Making a wooden picture frame for your photos

Making a wooden frame yourself lets you get a unique decoration, sized exactly to your photos. This guide is for beginner DIYers equipped with a mitre saw or a mitre box. You will learn how to choose the moldings, cut the angles at 45° and assemble a sturdy frame.

Choosing the moldings and preparing the cut

Prefer solid wood moldings, such as beech or pine, with a section of 20 x 10 mm for photos up to 20 x 30 cm. Each molding length equals the side of the photo plus twice the width of the molding. Equip yourself with a mitre saw, wood glue and a stapler.

1. Measure the photo and add twice the molding width to each side
2. Sand the moldings and number them for assembly
3. Set the mitre saw to 45°
4. Cut the four pieces making sure the cuts are symmetrical
5. Check the dry fit on a flat surface

Assembling the frame at 45°

Apply the wood glue to the faces of the cuts, assemble the four pieces and clamp with clamps. Check the squareness before drying, then reinforce each corner with two 10 mm staples once the glue has set.

Fitting the glass, the photo and the hook

Cut the glass to the size of the opening, insert glass, photo and the cardboard backing into the rabbet, then hold everything in place with glazing points. Attach the hook to the center of the top edge and hang the frame checking the level with a spirit level.

Precautions and mistakes to avoid

• Cutting the four moldings without checking the symmetry, a source of open joints
• Forcing the corners during clamping instead of correcting the cut
• Forgetting the expansion play for the glass and the photo
• Hanging the frame near a heat source that warps the wood

Your custom frame gives real personality to your decoration and can even become a handmade gift. Each project makes you more precise and faster. All that's left is to choose the photo it will house.