A few weeks back, I made this Chihuly inspired painting. I confess to not having been able to hang up my masterpiece due to the fact that I hadn’t framed it. I always intended to build my own stretched canvas frame, but other projects took precedence. As usual, putting together this frame went much quicker than I anticipated. Follow along for the DIY way. It’s so easy and much more cost effective than buying the pre-built ones in the art supply stores. I’m talking close to $100 cheaper. Yup, big money, honey.
Supply List
• 2×2 pine or spruce
• Wood screws or nails
• Staples and staple gun
Step-by-Step
Step 1
Cut your wood posts down to size. Depending on the size of your art, you will need (2) top/bottom frame (2) side frames and (1 or 2) stretchers.
Step 2
Dry fit your frame and space your stretchers evenly or in quarters as I did (see image above) along the vertical or long part of the frame.
Step 3
With a nail gun, nail the frame together on the sides. If you don’t have a nail gun (or couldn’t find it, like me), using wood screws works just as well. Make sure to screw/nail each end of the stretcher in two locations or they will pivot on the frame.
Step 4
Lay your canvas art on the floor and attach to the frame using a staple gun. Start by stapling one side of the canvas and then pull and staple the opposite side. Then repeat with the other sides. Once you’ve stapled your canvas all around the frame (be generous with the amount of staples you use; you don’t want the canvas to buckle or come loose in any areas), then you can refer to this awesome video clip on how to do the corners. Now you’re ready to hang your awesome masterpiece!
Psst… just between you and me… I totally did not center my painting well at all. So I covered up this fact by squirting a few more lines of paint. I think it turned out okay, don’t you? Remember, mums the word!
Are you ready to tackle a stretched canvas frame of your own? Share your experience with me in the comments below!
PROJECT SUMMARY:
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Total Cost: I bought (3) 2x2x8 SPF lumber from Home Depot for $3.09 each. I already had the screws and staples on hand. For lumber alone, this frame cost me $10.38 after taxes.
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Total Time: Cutting the wood and assembling the frame took about 1 hour. Stapling the canvas to the frame took another hour. (Part of that time was looking up how to do the corners!)
Make your own Chihuly-Inspired Painting:
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