or screw a square piece of stock to the bench, and then use the square corners to make sure that your frame joints are lined up perfectly. Once you have the jig ready, apply a generous amount of glue to the corners, set them together around the jig, and then fasten them with a pin nailer.

Step 8

Framing the Picture

After the glue has completely set and you've had a chance to stain, paint, or finish the frame the way that you want, you are ready to put in the picture. First, set the glass into place in the rabbit that you cut on the back side of the frame. Then, you can set the matted picture into place behind the glass. Use glazier's points to hold the glass and picture in place. Once it is secure, tape craft paper over the back of the frame to help protect the picture inside.

How to Use a Band Clamps for Frames and Cases

How to Use Adjustable C-Clamps

Creative Ways to Get More Out of the Clamps You’ve Got

Glue Spreader Gives Better Bonds

How to Cut Molding Cleanly with a Hand Saw

How to Hang Pictures So They Won’t Tip

Picture Hanging Bracket Uses No Wire Hangs Level

How to Hang a Picture Exactly Where you Want it.

40Project Comments

We welcome your ideas and suggestions. Read through comments from other readers or leave your own.

Nice video. Very clear instructions and good looking picture frames.

Jim

Apr 7, at 3:12pm

Loved the video; very inspiring!!!

gina spires

Mar 17, at 1:49pm

I like the video of making picture frame..
I’m going to try it..
I’ll let you know how it turns out..
I’ve made some all ready..
I use Oak wood.

Donald Miller

Feb 29, at 9:04pm

iI bet none of you guys win the sweepstakes. come on ryobi. he he haw haw lol

kelly sexton

Feb 27, at 8:10pm

I have built most everything from shelves to a barn for livestock, but have never thought of my own custom frame. My wife is always trying to frame things for our home such as the gloves that she wore for our wedding. However, she can never find the right frame. Now thanks to you guys that’s no longer an issue. Ron’s instructions made it fast and amazingly simple to build exactly what my wife had in mind. Thank you Ron!!!

Jason Neri

Feb 26, at 8:03am

I used oak trim and cut oak strips 1/4” or so thick with a relief of 1/4” for the glass and matting. I used a water proof glue (which is more resistant to changes in humidity as I live in Florida.) I bought 90 degree clamps, used a “chop” saw with masking tape to enable clean cuts for the joins. Once the pieces were cut, they were placed in the 90 degree clamps and stabilized with blocking. I then pre-drilled the holes with very small bits; then disassembled, glued, re-clamped and nailed. I have also found that since I was pre-drilling, it is not much more of a problem to dowel the joins with two dowels per corner.

Eric

Feb 24, at 9:12pm

Now all I need are $3Ks worth of tools a $ 250K workshop and I’m ready to make a frame that would cost me 59.00 to buy at a frame shop.

Seaglassman

Feb 18, at 3:20pm

Thanks for the video! We were building a frame out of wood trim that we stained and were trying to figure out how to put the frame together easily so that it was square. I didn’t want the pieces to move when I hit them with the brad nailer. The square piece of wood on top of a base was a great idea! I hunted up some wood and made my own and now have a nice looking and square glued and nailed frame. The only thing I would suggest is to put the square wood piece within a couple of inches of the corner of the base so that your nailer (in my case a brad nailer) won’t be tipped up from level so that the nail can go in parallel to the frame. I put mine block in too far and when I was done found that two of my nails came through the back of the frame because my nailer couldn’t be held level. I’ll do it differently next time! Anyway, thanks for the great idea, it worked well!

Warren

Jan 28, at 6:26pm

Ron In the past I have run a frame shop and there is no way I would put a frame together using your jig. You need a 90 degree vise instead. I have seen too many times where a misdirected nail from a nail gun has gone through the side of the frame. You need the frame clamped. and you need to get your hands out of the way so you do not put a nail through a finger. Do not hold the wood with one hand and use the nail gun with the other.

Danny

Jan 22, at 11:53am

Hi, Ron! I love your show! You make everything look so easy! Of course, I realize that half the battle is in having the right tools for the project. I am building a nice collection of tools, but would like your input on the most versatile and useful tools to begin. Thanks so much! Keep on inspiring those of us who love the look and luxuriousness of “real” wood.

Judith K Dillon

Jan 15, at 9:27pm

Please send me the cut list for this project. Looks great and easy to make.

Andrew

Jan 9, at 1:30pm

hi ron i do a lot of wood work projects i really like this one my wife has a lot of family pictures thats 5x7 who would u put them in a frame with 8 or 10 pictures in one frame with a matt on the back.

jim schultz

Jan 8, at 7:58am

Thanks for the video.
I would love to see hints from woodworkers regarding glue cleanup. It seems to be a step that is almost always skipped on instructional videos, and yet as lots of us know it is important since glue residue can affect the way a piece accepts stain.

Jim Womeldorf

Jan 3, at 8:18am

Top notch.. and great instructions, Sir.

Ramesh

Jan 3, at 1:49am

Ron
You do a good job of wearing safety glasses but the recent video on making a picture frame was good. I have two comments: I always use a push rod to move work thru a router - it would make short work of a finger and second, not all fo us have a pneumatic nailer - could you show how us poor guys might do the same job w/o a nailer. Also, one question - I noticed you placed your wood glue bottle upside down on something. Could you show what that is - it looks like really easy to use.
Bob

Bob Hines

Jan 2, at 11:19am

I don’t get to see your tv show much, but i love the website and the e-mails. I’ve made a lot of pic frames, but it’s so nice to get a fresh view on new techniques and styles. Keep up the good work.
Thanks,
Mark
Millville, Pa

Mark

Dec 18, at 8:15am

All well and good for relatively light weight, softwoods like poplar. Poplar and other softwoods are also very porous: allowing the adhesive to leach into the open end-grains and beyond the surface of the wood only. But, what about frames where their dimensions create weight to be addressed and what about hardwoods that are much less porous? Most adhesives don’t perform adequately, thin wood edges may be too brittle for nail fasteners applied in the manner demonstrated and the dense, non-porous hardwoods perform more like glass than like a softwood. Also, softwoods forgive miters that aren’t perfect while hardwoods do not. You can’t expect this kind of corner fastening to hold its corners snug if boards naturally try to pull away: one from another.

I’m seriously not just trying to blow holes in this demo. I have scoured the internet for many, many hours looking for a decent solution and/or effective fasteners and adhesives and have found very little indeed. I could really use some help with this.

Thank you.

John

Dec 8, at 10:18pm

Hi Ron,

Great job with the picture frame video instructions! The only think that I think you could improve on is a little longer video with a few more details.
Thanks for your great work! I love your TV show and your web site.
Thanks,
Bob

Bob

Nov 29, at 7:47pm

Thanks Ron, I’ve built everything from picture frames to houses in the last 35 years, and I’m always picking up a new hint or two from you, as I did with this picture frame section…..in my trade I’ve found that you can always learn something new…..that’s why I love what I do. Keep up the good work.

Paul Geller

Nov 20, at 12:39pm

who ,that is not a wood craftsman, is going to spend a pocket full of money to make a picture frame that takes a bunch of clamps, router,and router table , table saw , even a shaper . so I think the idea is poor , a much better plan has got to be out there.

sam

Nov 12, at 1:31pm

You never told the dimensions to cut the frame pieces. It seems as each of the three sections have different widths. Update this with that info would really help.

Patrick

Nov 7, at 12:43pm

Hi Ron,

I have been framing for many years and was anxious to see your video. It was good, but you seem to have left out some real important phases. If you are interested in my detailed list, feel free to contact me. There are also some tricks that I use to make things easier.

Loren Regan

Nov 6, at 2:09pm

I specifically wanted help in how to determine the correct measurements for the picture, taking into consideration the mitered corners, but I couldn’t find any direction on that.

Mel

Oct 8, at 7:52pm

Ron, you have the clearest presentation that I have ever seen. I am a disabled veteran and love to do woodworking. I have to do a little at a time and your video allows me to come back and recheck things as I progress forward.
Thanks so much, Ike

Ike Riddle

Sep 20, at 4:23pm

Awesome, your video and explanation of directions has got me ready to start mine. Thank you very much.

Dianne Comber

Sep 14, at 5:27am

I was so pleased to find your cable program today. I have been trying to get some of the local lumber businesses to give lessons to women. I gave up. So when I saw your program today while switching channels. I immediately came to the web page and watched . I loved it! I love working with wood but didn’t know where to start. Thank you so much for you made it look so easy, and not mysterious. You were very clear on your instructions. I will be your follower, because I truly want to learn. I am excited about your program.
Thanks again,
Carol

Carol Glasscock

Sep 6, at 7:12pm

You made a picture frame look easier then I thought.
This is 1 project I’m looking foward to do.
Thanks

Jon Schmidt

Sep 4, at 12:17pm

Ron,
I sure like this picture frame, can I get a material list? Or if it is already on your site please tell me how to get this information. I really like you site and refer to it frequently!

Thanks so much!
Chuck

Chuck Emery

Aug 28, at 11:11pm

You made a great looking frame! But Im not sure how you got the exact size for what looked like a unique picture size. Keep giving out the tips that make woodworking more fun and easier.

Patrick M. Hogan

Aug 28, at 1:34pm

This project will be helpful to me as I do some painting on canvas and need frames for my artwork. Thanks.

Alton Hughes

Aug 21, at 6:13am

have admired your show for years, GREAT ! will start small a project….

Beverly Mayo

Aug 10, at 5:58am

Great video, like the way you have a jig for all occasions. I always learn an easier and smarter way of getting projects done by following your methods. Great show, great tips.

Joe Fernandez

Jul 24, at 8:42am

Would like to have a print button so that I can print out the instrutions without all the ads.

Joe Piers

Jul 10, at 2:01pm

Enjoyed the new site and both projects . I plan to build several picture frames
soon and this will help.
Also like being able to watch projects in full screen.

JERRY COLSON

Jul 10, at 12:19pm

Ron,
Sorry, I’ve made quite a few frames in my ‘hole-in-wall’ workshop & it is NOT as easy, I say, as you make it look as “I” always have trouble getting exact frame size b-4 putting edges together,i.e., 8.5x11 frame & 3x6.
I also use biscuits @45 degee corners to assemble & frame holder until glue dries.
Always enjoy your show & tips, especially on the road.

Best,
JimBo
Spring Twp., PA

JImBo

Jul 10, at 8:13am

Thanks again Ron for shareing your wisdom! I am makeing 12” trivots out of glass wall tile, so hot pots and dishes do not sit right on my Corian counter tops. I was not thrilled to buy an expensive set of squares just to make a few, so your mdf jig is a wallet saver! Love the shooting jig for thin stock for routing.
Would love to see a tour of your shop, the high walls remind me of a barn, but homey, great for big projects? Love the new web site too. When you run out of projects at your house feel free to start on mine!

Cory G

Jul 10, at 7:56am

I wish you lived next door! Clear and precise directions and enhanced by the new website. I have you book marked. Thanks for all the help.

Chas McMullen

Jul 10, at 7:12am

Glad to see the site upgrade. It looks much better and seems to work better as well.
The making of a picture frame was quite timely for me as I was given a picture as a gift as well and need an appropriate good-looking frame for it. Thanks for the information.

Cliff Smith

Jul 10, at 6:20am

I like your new site

Kenneth Bird

Jul 10, at 5:30am

This new site seems to move faster & smother than ever before.Thanks…...Scott

Scott Nicholson

Jul 10, at 1:15am

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